WBC: Teel Could Play for Italy; Urias Brothers Will Play For Mexico; New Pitching Coach For Israel;

As the World Baseball Classic nears, rosters are becoming clearer with new reports of player commitments and interest. Here’s the latest from around the world as the much-anticipated tournament gets closer. 

Mexico – Mexico announced that Luis and Ramón Urías will play for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. Ramón, the older brother, has won a Gold Glove award and produced a 2.2 bWAR last season. He did not play in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. 

Luis did play in the tournament and slashed .278/.381/.444 with a home run. Between the two of them, there are over 1,000 games of big league experience. 

According to El Imparcial, Taijuan Walker will also play for Mexico. The former All-Star had a bounce-back season for the Philadelphia Phillies and played in the 2023 World Baseball Classic as well. He started one game in the tournament and notched eight strikeouts without allowing a run. 

Israel – Dean Kremer will pitch for Israel in the World Baseball Classic, per CAA Baseball. He made one start for the team in 2023 and has pitched in 87 games in the big leagues since the last World Baseball Classic. He has a 4.14 ERA in that span. 

Zack Raab reported on X that Israel has turned to former closer Brad Goldberg as the team’s pitching coach for 2026. Raab replaces Alon Leichman, who was named pitching coach of the Colorado Rockies for the 2026 season. Goldberg is the assistant pitching coach for the Cleveland Guardians.

Japan – Kazuma Okamoto signed with the Toronto Blue Jays and has made it known he wants to return to the World Baseball Classic. He had a 1.278 OPS in the last tournament and was a key player for Samurai Japan.

Meanwhile, Tatsuya Imai signed with the Houston Astros. He will not pitch in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, noting his desire to spend time with his new team during spring training. He did not pitch in the last World Baseball Classic either, but had a phenomenal season in Japan in 2025. 

Great Britain – Harry Ford will play for Great Britain in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, per a post on his Instagram. He led Great Britain in hits, home runs and RBIs in the last World Baseball Classic. He is the No. 42 prospect in all of baseball. He was traded to the Washington Nationals in December and made his MLB debut last season. 

Canada – Chicago Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon will play for Canada in the World Baseball Classic, per John Atkins. He did not play in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and has a 3.43 ERA in the last two seasons. 

Team Canada’s WBC roster is taking shape! 23 of its 30 players have been decided, headlined by Freddie Freeman and the Naylor brothers! 🇨🇦

Can this projected lineup finally help push Canada past the first round? 🤔 #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/hG0kaCbQyb

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 8, 2026

South Korea – Woo-suk Go and Hyeseong Kim will be with South Korea’s national team for camp in Saipan before the tournament. Kim played for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season and had a solid rookie season, primarily serving as a utility player. He had a .280 average and three home runs in 71 games. 

Go has not made his MLB debut yet and signed with the Detroit Tigers last season. He had a 4.46 ERA in the minor leagues last season. 

Italy – WSCR-AM’s Bruce Levine noted that Kyle Teel is a potential target for Italy in the World Baseball Classic. He was the headline prospect who went back to the Chicago White Sox in the Garrett Crochet trade. He was MLB Pipeline’s No. 25 prospect at the time. Teel made his MLB debut last season. 

In 78 games, he slashed .273/.375/.411 with eight home runs. He is one of the bright young players in the game and did not play in the last World Baseball Classic. He would give Italy a great option behind the plate. 

Photo: Baltimore Orioles’ Ramón Urías, left, looks to the dugout, next to his brother, Athletics second baseman Luis Urías, after hitting a double during the second inning of a baseball game Sunday, June 8, 2025, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Sara Nevis)