These are the Phillies who have committed to the World Baseball Classic
The Phillies won’t play meaningful baseball as a collective unit until March 26, but fans don’t have to wait that long to see some of the individuals take the field on a pretty big stage in its own right. The World Baseball Classic begins on March 5 — the day after the Phillies host Team Canada in Clearwater — and the Phillies are sending quite a few to baseball’s biggest international competition.
Here’s who they are and the countries they’ll be representing:
Kyle Schwarber — USA: This will be Schwarber’s second World Baseball Classic. He put up a 1.093 OPS and two homers (only Trea Turner, five, hit as many) in a 2023 runner-up finish for Team USA.
Bryce Harper — USA: Harper was going to play in 2023, but his elbow injury forced him out. He’s represented the U.S. before, playing for the 16U team in 2008 and the 18U team in 2009.
Brad Keller — USA: Keller’s career year, where he posted a 2.07 ERA for the Cubs, propelled him to a two-year, $22 million contract and a spot in this year’s tournament. He’ll make up part of a particularly stacked bullpen.
Cristopher Sánchez — Dominican Republic: After waiting for the go-ahead from the Phillies, Sánchez will represent the D.R. this March. He logged a career-high 214 innings last season, regular + post.
Johan Rojas — Dominican Republic: Rojas will join a loaded D.R. team that features Sánchez, Juan Soto, Julio Rodríguez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Oneil Cruz, Ketel Marte, José Ramírez, Geraldo Perdomo, Manny Machado … the list goes on.
Aaron Nola — Italy: Rob Thomson announced the Phillies veteran’s Team Italy membership last week. The Phillies manager thinks it’ll give Nola a head-start on a bounceback 2026 campaign.
Taijuan Walker — Mexico: Walker’s participation for Team Mexico means three of the Phillies’ projected five-man Opening Day starting rotation will pitch in the World Baseball Classic first. Walker threw four innings of shutout, one-hit, eight-strikeout ball against Great Britain in 2023 pool play.
Alan Rangel — Mexico: Rangel was on Team Mexico in 2023, too, but didn’t make an appearance. He made his first two MLB appearances last year, allowing three runs in 11 innings.
Garrett Stubbs — Israel: Stubbs played one game in 2023 for Team Israel before departing with a knee injury. He made that game count, though, with a game-winning double against Nicaragua in the eighth inning. In a neat twist, Stubbs was replaced on the roster by his brother, C.J.
Edmundo Sosa — Panama: Sosa played for Panama during its unsuccessful qualifying bid for the 2017 World Baseball Classic. This is Sosa’s last year under contract with the Phillies.
Phillies not participating in the World Baseball Classic:
Jesús Luzardo — After a career-high in innings and entering his walk year, Luzardo turned down invitations from Team Venezuela and Team USA in the WBC. “Looking forward to a free-agent year, I thought it was the most intelligent decision to bypass the Classic, unfortunately,” Luzardo said on MLB Network Monday. “Super hard and super difficult decision, but I felt like it was the most intelligent one. So, hopefully in three or four years I’m able to do it again and represent Venezuela.”
Jhoan Duran — Also off a career-high in innings, Duran declined for similar reasons: “Last season I exceeded my innings and I need to take care of my arm,” he told Wilber Sánchez in Spanish. “I don’t have a contract that guarantees my future.”
Zack Wheeler — Wheeler won’t be ready to pitch after undergoing TOS surgery in September, but Team USA manager Mark DeRosa recently told The Athletic that Wheeler was in for Team USA this year before the injury.