WBC Team Preview: Israel

Team Israel will hope to go on a surprising run like it did in 2017, when the Mensch on the Bench mascot, along with pitcher Josh Zeid (named to the WBC All-Tournament team) and designated hitter Ike Davis (8-for-17, two doubles, a triple, four walks, five runs scored) helped it pull off four straight victories.

Notable Players

Harrison Bader, Spencer Horwitz, Matt Mervis, Garrett Stubbs, and Dean Kremer are among the major leaguers on the squad. While it lacks high-end MLB performers, there are four players from the Mets organization to follow:

• Robert Stock, 36, who threw five innings for the Mets in 2021, was signed to a minor-league contract by the Mets in November and invited to spring training. He appeared in two games for the Red Sox last year.
• Josh Blum, 22, was a 16th-round draft pick out of the University of Southern California in 2024. He pitched to a 3.41 ERA in 58 innings combined at High-A Brooklyn and Low-A St. Lucie last season.
• Jordan Geber, 26, posted a 3.57 ERA in 35 1/3 innings pitched combined at Triple-A Syracuse and Double-A Binghamton in 2025.
• Ben Simon, 23, struck out 60 in 54 1/3 innings pitched for Binghamton and Brooklyn while pitching to a 2.98 ERA last year.

Notable Coaches

Brad Ausmus, an MLB catcher for 18 years and a former skipper of the Tigers and Angels, will manage. The bullpen coach is Jason Marquis, a 1996 first-round pick of the Braves out of Tottenville High School on Staten Island who had a 15-year MLB career. The bench coach is Kevin Youkilis.

WBC History

Israel qualified for the tournament for the first time when it made that run in 2017, defeating favored South Korea, Chinese Taipei, and the Netherlands in the first round of pool play. Israel stunned Cuba in the first game of second-round pool play before losing twice to be eliminated.

Zeid, who threw 48 1/3 career innings for the Astros, was joined on the 2017 All-Tournament Team by one ex-Met, Carlos Beltran (Puerto Rico), and three future ones: tournament MVP Marcus Stroman (United States), Kodai Senga (Japan), and Francisco Lindor (Puerto Rico).

Aside from Davis, other former Mets to play for Team Israel include Josh Satin and Shawn Green.

In 2023, Israel lost three of four pool play games and was eliminated.

Pool

Israel is in Pool D with the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the Netherlands, and Nicaragua. Its first game is against Venezuela on March 7 at loanDepot Park in Miami. It would be an upset if Israel makes it out of pool play, but that was also the case in 2017. The oddsmakers have Israel as the fourth-best team in Pool D, ahead of only Nicaragua.

For a ranking of all 20 teams by MMO’s Robert Colonna, click here.

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