Phillies are well-represented across the World Baseball Classic team pool
Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Brad Keller were named to the Team USA roster. In total, the Phillies will send 11 players from their 40-man roster.
All 20 rosters for the World Baseball Classic were announced on Thursday night, and the Phillies are well-represented.
Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber will play for the United States under manager and Penn alum Mark DeRosa, joined by Brad Keller in the bullpen.
Schwarber represented the U.S. at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, helping the team win a silver medal. Harper had plans to play for the 2023 team as well, but withdrew after undergoing elbow surgery the previous winter.
“[Schwarber] was the chemistry guy for me, last time,” DeRosa said in December.
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Cristopher Sánchez will join the Dominican Republic’s rotation, with outfielder Johan Rojas also named to the team.
The Phillies’ other participants include José Alvarado (Venezuela); Taijuan Walker (Mexico); Garrett Stubbs and Max Lazar (Israel); Edmundo Sosa (Panama); and Aaron Nola (Italy).
Several Phillies prospects were also named to rosters. Outfielder Dante Nori, the Phillies’ 2024 first-round selection and No. 6 prospect, will join Nola on Team Italy.
Pitching prospect Jaydenn Estanista will play for the Netherlands. Estanista had a 4.84 ERA in 44⅔ innings last season between high-A Jersey Shore and double-A Reading. Mitch Neunborn, who pitched for Reading and triple-A Lehigh Valley last year, will represent Australia.
Gabriel Barbosa was named to Brazil’s roster. Barbosa had a 3.62 ERA across three levels in the Phillies’ system in 2025, finishing the season in double A.
The Phillies will play an exhibition game against Team Canada in Clearwater, Fla. on March 4 before WBC pool play takes place March 5-10 in Tokyo, San Juan, Miami, and Houston.
The quarterfinals will be held on March 13 in Miami and Houston, while the semifinals and finals are March 15-17 in Miami.
Despite playing only two seasons for the Phillies, Aaron Rowand left his mark. Literally. Twenty years ago Monday, Rowand smashed into the center-field fence and broke bones in his face to make a catch. And if that didn’t instantly boost his popularity with the fan base, his answer four days later to a question about why he would sacrifice his body certainly did. Rowand joins Phillies Extra to reminisce about “The Catch,” his role in helping to change the culture around the Phillies, and a lot more. Watch here.
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