10 World Baseball Classic Players You Didn't Realize Had International Ties

Here are 10 MLB players competing in the World Baseball Classic whom you didn't know had lineage to an international country.

Chisholm (left) and Wells (right) are teammates on the Yankees but opponents in the World Baseball Classic. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Every few years, the World Baseball Classic presents the opportunity for ballplayers to represent their home countries in pursuit of a championship on the global stage. The tournament also gives some of the United States’ most prominent players with international lineage a chance to play for other countries.

Here are 10 MLB players with surprising international ties.

Jazz Chisholm Jr., Great Britain

Chisholm, the only active MLB player from The Bahamas, is representing Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic. Chisholm is eligible to play for the country because The Bahamas were a former colony of Great Britain. It will be the second time that Chisholm, who played for Team Great Britain in the qualifiers back in 2016, will be playing in the World Baseball Classic.

Mark Vientos, Nicaragua

Vientos, born in Norwalk, Conn., is playing for Team Nicaragua, a country where his mother was born. But Vientos’s multicultural roots run deep. His father was born in the Dominican Republic and his paternal grandfather was born in Puerto Rico.

Harrison Bader, Israel

Bader, whose father is Jewish, had intended to play for Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, but an injury-plagued campaign the year prior resulted in him withdrawing from the competition. But Bader left the door open to participating for Team Israel in later iterations of the tourney, and the opportunity has arrived in 2026.

Nolan Arenado, Puerto Rico

Arenado helped Team USA reach the championship of the 2023 World Baseball Classic. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Arenado, whose mother is of Puerto Rican and Cuban ancestry, starred for the United States in each of the last two World Baseball Classics, helping Team USA capture the championship over Puerto Rico back in 2017. Arenado will become just the fifth player to play for multiple countries in the tournament, according to MLB.com.

Logan Allen, Panama

Allen’s mother was born and grew up in Panama, giving him eligibility to play for the country in the World Baseball Classic. Allen had attempted to enter the tourney for the first time back in 2023, but was bouncing between the big leagues and minor leagues at the time. Now an established big leaguer with the Guardians, the Altamonte Springs, Fla., native will get his chance.

Alejandro Kirk, Mexico

Kirk, who was born in Tijuana, Mexico, became the first Mexican-born player to homer in a World Series game this past October. Now, Kirk, who withdrew from the 2023 tourney following the birth of his child, will now get a chance to represent his country on the global stage.

Xander Bogaerts, Netherlands

Bogaerts was born in Oranjestad, Aruba, a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, giving him the eligibility to play for the Dutch team in the World Baseball Classic. This will be Bogaerts’s fourth appearance in the tourney—and fifth time playing for Team Netherlands, whom he helped win the 2011 Baseball World Cup.

Aaron Nola, Italy

Nola was born and raised in Baton Rouge, La., but has Italian descent on his father’s side of the family—his paternal grandparents were born in the appropriately-named town of Nola in Italy. Now, Nola, a frontline starter for the Phillies, will take the mound for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic for the first time in his career.

Jarren Duran, Mexico

Duran is of Mexican descent through his father, and honors that lineage with tattoos of his grandmother and aunt, according to MLB.com. It was back in 2021, Duran’s first taste of the big leagues, when he began to ponder which country he’d represent in the World Baseball Classic. Just two years later, Duran took the field for Team Mexico, which made it to the semifinal before losing to Team Japan. Now, Duran will represent Mexico once again, this time as a starting outfielder on the team.

Austin Wells, Dominican Republic

Wells, born and raised in Las Vegas, is eligible to play for Team Dominican Republic because of the Dominican heritage on his mother’s side of the family. Wells’s maternal grandparents hailed from the Dominican Republic. Wells, who slugged a career-high 21 homers in 2025, adds to an already-imposing lineup for Team Dominican Republic.

---