These Cleveland Guardians Will Appear in the 2026 World Baseball Classic

It's nearly time for the start of the 2026 MLB and MiLB campaigns.

In the coming weeks, the 2026 MLB Spring Training window will open with teams set to compete against one another to prepare for the upcoming season. Teams will get a chance to test out some of their exciting prospects while getting the experienced, familiar faces up to speed.

However, nudged right in between spring training and the start of the season is the World Baseball Classic (WBC), one of the most exciting international tournaments.

And fortunately, the Cleveland Guardians will have great representation.

As of Friday, Feb. 6, the Guardians will officially have nine players and three coaches who will participate in the tournament. Major league catcher Bo Naylor will represent Team Canada with prospect pitcher Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson, while polarizing infielder and former No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana will suit up for Team Australia.

Major league arms Matt Festa for Italy and Logan Allen for Panama will represent their respective countries as well. Spring Training non-roster invitee Stuart Fairchild, whom the front office signed in early January, will suit up for Chinese Taipei.

Alongside Wilkinson, the other minor leaguers who will get a chance to play on such a grand stage are lefty arm Ryan Prager for Israel, righty arm Dylan DeLucia for Italy and infielder Dayan Frias for Colombia.

The Guardians coaches that will travel around the globe are Sandy Alomar Jr., Brad Goldberg and Rouglas Odor; they'll lead Puerto Rico, Israel and Venezuela, respectively.

Naylor, Bazzana, Festa, Fairchild and Allen will all leave spring training early to compete in the WBC.

The Most Interesting of the Bunch

Of the many individuals Cleveland's sending off to represent the organization, two players stand out as the most eye-grabbing, those being Bazzana and Naylor.

Both players have heavy expectations set on them for the 2026 season.

Since entering the big leagues four years ago, Naylor has had a fair bit of ups and downs. At the plate, he's been inconsistent, slashing .205/.286/.384 for an OPS of .670, with 2025 being his worst batting average yet at a mark of .195 through 123 games. Fortunately, he was trending the right way late last year, putting together a .290 batting average in September 2025.

If he can build on the momentum he established as the year closed out, he'll be able to serve as one of the Guardians' more reliable bats in 2026. Spring training will let him get his feet back underneath himself, while the WBC will be a big chance to see high-level competition and learn from some of the world's best athletes.

Yes, he's going to be very busy over the next two-to-three months, but it'll be a test to see if Naylor's able to perform under the pressure. If Cleveland wants him to be the franchise staple behind home plate, this is a perfect test.

On the other hand, Bazzana hasn't gotten his shot in the majors yet. However, his call-up could occur in 2026.

Playing with Team Australia is going to allow him to see what major league-like play will look and feel like before that opportunity officially arrives. Facing seasoned professionals in a high-pressure international environment will give him valuable experience that could help him come out red-hot in Triple-A this season.

The organization has emphasized patience with Bazzana, but performances against top competition could end up accelerating his path.

Across 84 total games in Rookie ball, Double-A and Triple-A, Bazzana has looked sharp,slashing .245/.389/.424 for an OPS of .813.

For now, the focus remains on spring training for those two as they look to start building momentum and confidence. Both Bazzana and Naylor will look to make the most of spring training and the WBC to push for a strong start to 2026.

The first day of in-game action at spring training will be on Saturday, Feb. 21, with the Guardians kicking things off against the Cincinatti Reds. First pitch between the two sides is slated for 3:05 p.m. EST.