Three Cleveland Guardians selected to compete in World Baseball Classic

The Cleveland Guardians will have representation at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

On Tuesday, Dec. 9, three players were chosen to participate with their respective nations to compete in the WBC, which is set to begin at the start of March 2026. The three selected were talented prospect infielder Travis Bazzana for Australia, and bullpen arms Cade Smith and Erik Sabrowski for Canada.

The selection to compete in the WBC will not impact their abilities to prepare for the 2026 MLB season, as the WBC runs from March 5 through March 17, 2026, spanning a total of 12 days. The nations participating will compete in pool play, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals action if they make a complete run through the tournament.

The selection of Smith and Sabrowski come as no surprise, both arms have been incredibly reliable the past few seasons.

In 2025, Smith capped off his efforts on the mound with 73.2 innings pitched for an ERA of 2.93. He was electrifying with his high strikeout rate, coming in at 12.7 strikeouts per nine innings pitched, good enough to be in the 95th percentile of the MLB.

Sabrowski also looked strong, playing in just 33 games and 29.1 innings. Like Smith, he was an arm that could go out there and send batters packing fast. He finished with a 1.84 ERA and a 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings mark.

Both players will have a chance to get the juices flowing before the MLB season begins just two weeks after the WBC concludes.

The 2024 No. 1 Overall Pick is joining Team Australia 🇦🇺

Travis Bazzana intends to play in the 2026 #WorldBaseballClassic, according to Australia manager Dave Nilsson. pic.twitter.com/aKGqvOCZkf
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) December 10, 2025

One of the more interesting selections, Bazzana, turned head's when it was announced he was going to participate with Australia.

The former Oregon State standout is coming off his first full season of professional ball in the States. He played with the High-A Lake County Captains, Double-A Akron Rubberducks and Triple-A Columbus Clippers, slashing a season-average line of .245/.389/.424.

Right now, he's one of the most polarizing prospects in all of baseball, mainly due to his knack for getting on base and his consistency in hitting with power. He knocked 17 doubles, five triples, nine home runs and 39 total RBIs. He finished the year with 91 strikeouts to 66 walks, an impressive mark for such a young player.

A chance to play for his home country will give the 23-year-old another oppurtunity to get high-level play as the Guardians' front office hopes his timeline of development is a fast one.

While the Guardians are currently amid the MLB Winter Meetings and receiving the news about three of their players competing in the WBC, rumors have still circulated about what moves the front office is going to make.

Yet again, left fielder Steven Kwan has found his name in discussions. This isn't the first time the talented, multi-time Golden Glove winner has been involved in talks.

The Guardians have released a statement saying they will listen to offers, but do not plan on actually moving the 28-year-old unless something shocks them.

But for now, the organization can hang its hat on three players being selected to the WBC with a chance for more to be chosen in the coming days.