Inside The Orioles

How the Baltimore Orioles Have Performed at the World Baseball Classic

Which of the Baltimore Orioles' representatives have shined the brightest on the international stage?
Joe Najarian|
Mar 7, 2026; Houston, TX, United States; United States shortstop Gunnar Henderson (11) celebrates after hitting a two-run double against Great Britain during the fifth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Mar 7, 2026; Houston, TX, United States; United States shortstop Gunnar Henderson (11) celebrates after hitting a two-run double against Great Britain during the fifth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles have a good amount of representation at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Nine players within the organization are participating in the tournament; they consist of infielders Gunnar Henderson and Luis Vázquez, outfielders Tyler O'Neill and Enrique Bradfield Jr., starting pitcher Dean Kremer, and relievers Micah Ashman, Jose Espada, Rico Garcia, and Ryan Long. With pool play concluding on Wednesday, some of Baltimore's representatives will be returning to camp in Sarasota, while others will continue to play in the knockout rounds that culminates in the championship game on March 17.

Here are the most noteworthy showings by the Orioles in the WBC so far.

INF Gunnar Henderson, USA

Needless to say, Gunnar Henderson is the most notable Oriole to participate in the tournament, as well as one of the most notable names to commit to a star-studded Team USA lineup.

Henderson has only played in half of his team's games due to sharing shortstop and third base duties with Bobby Witt Jr. and Alex Bregman, respectively. However, the 24-year-old slugger has made the most of his opportunities with five hits in 10 at-bats, including a double and a home run, while posting a monster 1.400 OPS.

Henderson struck out as the potential tying run in the bottom of the ninth inning (followed by an Aaron Judge strikeout to end the game) in Team USA's shocking 8-6 loss to Italy on Tuesday, which may leave a bitter taste in his mouth despite his otherwise strong performance. Fortunately, the face of the Orioles franchise should get more opportunities to make Baltimore fans proud as Team USA begins knockout round play against Canada on Friday.

RHP Dean Kremer, Israel

This is Dean Kremer's third taste of the WBC.
Mar 8, 2026; Miami, FL, United States; Israel starting pitcher Dean Kremer (64) delivers a pitch against Nicaragua during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Although Team Israel ended up drowning in pools with losses to the quarterfinal-bound Dominican Republic and Venezuela, they also earned wins against Nicaragua and the Netherlands to finish at .500 in the tournament. The Nicaragua game was started by Dean Kremer, who looks to slot in as the Orioles' No. 3 or 4 starter in their rotation.

Kremer, 30, made his third go-around with Team Israel after representing them in the 2017 and 2023 editions of the WBC. In 2023, he pitched four scoreless innings in a 3-1 win over Nicaragua, and the results were no different when he faced them again this year. The righty twirled 4.1 innings and allowed just two hits (both singles) with one walk while striking out four; those two hits were the only ones Israel allowed as they cruised to a 5-0 win.

Kremer was the only member of Baltimore's rotation to stay healthy throughout the 2025 season, pitching 171.2 innings and logging a 4.19 ERA. He has been a steady presence for the Orioles since 2022, and if his performance in the WBC is any indication, he should continue to be an arm the team can rely on.

OF Tyler O'Neill, Canada

Tyler O'Neill has represented Canada in the 2017 and 2023 WBC tournaments, and raked during his brief time at Orioles camp by hitting .636 with a double and a home run. O'Neill's production has slowed down in pool play, going just 2-for-14 (.143) while playing in all four games; however, he also drew five walks for a .368 on-base percentage.

Team Canada has been one of the tournament's surprise teams this year, winning Pool A over Puerto Rico to advance to knockout play. If O'Neill can catch fire like he did in spring training, then Canada has a legitimate chance against the strong competition ahead of them.

OF Enrique Bradfield Jr., Panama

The 2026 WBC provided an opportunity for Orioles outfield prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. to demonstrate his skills to a wide audience. Playing in three games with Team Panama, the 24-year-old speedster put on a show against Canada; Bradfield went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two stolen bases to lead the Panamanians to their lone win of the tournament, 4-3.

Bradfield struggled in his next game by going 0-for-5 against Colombia, and ultimately finished with a .273 average with five strikeouts in 11 at-bats. Nonetheless, the young outfielder considers his tournament stint to be an unforgettable chapter in his baseball career.

“It was real cool. Honestly, I was happy I got to experience that,” Bradfield said to Jake Rill of MLB.com upon returning to camp.

RHP Ryan Long, Great Britain

An unheralded prospect in Baltimore's system, 26-year-old Ryan Long had previous WBC experience by representing Great Britain in the 2023 tournament. He sported a respectable 2.25 ERA in two appearances that time, but his 2026 performance was notably stronger.

Long made two appearances again that lasted an inning each, but he allowed no runs and no hits. Both baserunners allowed were from a walk and a hit-by-pitch, and the righty struck out three batters. In particular, he escaped a two on, no out situation against Team Mexico by retiring Randy Arozarena, Jonathan Aranda and Alejandro Kirk in order; this kept Great Britain in position for a possible upset until they ultimately crumbled late in that game.

Long has primarily pitched in Double-A over the past two seasons, but his impressive showing in the WBC may prompt the Orioles to promote him to Triple-A Norfolk, where he can make his case for a major league call-up if he maintains this impressive form.

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Joe Najarian
JOE NAJARIAN

Joe Najarian is the Deputy Editor and a writer for the New York Mets On SI site. He got his bachelor’s degree in journalism with a specialization in sports from Rutgers University, graduating in 2022. Joe has previously written for Jersey Sporting News and for the New York Giants On SI site. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @JoeNajarian

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