Trea Turner Reacts to Not Being Asked Back to the World Baseball Classic

Trea Turner had such a massive World Baseball Classic for Team USA in 2023 that he was dubbed "Captain America" by the tournament's end.

Three years later, he wasn't asked back.

"I don't know if I was disappointed. It was something I wanted to do. Phone never rang," Turner told reporters in Clearwater, including OnPattison, Monday morning.

Turner went 9-for-23 with five home runs and 11 RBI in six games with Team USA in 2023. The Americans beat Venezuela in the quarterfinals and Cuba in the semis before falling, 3-2, to Japan in the championship.

This year's roster

Turner was Team USA's primary shortstop three years ago but Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. has taken over. Witt, coming off his rookie year then, saw just two plate appearances in the 2023 WBC. The Orioles' Gunnar Henderson is the other shortstop on the roster this year. Henderson is 24 years old and Witt is 25.

The Phillies will have three players on Team USA: Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and new setup man Brad Keller. Catcher J.T. Realmuto went 6-for-12 with two doubles for Team USA the last time but he won't be back either, replaced by Cal Raleigh.

"I wish those guys the best, I think it's so much fun," Turner told reporters. "I gladly would have done it again. I said it last time that if they ever ask, I would say yes. They've got a great roster this year, stacked. I think we're in a good spot to win. I'll definitely be watching it. I wish Kyle and Bryce and all those guys, (Edmundo) Sosa, I hope they perform well for their countries."

A quieter spring

It's a bit of a bummer for Turner but could also be a way to preserve some mileage. Few players gain as much from their speed as the Phillies' shortstop. Even at age 32 last season, his sprint speed graded out as the fastest in MLB at 30.3 feet per second. The league average is 27 feet per second. That can be the difference a dozen times a year between legging out an infield second and grounding out.

Turner has played in 155, 121 and 141 regular-season games in three seasons with the Phillies. He stayed healthy through all of 2023 but missed six weeks in 2024 and three weeks in 2025, both with hamstring strains. His primary goal each season is to stay healthy, knowing that if he remains on the field, the numbers will follow.

The irony of Turner's monstrous 2023 World Baseball Classic was that it took 83 plate appearances that year before he hit his first regular-season home run with the Phillies. It took 48 games to match his home run total from the WBC.

Phillies in the 2026 WBC

Even without Turner, the Phillies will be well-represented in the 2026 WBC.

• Harper, Schwarber and Keller are on Team USA.

• Cristopher Sanchez and Johan Rojas will play for the Dominican Republic.

• Jose Alvarado will pitch for Venezuela.

• Edmundo Sosa will play for Panama.

• Aaron Nola and Phillies 2024 first-round pick Dante Nori are on Italy's roster.

• Taijuan Walker will pitch for Mexico.

• Reserve catcher Garrett Stubbs and right-handed reliever Max Lazar will play for Israel.

Here is the schedule for when and where to watch each Phillie in the World Baseball Classic.