Which Pirates Will Feature at 2026 World Baseball Classic?
In this story:
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have a few players that will participate in the upcoming World Baseball Classic this spring.
There are 14 Pirates players that will play in the 2026 WBC, which includes right-handed starting pitcher Paul Skenes for Team USA and first baseman Spencer Horwitz for Team Israel.
It also includes three players for Team Dominican Republic in center fielder Oneil Cruz, plus relief pitchers in right-hander Dennis Santana and left-hander Gregory Soto.
Another trio of Pirates pitchers will play for Team Italy, including right-handed pitchers in releiver Kyle Nicolas and starter Alessandro Ercolani, plus left-handed relief pitcher Joe La Sorsa.
The Pirates will also have two players for Team Mexico, including second baseman Nick Gonzales and new signing in right-handed pitcher José Urquidy.
Pittsburgh has four right-handed pitching prospects competing for their country in Antwone Kelly for Team Kingdom of the Netherlands, Emmanuel Chapman for Team Cuba and Po-Yu Chen for Team Chinese Taipei, left-handed Oddanier Mosqueda for Team Venezuela
The World Baseball Classic will take place March 5-17 with 20 different nations looking to hoist the trophy at the end.
Overview of Pirates Pitchers Participating
Skenes was the first Pirates player that announced he would pitch in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, doing so in New York City on May 13, when the team was facing the New York Mets at Citi Field.
The 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner will serve as one of the leaders of Team USA's pitching staff and could the very first game of the WBC.
Team USA has won the World Baseball Classic once back in 2017 and will have a star-studded rotation, along with American League Cy Young Award winner in Tarik Skubal and 2024 AL MVP in slugger Aaron Judge on the roster.
Santana finished with a 4-5 record in 70 appearances in 2025, a 2.18 ERA over 70.1 innings pitched, 13 holds, 16 saves in 19 opportunities, 60 strikeouts to 17 walks, a .179 opposing batting average and a 0.87 WHIP.
He will go out for the closer role in 2026, but Soto will also join him in doing that this season.
Soto signed a one-year, $7.75 million contract as as free agent for the Pirates, making him a key figure in their bullpen.
The former All-Star is coming off of a 2025 season where he had a 3.96 ERA over 45 appearances and 36.1 innings pitched with the Baltimore Orioles, before they traded him to the New York Mets at the deadline.
Nicolas finished with a 4.68 ERA over. 38.0 innings pitched in 31 appearances in 2025 with the Pirates, with 96 strikeouts to 53 walks, a .233 BAA and a 1.37 WHIP.
Kelly made 25 starts in 2025 across both High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona, a 3.02 ERA over 107.1 innings pitched, 116 strikeouts to 33 waks, a .208 batting average allowed and a 1.06 WHIP.
He hails from Aruba, which is an island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which makes him eligible for the country.
Both Soto and Kelly represented their respective countries in 2023 and will do again for a second time around.
The Pirates signed Mosqueda to a minor league deal and also made him a non-roster invite to Major League Camp for Spring Training.
He has spent the past nine seasons in the minor leagues and posted a 5-5 record in 55 appearances with Triple-A Memphis (St. Louis Cardinals), a 4.52 ERA over 65.2 innings pitched, a .215 opposing batting average and a 1.25 WHIP.
Chen hails from Taiwan and has spent the past five seasons in the Pirates' minor league system.
He made 23 starts in 26 appearances for Altoona, posting a 4-11 record, a 5.73 ERA over 99.0 innings pitched, a .267 BAA and a 1.55 WHIP.
Urquidy just reportedly signed with the Pirates on Feb. 5 on a one-year, $1.5 million deal, pending a physical.
He should feature in the rotation for Team Mexico and also for the Pirates in 2026, as well as some bullpen action too.
Ercolani made 21 starts in 25 appearances at Double-A, with a 1-8 record, a 4.04 ERA over 100.1 innings pitched, 68 strikeouts to 39 walks, a .220 BAA and a 1.23 WHIP.
La Sorsa has a few years of MLB experience, pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals and is a non-roster invite to Major League Camp.
He has a 5.21 ERA over 46 relief appearances at the major league level, with 44 strikeouts to 16 walks, a .273 BAA and a 1.37 WHIP.
Chapman made 32 appearances and five starts for Altoona in 2025, with a 7-2 record, a 3.72 ERA over 72.2 innings pitched, 72 strikeouts to 41 walks, a .212 BAA and a 1.33 WHIP.
Overview of Pirates Position Players Participating
Cruz makes this his first time representing his country and is coming off a 2025 season with great highs and some poor lows.
His 20 home runs led the Pirates and his 38 stolen bases tied him for the NL lead, making him one of just four Pirates ever to post a 20-30 season.
Cruz also posted a .200 batting average, the lowest of any qualified batter in the major leagues, and -14 defensive runs saved in center field, the second worst of any player at his position.
Horwitz represented Team Israel back in the 2023 WBC, serving as a left fielder for them. He had two hits in 11 at-bats, with one run scored, one RBI and seven strikeouts in four games played for them.
The 28-year old is not from Israel, hailing from the suburbs of Baltimore, Md., but is Jewish, which makes him eligible for Israeli citizenship, allowing him to play for Team Israel.
Horwitz dealt with a wrist injury last season that kept him out until mid-May, but played in 108 games and had a great showing when he returned.
He slashed .272/.353/.434 for an OPS of .787, with 99 hits, 26 doubles, 11 home runs, 55 RBI, 44 walks to 73 strikeouts and 55 runs scored and should feature heavily for the Pirates in 2026.
Gonzales slashed .260/.299/.362 for an OPS of .661 in 96 games for the Pirates in 2025, with 99 hits, 18 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 30 RBIs and 21 walks to 73 strikeouts.
He missed most of the first two months of the season, after suffering an non-displaced fracture of the ankle after hitting a home run on Opening Day.
Gonzales will compete for playing time at second base with new addition Brandon Lowe and could be the starting shortstop on Opening Day.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.