3 Rangers To Watch at the 2026 World Baseball Classic

The World Baseball Classic is in less than a month, and the Rangers will be represented by eight different players.

The Texas Rangers will have eight players represent the organization at the World Baseball Classic. | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

The first pitch of the World Baseball Classic is on March 4th. The Texas Rangers will have eight players represent their organization at the tournament. Their best players will remain in spring training, but there are still a few to keep an eye on.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Per MLB.com, the eight players representing the Rangers are:
Austin Bergner, Nabil Crismatt (Colombia)
Robert Garcia, Alejandro Osuna (México)
Daniel Missaki (Brazil)
Cal Quantrill (Canada)
Blake Townsend (Australia)
Ricardo Velez (Puerto Rico)

Garcia, Crismatt and Quantrill have each experienced the big leagues. The Rangers know what they have in those three players. There are three players Texas should be excited to get a closer look at during the WBC, though.

3 Players To Watch at the World Baseball Classic

Alejandro Osuna will suit for Mexico at the World Baseball Classic. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Ricardo Velez: Velez is a newcomer to the organization, but he is coming off an excellent 2025 season. He spent the majority of his time in Double-A and finished with an ERA below 2.00. He made 30 appearances, threw 58.2 innings, allowed just 41 hits, struck out 53 batters and owned a 5-1 record.

Velez, 27, is a tough pitcher to hit. Suiting up for Puerto Rico, Velez will play in some very important games at the World Baseball Classic. The Rangers will be able to get a much closer look at how he performs on a bigger stage. The right-hander pitched well enough to get an opportunity in Triple-A, but the WBC classic will be the first real look at him for Rangers fans.

Alejandro Osuna: Osuna made his debut in 2025. The rookie struggled, slashing .212/.313/.278 with two home runs and 15 RBI over 63 games. The struggles he endured last season are a reason for concern, but he was very good in Triple-A. Texas will be keeping a close eye on Osuna at the WBC to see how he fares against Major League pitching.

Osuna will suit up for Mexico. Mexico made a run in 2023, and they are likely to do the same in 2026. That means the outfielder will play in some meaningful games in the tournament.

Blake Townsend: Townsend will play for Australia. He has not pitched in the big leagues yet, but was very good in the minors last season. The left-hander made 34 appearances across three levels, threw 92.0 innings, struck out 81 batters, allowed 73 hits and finished with a 1.76 ERA. He spent the most time in Double-A, but should see action in Triple-A this year.

Townsend should pitch more than once for Australia. He pitched once for his country in 2023 and did not allow a run in his only inning pitched. Being older and more experienced now, the 24-year-old should see more innings this year.

---