Twenty-Seven Former Indianapolis Indians Suiting up in World Baseball Classic
IL Indianapolis Indians

Twenty-Seven Former Indianapolis Indians Suiting up in World Baseball Classic

Published on March 3, 2026 under International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


INDIANAPOLIS - Twenty-seven former members of the Indianapolis Indians will represent all four pools and 14 of 20 participating countries in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The 14-day international tournament is set to begin on Wednesday, March 4, with a Pool C first-round matchup between Chinese Taipei and Australia in Tokyo, Japan at 10 PM ET.

Pool A: Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada, Panama, Colombia

Puerto Rico - RHP Yacksel Ríos (2019)

Ríos, 32, represents Puerto Rico in the WBC for a second time, also representing the squad in 2023. He missed most of the 2025 season due to injury and appeared in just four games across three levels in the New York (NL) minor league system. He signed a minor league contract this offseason with Chicago (NL) on Jan. 24, 2026.

The veteran reliever has appeared for five different major league teams across six seasons since 2017. During a brief nine-game stint with Indianapolis in 2019 after being claimed on waivers from Philadelphia, he posted a 2.35 ERA (4er/15.1ip) and 12 strikeouts.

Ríos was part of an unofficial combined perfect game in the 2023 WBC when Puerto Rico defeated Israel, 10-0. The right-hander retired the only batter he faced in the fifth inning and the game was called in the bottom of the eighth inning due to mercy rule.

Cuba - INF Malcom Nuñez (2022-25)

Nuñez, 24, makes his WBC debut for Cuba. He has played for Indy in each of the last four seasons after being traded from St. Louis to Pittsburgh in Aug. 2022. Nuñez has 245 games under his belt with the Indians, logging a .252 batting average (220-for-874) with 122 RBI.

Canada - RHP Jameson Taillon (2013, 2016-17), LHP Rob Zastryzny (2023)

Taillon, 34, appears in the WBC for Canada for the first time since 2013, when he was the team's youngest player at age 21. He spent the 2025 season with Chicago (NL), posting a 3.68 ERA (53er/129.2ip) en route to an MLB Postseason appearance with the Cubs.

The Floridian was drafted second overall by Pittsburgh in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft and has appeared for the Pirates, Yankees and Cubs in his major league career. He was a mainstay in the Pirates rotation for four seasons from 2016-2019, logging a 29-24 record, 3.67 ERA (190er/466.0ip) and 419 strikeouts in that span.

Taillon was stellar in 18 career starts with Indianapolis, posting a 2.87 ERA (35er/109.2ip), 1.01 WHIP, .213 opponent average and .575 opponent OPS. He made one career Postseason start with the Indians, tossing 5.0 scoreless innings on Sept. 6, 2013, vs. Durham in the Governors' Cup Semifinals, a series in which Indy was swept in three games.

Zastryzny, 33, appears in his second consecutive WBC after representing Canada in 2023. He was effective out of the bullpen for Milwaukee in 2025, his seventh major league season, logging a 2.45 ERA (6er/22.0ip) in 26 games. He owns a career 3.84 ERA (38er/89ip) in 80 career games between Chicago (NL), New York (NL), Los Angeles (AL), Pittsburgh and Milwaukee.

He spent one season with Pittsburgh in 2023, logging a 4.79 ERA (11er/20.2ip) in 21 games. He also made 15 appearances for Indianapolis in that campaign, posting a 4.41 ERA (8er/16.1ip).

Panama - RHP Dario Agrazal (2019), C Christian Bethancourt (2021), Hitting Coach Einar Díaz (2007)

Agrazal, 31, makes his first WBC appearance after spending the 2025 season in the Mexican League and the Dominican Winter League. He was signed by Pittsburgh as a non-drafted free agent in 2012 and played 15 games for the major league squad in 2019. He also made 12 starts for Indianapolis in 2019, logging a 4-4 record, 4.78 ERA (34er/64.0ip) and 55 strikeouts.

Bethancourt, 34, will suit up for Panama for the second consecutive WBC. He played in 58 games with Buffalo in 2025, primarily serving as the team's backup catcher and signed with Chicago (NL) on a minor league contract this offseason.

The journeyman was originally signed by Atlanta in 2008 and has played for six major league teams in his eight major league seasons since 2017. He was Indy's Team MVP in 2021, hitting .281 (116-for-391) with 14 home runs, 60 RBI and an .807 OPS. That year he provided the game-winning hit in five of Indy's 10 walk-off wins, the most by an Indians player in a single season in the Victory Field era.

Colombia - C Elias Díaz (2014-17, 2019)

Díaz, 35, represents Colombia in the WBC again following his 2023 appearance in the tournament. The veteran backstop appeared in 106 games with San Diego in 2025 and signed a minor league contract with Kansas City on Feb. 24, 2026. The backstop spent his first four seasons with Pittsburgh from 2015-19 and his next four with Colorado from 2020-24. He was an All-Star in 2023 before signing with San Diego in 2024 following his release from the Rockies.

The Venezuela native first appeared with Indianapolis in 2014 on his way up the minor league ranks prior to making his MLB debut with Pittsburgh in 2015. In 192 total games across five seasons in the Circle City, Diaz compiled a .269 average (188-for-699) and threw out 38.1 percent of would-be base stealers.

Pool B: United States, Mexico, Italy, Great Britain, Brazil

United States - RHP Clay Holmes (2017-19), RHP David Bednar (2022, 2025), RHP Paul Skenes (2024), Hitting Coach Sean Casey (1998), Bullpen Coach David Ross (2005)

Holmes, 32, is entering his second season of a three-year contract with New York (NL) and will represent the United States in his first WBC. The two-time All-Star was selected by Pittsburgh in the ninth round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft and made his MLB debut with the club in 2018.

Holmes shined in three seasons with Indianapolis from 2017-2019 in 57 games (40 starts), going 20-9 with a 3.58 ERA (89er/223.2ip) and 212 strikeouts.

Bednar, 31, makes his second consecutive appearance for USA in the WBC. He split the 2025 season between Pittsburgh and New York (AL) after he was traded to the Yankees on July 31. The Pennsylvania native compiled 101 saves with the Pirates, ranking sixth on the team's all-time leaderboard.

Bednar was briefly optioned to Indianapolis in April 2025 where he logged five scoreless appearances and allowed just one baserunner. He has eight career games with Indy, allowing just one earned run in 8.0 innings.

Skenes, 23, makes his WBC debut representing USA. The reigning unanimous NL Cy Young Award winner and two-time All-Star had a historic 2025 campaign with Pittsburgh, winning the league ERA title with a 1.97 mark (41er/187.2ip), 216 strikeouts and 0.95 WHIP.

Skenes was drafted first overall by Pittsburgh in 2023 and made seven starts with the Indians in 2024 prior to his big-league promotion, posting a 0.99 ERA (3er/27.1ip), 45 strikeouts, 0.91 WHIP and .175 opponent average. He is the only former Indians player to win both the Rookie of the Year Award (2024) and Cy Young Award.

Casey, 51, will serve as a hitting coach for USA in the WBC. It will be his first time appearing on a WBC staff after working in television for MLB Network for the 2009, 2013 and 2017 WBCs. He was most recently a hitting coach with New York (AL) in 2023 before returning to MLB Network as an analyst.

Casey is a 12-year MLB veteran, three-time All-Star and member of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. He appeared in 27 games with Indianapolis in 1998, hitting .326 (31-for-95) with an .881 OPS.

Ross, 48, debuts for Team USA as a bullpen coach in 2026. The two-time World Series champion enjoyed a 15-year career with seven different teams. In 2016, he became the oldest player in World Series history (39) to hit a home run, famously belting one in Game 7 to help the Cubs win their first championship in over a century. He also brings coaching experience into the mix, serving as the Cubs manager for four seasons from 2020-23.

Ross appeared in six games for the 2005 Indians.

Mexico - INF Nick Gonzales (2023-25)

Gonzales, 26, represents Mexico in his first WBC. The infielder was selected seventh overall in the 2020 First-Year Player Draft by Pittsburgh and made his debut with the club in 2023. Missing time last season after he sustained an injury on Opening Day, he appeared in nine games for Indianapolis on a rehab assignment before rejoining the Pirates.

The infielder has logged 142 games with Indy across the past three seasons, posting a .294 average (161-for-548), 41 doubles, 11 triples, 19 home runs and 70 RBI.

Italy - RHP Kyle Nicolas (2023-25), Manager Francisco Cervelli (2016, 2019), Bullpen Coach Sal Fasano (2002)

Nicolas, 26, represents Italy in his first WBC after he spent the 2025 season between Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. He was originally selected by Miami in the second round of the 2020 First-Year Player Draft and was traded to Pittsburgh in 2021. The right-hander made his MLB debut with the Pirates in 2023.

Nicolas has appeared in parts of the last three seasons with the Indians, posting a 3-4 record, 4.63 ERA (47er/91.1ip), 127 strikeouts, a .228 opponent average (79-for-347) and eight saves.

Cervelli, 39, makes his third appearance for Italy in the WBC, and first as manager, after playing in the 2009 and 2017 WBCs for the club. The former catcher signed with New York (AL) as a non-drafted free agent in 2003 and played for four major league teams, including Pittsburgh, across his 13-year MLB career. He appeared in eight games in Indianapolis across two rehab assignments in 2016 and 2019.

Fasano, 54, makes his second coaching appearance for Team Italy in the WBC after serving as bench coach for the squad in 2017. The Illinois native joined Los Angeles' (NL) coaching staff last season and currently serves as an assistant pitching coach with the club. He is a two-time World Series Champion, winning the title as a player with the 2002 Anaheim Angels and next with Atlanta in 2021 as a member of the coaching staff. A longtime journeyman backstop, he played for nine different major league clubs across 11 seasons.

Fasano played in 34 games for the Indians in 2002, hitting .206 (20-for-97).

Great Britain - RHP Vance Worley (2014-15), Third Base Coach Jeff Salazar (2009)

Worley, 38, represents Great Britain again after pitching for the club in the 2023 WBC. He was selected by Philadelphia in the third round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft and appeared for five teams in his eight-year MLB career.

Worley spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons in the Pirates organization, splitting time between Indianapolis and the big-league club. He made 12 starts for the Indians with a 6-3 record, 3.49 ERA (31er/80.0ip), 64 strikeouts and 1.08 WHIP. Worley made one Postseason start for Indy in the 2015 Governor's Cup Semifinals against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in Game 2, tossing 8.0 shutout frames at Victory Field en route to a 6-1 win, with the Indians sweeping the series, 3-0.

Salazar, 45, makes his WBC debut as Great Britain's third base coach. He most recently served as an assistant hitting coach with Colorado from 2017-21. He played for Colorado, Arizona and Pittsburgh in his four-year MLB career.

Salazar spent the 2009 season in the Pirates organization and played in 84 games for the Indians that season, logging a .270 average (85-for-315), 10 home runs, 39 RBI and 16 stolen bases.

Pool C: Japan, Australia, South Korea, Czechia, Chinese Taipei

Australia - LHP Blake Townsend (2025)

Townsend, 24, joins Team Australia again after competing for them in the 2023 WBC. He made one appearance in a 7-1 loss to Japan, tossing 1.0 innings in relief with a strikeout of Munetaka Murakami and inning-ending double play from Masataka Yoshida.

Among all full-season Pirates farmhands in 2025 (min. 75.0ip), Townsend's 1.76 ERA (18er/92.0ip) ranked first. He was originally signed by Seattle as a non-drafted free agent in 2018. After spending the last two seasons with Pittsburgh, he signed with Texas on a minor league deal this offseason.

The southpaw earned his first Triple-A win in his lone game with Indianapolis on Aug. 3, 2025, at Iowa, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings in relief.

Chinese Taipei - INF Tsung-Che Cheng (2024-25), RHP Po-Yu Chen (2025)

Cheng, 24, represents Chinese Taipei for the second time following his 2023 WBC appearance, in which he hit .333 (5-for-15) with three RBI. Cheng was named the Indians 2025 Heart and Hustle Award winner, appearing in 101 games last season between shortstop, third base and second base. He was the primary shortstop for Indy, posting a team-leading 61 starts at the position with a .972 fielding percentage (six errors in 213 total chances) in 537.1 innings. His season was highlighted by his MLB debut on April 9 at PNC Park vs. St. Louis where he became the 18th Taiwanese player in MLB history. Cheng was designated for assignment this offseason and was most recently claimed on waivers by Boston on Feb. 6.

In 113 career games with Indianapolis, the infielder hit .218 (77-for-353) with 13 doubles, three triples, one home run and 37 RBI. He was originally signed by Pittsburgh in 2019 as a non-drafted free agent.

Chen, 24, is set for his WBC debut. The right-hander made three starts for Indy last season, posting a 2-0 record, 0.66 ERA (1er/13.2ip) and 10 strikeouts. He spent most of the campaign with Double-A Altoona where he logged a 5.73 ERA (63er/99.0ip).

Chen was signed by Pittsburgh in 2020 as a non-drafted free agent. Throughout his five seasons in the Pirates system, he has compiled a 4.55 ERA (243er/480.2ip) and 435 strikeouts.

Pool D: Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Israel, Nicaragua

Dominican Republic - OF Oneil Cruz (2021-22)

Cruz, 27, makes his first WBC appearance with the Dominican Republic. He has appeared with Pittsburgh in each of the last five seasons and has been an everyday player for the past two. Known for his athleticism, his 38 stolen bases in 2025 tied for the National League lead as he became the first Pirate to win the stolen base title since Tony Womack in 1998. In 379 career games with the Pirates, he has hit .233 (322-for-1384) with 66 doubles, 10 triples, 60 home runs and 198 RBI. He began his career as a shortstop before converting to an outfielder last season.

He was signed by Los Angeles (NL) as a non-drafted free agent in 2015 and was traded to Pittsburgh in 2017. Cruz has logged 61 career games in an Indians uniform, hitting .259 (60-for-232) with 14 home runs and 42 RBI.

Netherlands - RHP Shairon Martis (2012), Hitting Coach Bart Hanegraaff (2024-25)

Martis, 38, enters his fourth WBC, previously representing the Dutch in 2013, 2017, 2023. He spent the 2025 season in the Dutch Major League with Neptunus, posting a 12-2 record, 1.55 ERA (16er/92.2ip) and 70 strikeouts. He was originally signed by San Francisco as a non-drafted free agent in 2004 and spent three seasons in the big leagues, pitching for Washington from 2008-09 and Minnesota in 2013.

The Curaçao native donned the Indians uniform for four games in 2012.

Hanegraaff, 37, will serve as a hitting coach for Team Netherlands after serving as Indy's integrated baseball performance coach from 2024-25. He enters his sixth season of professional instruction in 2026, all with the Pirates organization. He previously served as a coordinator of skill acquisition and head of methodology within the organization's player development department.

Hanegraaff was born in Eindhoven, Netherlands and joined Pittsburgh in 2020. He has experience coaching for the Dutch Olympic baseball and softball teams and Dutch National U15 and U18 baseball teams, in which he won three European Championship titles with the latter.

Israel - 1B Spencer Horwitz (2025), 3B Coach Mark Loretta (2000-01)

Horwitz, 28, represents Israel in the WBC following his 2023 appearance in the tournament. He had a strong 2025 campaign with the Pirates across 108 games, hitting .272 (99-for-364) with 26 doubles, 11 home runs, 51 RBI and a .787 OPS. He has MLB experience in the past three seasons, spending time with Toronto from 2023-24.

Horwitz played eight games with Indianapolis in 2025 on a rehab assignment, hitting .323 (10-for-31) with two doubles and one home run. He was selected by Toronto in the 24th round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft and was traded to Pittsburgh in Dec. 2024.

Loretta, 54, is coaching in his first WBC. He last coached for Israel in the 2013 WBC qualifier, but the team missed out on the tournament by losing to Spain in extra innings in the Pool Final. Loretta has previously coached as a special assistant for San Diego in 2022 and was bench coach for Chicago (NL) in 2019.

Loretta was a two-time All-Star and one-time Silver Slugger across his 15-year MLB career, appearing for five different teams. He was a premier contact hitter, posting a .295 career average (1713-for-5812) in 1726 major league games.

The former infielder logged 18 games with Indianapolis from 2000-01.

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