World Baseball Classic: Team Israel Roster News, Notes, and Analysis

As the World Baseball Classic approaches, anticipation for the tournament intensifies, particularly following last week’s release of the full rosters for all 20 teams.

Israel has built one of its more experienced rosters to date, and this team is looking to shock some people in the baseball world.

Team Israel played in the qualifiers in 2013 but didn’t make the cut for the main tournament. Their first appearance in the WBC was in 2017, when they were one of the lowest-ranked competing teams and a true underdog.

That underdog squad impressively swept their pool, which included three countries ranked in the top 10 (South Korea, Chinese Taipei, and the Netherlands), advancing to the second round.

Israel continued its impressive run, winning the first game of the second round against Cuba, but ended up falling in the next two games against the Netherlands and Japan.

The 2023 WBC didn’t go as well for Team Israel, as they failed to advance to the next round after losing three of four pool play games, including back-to-back 10-0 shutouts against Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

With several returning members and a couple of big new faces, this team is looking to revive some of that 2017 magic and make it out of pool play for the second time in its history.

World Baseball Classic: Team Israel Roster

At the beginning of February, Team Israel officially announced its full 30-man roster for the upcoming tournament.

The eligibility rules for Team Israel are a bit different than those for most nations competing. WBC Eligibility is based on several factors, including the ability to obtain citizenship or a passport in said country.

For Israel, the citizenship laws are a little looser than most, with any player with a Jewish parent, grandparent, or spouse being eligible under their Law of Return and therefore able to play.

This law allows several American-born Jews to play for the team. Only one member of the 2026 roster is listed as being born in Israel, and that’s outfielder Assaf Lowengart, who is from Timorim.

The biggest missing piece from the roster is Jewish major leaguer Alex Bregman, who will be suiting up for a stacked Team USA instead.

Another name not included is 12-year big leaguer Joc Pederson, who was a member of Team Israel during the last WBC.

Position Players

Team Israel’s position player group is headlined by nine-year MLB veteran Harrison Bader. The 31-year-old is making his first appearance in the tournament after previously having to withdraw due to injury in 2023.

Bader recently signed a two-year, $20.5 million deal with the San Francisco Giants after spending the 2025 season with the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies.

While Bader has mostly been known for his outstanding defense in the outfield, his bat doesn’t lag far behind. Over his career, the righty has slugged 88 home runs while posting a .714 OPS. Just last season, Bader hit a career-high 17 home runs while also logging a .796 OPS with a 122 wRC+.

The team lacks another true impact bat capable of filling the three or four hole in the lineup, but sluggers such as Matt Mervis, Troy Johnston, or Cole Carrigg could potentially bring some power.

Mervis and Johnston have each accumulated minor league seasons with 25-plus homers in their careers. Mervis cracked 36 home runs in 2022 while Johnston swatted 25 in 2023.

Usually seen roaming the outfield and occasionally playing shortstop in the minors for the Rockies, Carrigg is listed as an infielder for Team Israel. The 23-year-old switch-hitter has also shown solid power in the minors, smacking 15 home runs in 2025 and 17 the year prior.

Should any three of those sluggers ignite during the tournament, it could significantly boost the power in the middle of the lineup.

Another intriguing name on the roster is Spencer Horwitz. The 28-year-old is returning for his second WBC with Team Israel and will be a vital piece in the order.

RJ Schreck is the last name to highlight in the position player group. The Blue Jays’ prospect is making his first appearance for Team Israel after posting an .854 OPS in the minors last season.

Team Israel also features a catching tandem of brothers: Garrett and CJ Stubbs are suiting up together for Team Israel for the first time after some unfortunate events last WBC.

Garrett was a member of the 2023 WBC team, even roping a clutch RBI double in Israel’s win against Nicaragua, but he suffered a knee sprain in the same game, ending his tournament. His younger brother ended up replacing him on the roster for the rest of the competition.

Pitching Staff

With a bit less depth in the pitching staff compared to the lineup, the team will look to lean on veteran arms like Dean Kremer, Tommy Kahnle, and Eli Morgan to lead the staff.

The returning members of the pitching staff include Kremer, Robert Stock, Zack Weiss, Daniel Federman, and Rob Kaminsky. Kremer is the only member to be a part of all three Israeli WBC teams.

Stock started the final game of pool play in 2023 against Venezuela after also earning a save in Israel’s only win of the tournament. The 36-year-old veteran could be an option for another start in 2026, given the limited starting options on the roster.

Relievers Kahnle and Morgan headline the newcomers in the pitching department. Kahnle is an 11-year veteran who spent last season with the Detroit Tigers, and Morgan is a five-year major leaguer who spent last year with the Chicago Cubs and has starting experience in his career.

Two other newcomers with MLB experience are Matt Bowman and Max Lazar. Bowman debuted in 2016 and has thrown 240.2 career major league innings, while Lazar is a bit greener; he debuted in 2024 and has hurled 55 career frames.

While there may not be as much big league pitching on the roster, the team has a couple of solid minor league options to choose from.

Harrison Cohen is a reliever currently in Triple-A for the New York Yankees. He posted a 1.76 ERA and a 1.098 WHIP across two minor league levels in 2025.

Another minor league arm to watch is righty Charlie Beilenson. The Mariner minor leaguer has shown strong punchout stuff, striking out 75 in 62.1 innings across High-A and Double-A last year.

A clear hole is that the team only has two left-handed pitchers on the entire staff, which could make things a bit harder in late-game matchup situations.

Coaching and Administrative Staff

Brad Ausmus, the current Yankees bench coach, leads Israel’s coaching staff as the manager. Ausmus, a former major league catcher, served as the manager of the Detroit Tigers from 2014-2017 and the Los Angeles Angels from 2018-2019.

This will be Ausmus’s first time managing Team Israel in the main tournament, after former big leaguer Ian Kinsler managed the team in the most recent WBC while Ausmus was the bench coach.

More notable former big leaguers on the staff include Kevin Youkilis, Jason Marquis, and Mark Loretta, who each spent 10-plus years in the majors.

Pitching coach Brad Goldberg is the current assistant pitching coach for the Cleveland Guardians, having also played one season in the big leagues with the Chicago White Sox.

The team’s general manager, Simon Rosenbaum, is himself a former member of Team Israel in international play, having competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

World Baseball Classic: Team Israel Schedule

Exhibition

Team Israel’s exhibition games against the Miami Marlins and the New York Mets will take place at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, and at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

* (IST) = Israel Standard Time

Pool Play

Israel is a part of Pool D, which plays its games at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida.

Knockout Rounds

All of Team Israel’s potential WBC knockout rounds will also take place at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, keeping the team in Florida for the whole tournament if they end up advancing.