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

Have you ever found yourself rooting for that scrappy power-of-friendship team? When you turn on a baseball movie, is it Major League? Are you excited to see a pitcher from an amateur men’s league take on Shohei Ohtani?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, Czechia might just be the team for you.

Czechia appeared in its first-ever WBC in 2023 and wound up 1-3. Despite losses to Australia, South Korea, and the eventual champions, Japan, Czechia’s lone win against China was enough to avoid relegation.

This time around, Czechia got the same draw, with one exception: the replacement of China with Chinese Taipei.

This means that the Czechs are back in 2026, and they didn’t need to qualify as they did before. However, this roster also looks notably different, with 11-year MLB vet Eric Sogard not on this year’s team.

That being said, Czechia does have one new addition with MLB service time: Orioles infielder Terrin Vavra. The rest of the team is comprised of a hodgepodge of minor leaguers, players from foreign leagues, and, in most cases, players from the local Czech Baseball Extraliga.

This league is a semi-pro league in Czechia; virtually every player also works a day job to support their baseball journey. Now, it’s time to dive into the Czech roster to find out more about this squad.

World Baseball Classic: Team Czechia Roster

Position Players

Those are the names. But who are these underdogs, what are their skillsets, and, finally, what might a lineup look like?

1. Vojtech Mensik (IF) – R/R

Currently plays in the Czech Baseball Extraliga. Former Angels farmhand.

Mensik spent his college days at NC State, playing in 115 games over three seasons. While he started out as a major power threat, this diminished by the end of his tenure, with a .666 OPS in his final season and a .620 OPS in his one season at Single-A.

Mensik was hit or miss in the 2023 WBC in a four-game sample. He plays with a contact-first mentality. While this can make him effective as a leadoff hitter, he finished pool play with just a .583 OPS.

2. Terrin Vavra (IF) – L/R

Triple-A infielder for the Baltimore Orioles. 139 career MLB at-bats.

Vavra’s experience at all levels is sure to help him both in terms of competition and as a leader to players with a variety of backgrounds. While he produced a negative WAR in his time with the Orioles, on a team like Czechia, he can be one of the lineup’s biggest threats.

Vavra is a very patient hitter who consistently posts high walk rates and owns a career .386 OBP across all minor league levels. There have been times in his career, notably 2023, when he has tapped into some major power.

In the number two hole for Czechia, his job will be to keep the line moving while occasionally flashing some pop.

3. Marek Chlup (OF) – R/R

Nippon Professional Baseball League (NPB) minor leaguer with two games of NPB Central League experience.

Another former NC State bat, Marek Chlup was Czechia’s breakout star in the 2023 WBC, hitting to an .888 OPS. Should he be hitting third in the lineup once again, fans can expect Chlup to flash even more power, driving in the OBP-first bats ahead of him in the order.

4. William Escala (OF) – S/R

Independent league player, former Miami ballplayer (both Ohio and Florida).

A switch-hitting utilityman, Escala grew up in Florida but has used his Czech heritage to join the team for his second WBC. He has had his ups and downs during his baseball career, but the power upside could land him as high as this cleanup spot.

Historically, Escala hasn’t been a power bat, struggling with pop last WBC and throughout college. However, in the American Association, an independent league, in 2024, he flashed a .466 slugging percentage in 40 games. He showed similar pop over a 26-game sample in the Valley League in 2019, a performance that earned him a spot on the Cape.

5. Michal Sindelka (OF) – R/R

Spent the summer of 2025 in the MLB Draft League. Plays junior college ball for Chipola College.

The first of two lineup threats who played high school baseball just a year ago, Michal Sindelka might just step into the heart of this Czech lineup. Before stepping foot on the college diamond, Sindelka hit to an OBP over .400 in 26 games in the MLB Draft League, a summer league where the average age is 22 years old.

Sindelka remains like many others in this lineup as an OBP-first player with potential for extra base hits. He’s a major reason why this Czech lineup could be the type to bash single after walk after single to score many of its runs.

6. Ryan Johnson (IF/P) – L/L

Currently plays in the Czech Baseball Extraliga. Former Division II college ballplayer.

He may not be Shohei Ohtani, but Ryan Johnson is a fellow two-way player. While he excelled as a pitcher in his time with Lubbock Christian in 2018 and 2019, Johnson looks to potentially be a starting infielder for Czechia this time around.

The 33-year-old flashes strong on-base and contact skills and some occasional pop. He flashed a near-.400 average in his time in the Extraliga. Without many chances as a professional hitter, he may just surprise the global stage come March.

7. Martin Cervenka (C) – R/R

Currently a sales representative who plays in the Czech Baseball Extraliga. Former Guardians and Orioles farmhand.

Cervenka is a longtime catcher who has made stops across the globe. He entered rookie ball with Cleveland in 2011 as an 18-year-old. From there, he bounced around Cleveland and Baltimore’s minor league systems. Now, as a 33-year-old, he’s back in the Extraliga, where he originally started at just 15 years old.

Cervenka was the cleanup hitter for Czechia in 2023, but after struggling mightily and aging three years, it’s likely that he drops in the lineup. Regardless, he brings a wealth of experience and can still produce against much of the talent in the WBC.

8. Martin Muzik (1B) – R/R

Plays in the Czech Baseball Extraliga.

Muzik spent time with Wake Technical Community College’s baseball team, splitting his time between catcher and first base. And at this JuCo level, he dominated. Muzik held an average north of .400 in both seasons and held a .497 OBP in his second season.

That success, however, came from 2016-2018. More recently, Muzik has played in the Extraliga and finished 2023’s WBC with just a .545 OPS, though he flashed some power in this small sample. Should he be able to tap into more contact to balance his game, he could be a reliable bat for Czechia.

Muzik is Team Czechia’s captain.

9. Matous Bubenik (C/DH) – R/R

Plays for UNC Wilmington.

Bubenik is a catcher first, but as the only active Division I player on the Czech roster, he seems like the logical solution to fill in at DH. While college baseball season has only just begun, Bubenik’s high school numbers were strong; he finished with a 95 mph exit velocity, ranked in the 96th percentile in his class.

If Bubenik ever finds himself behind the dish, he’s a competent choice to throw out runners, as he finished in the 93rd percentile in his class in arm velocity and 77th percentile in pop time.

Pitching Staff

Czechia returns all four of its starters from three years ago, as well as some excellent bullpen pieces.

Daniel Padysak got the game one start in 2023, tossing four scoreless innings against China. However, this was Czechia’s weakest opponent, and Padysak struggled days later against Australia. That being said, he has since gained a wealth of experience, learning from an excellent collegiate staff at Georgia and in the lower levels of the Japanese system, with the Oisix Niigata Albirex Baseball Club.

Martin Schneider also had a strong showing against Australia last time around, tossing 5.1 near-perfect innings, with the only exceptions being one walk and a solo homer. He also added 1.2 innings of one-run ball against China. What separated him in 2023 was his strong performance against Australia, who made it out of pool play.

When it comes to success against tough competition, though, keep an eye out for a potential Jeff Barto start. He delivered 5.2 innings of one-run ball with two hits and no walks against a strong South Korean team in 2023.

Pair those arms with Lukas Ercoli and Ondrej Satoria, who have boasted strong seasons in the Extraliga but struggled in past WBC play, and you have a unique pitching staff.

Will this group of arms be able to hold Japan scoreless? It’s not likely. But could Czechia once again avoid regulation with a victory and keep it close against teams like Chinese Taipei, Australia, and South Korea? Absolutely.

It’s up to this pitching staff to set the tone from the start.

Coaching Staff

While these names may not look familiar to American readers, it’s worth noting just how famous Pavel Chadim is within Czechia. He played 18 seasons in the Extraliga while working as a neurologist and hit to a .368/.426/.507 slash line. He even had an at-bat at 49 years old in 2021.

He’s managed the Czech team since 2021 and managed the U-21 national team in 2012 and 2014. He even coached at the Little League World Series in 2013, piloting a Brno team to the country’s first LLWS appearance.

World Baseball Classic: Team Czechia Schedule

Pool Play

Knockout Rounds