The roster for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic is continuously getting better.
It would be hard to top last week's announcement of back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal joining the roster. That doesn't mean players can't try, though, and the most recent announcement Tuesday was close to matching the excitement that the Skubal announcement brought.
With an open roster spot at first base, manager Mark DeRosa got a splash commitment. Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper announced in an Instagram post that he would be participating in the 2026 WBC. It will be the first WBC appearance of Harper's career.
Harper's addition to the roster has now likely filled out the starting nine for DeRosa in Game 1 of the event against Taiwan. That starting nine will likely be as follows.
OF (3)
- Corbin Carroll
- Pete Crow-Armstrong
- Aaron Judge
IF (4)
- Gunnar Henderson - 3B
- Bobby Witt Jr. - SS
- Brice Turang - 2B
- Bryce Harper -1B
C/DH (2)
- Cal Raleigh - C
- Kyle Schwarber - DH
Team USA has its best team in the history of the event, and the potential matchups with Team D.R. And Team Japan could make for some of the best baseball games in recent memory.
More MLB: Phillies' luxury tax bill explains cautious spending approach this offseason