How Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman is able to pitch for Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic

Billy Heyen

How Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman is able to pitch for Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic image

Aroldis Chapman is lining himself up to pitch in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

For Great Britain.

That news came by surprise to many baseball fans on Monday when insider Francys Romero reported that Chapman is on the preliminary Great Britain roster and is just awaiting confirmation from the Boston Red Sox that it'll be OK for him to pitch in the WBC.

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How can Aroldis Chapman pitch for Great Britain?

The World Baseball Classic's eligibility rules aren't super stringent.

WBC guru Shawn Spradling shared this on Chapman:

"Aroldis Chapman’s grandparents are from Jamaica. Jamaica was a British colony until 1962. He is eligible for British citizenship. Therefore, he is eligible for Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic."

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There you have it.

The British colonial empire comes through for the Great Britain team in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Don't let GB get a lead, because even now, Chapman is dominant coming out of the bullpen. 

It'll certainly be cool to see Chapman on the WBC stage throwing his world-class heater.

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