Additional Major League Baseball players continue to announce their commitments to the 2026 World Baseball Classic, setting up for what should be an exciting tournament.
On Monday, Great Britain Baseball announced on X that Washington Nationals catcher Harry Ford will play for Great Britain at the WBC. Ford was Great Britain's starting catcher in 2023, hitting two home runs in four games.
The 22-year-old is the No. 3-ranked catching prospect on MLB Pipeline and the Nationals' No. 2 overall prospect. In December, Washington acquired Ford and right-handed pitcher Isaac Lyon from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for reliever Jose A. Ferrer.
Ford's upcoming season with the Nationals
With MVP candidate Cal Raleigh behind the plate in Seattle, Ford's playing time and development were blocked. Last season, he had just eight plate appearances in eight games with the Mariners, recording one hit.
In 97 games at Triple-A Tacoma, Ford hit.283/.408/.460 with 16 home runs and a.868 OPS. He should be in contention to win the Nationals' starting catcher job in 2026, battling Keibert Ruiz for the spot during spring training.
The upcoming season will be Washington's first with president of baseball operations Paul Toboni and general manager Anirudh Kilambi. The Nationals are not expected to be postseason contenders, but will surely be watching Ford's performance with Great Britain at the WBC closely.
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