FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – The final rosters for the 2026 World Baseball Classic have been announced and Fort Wayne will play a key role. The rosters feature 19 former TinCaps players and coaches meaning 12 of the 20 international federations will feature a TinCaps alumni.
Returning for his second stint with Team USA, 2016 and 2017 TinCap David Bednar is the lone former TinCap to don the stars and stripes. Other recent TinCaps will be representing not only the United States, but also Australia, Canada, Colombia, Czechia, Dominican Republic, Panama, Puerto Rico, Israel, Italy, and Mexico.
Most notably for the Dominican Republic, TinCaps single-season home-run record holder and Padres All-star outfielder, Fernando Tatis Jr. is set to make his World Baseball Classic debut.
“This is the right time to where I put Dominican Republic on my chest,” Tatis Jr. told MLB Network. “I can’t even describe it because I know that I am going to feel stuff on the baseball field that I have never felt before.”
Fort Wayne TinCaps reliever Josh Mallitz is the youngest player on the 2025 roster, at 24 years old, just ahead of outfielder Jakob Marsee, who played for the TinCaps in 2023. At the other end of the spectrum is 35-year-old Colombian reliever Tayron Guerrero, who brings the most international experience, making his third appearance in the World Baseball Classic. Guerrero also has ties to Fort Wayne, having played for the franchise during the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
Mallitz said being selected to the roster was an emotional moment.
“It was pure excitement,” Mallitz said. “Growing up, watching the World Baseball Classic, seeing all the big-name guys play, and then all of a sudden, you get thrust in that position, you’re like, ‘Wow.’ I have an opportunity, one, to play in it, but two, play against these guys. I was overwhelmed with joy, and it was the fastest yes ever.”
Several members of the coaching staffs also have connections to Fort Wayne. John Hussey, who played for the Fort Wayne Wizards in 2007 and the TinCaps in 2010 and 2013, will serve as Czechia’s pitching coach. Michael Collins, who managed the TinCaps in 2014, has been named Australia’s bench coach after serving as the team’s first base coach in 2023. Former TinCaps hitting coach Jacque Jones, who held the role in 2012, will take on the same position with Nicaragua.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic is set to begin March 4 in the United States, with Chinese Taipei and Australia opening the tournament at 10 p.m. ET. Games will be played at the Tokyo Dome in Japan, Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Daikin Park in Houston, and loanDepot Park in Miami. The quarterfinals will be held at Daikin Park and loanDepot Park, with the semifinals and championship games remaining in South Florida.
