The 2023 World Baseball Classic is about to begin this week, with 20 teams competing for the “best in the globe” title.
The tournament began with Japan winning in 2006 and 2009. The Dominican Republic won in 2013 and the United States will defend a title it won all the way back in 2017.
The rosters have been set, and as you sit down to watch games, you might notice that there are some players born in the United States who aren’t on the American roster. That’s because they might have family connections to other countries they’re representing.
Let’s run through some of the notable names you’ll see on other rosters:
1
Freddie Freeman (Canada)
He’s a California native, but there’s a poignant reason he plays for Canada. From MLB.com:
The All-Star first baseman, who holds dual citizenship, could’ve played with the much more successful United States in this year’s Classic, but to him, representing Canada is a way to keep his mother’s memory alive. She passed away when Freeman was just 10 years old.
“That’s what I live for, to keep her memory alive,” Freeman said on MLB Network. “It’s a way of honoring so people can talk about her and my family. She was so instrumental in my life and I miss her every day. So, this is just a cool way for me to let people know about Rosemary Freeman.”
2
Lars Nootbaar (Japan)
Another California native, but his mother Kumiko is Japanese. Did you know his full name is Lars Taylor-Tatsuji Nootbaar? Now you do.
3
Trayce Thompson (Great Britain)
Dodgers outfielder Trayce Thompson will represent Team Great Britain in the WBC, sources say. @susanslusser was on it.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) February 3, 2023
Have you figured this one out yet? Remember, Trayce and his brother, Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson are the son of former NBA player Mychal Thompson.
Mychal is from the Bahamas, which was once a British colony.
4
Marcus Stroman (Puerto Rico)
He played for the U.S. in 2017, but he’s now on the Puerto Rico roster. Here’s why, via NBC Sports Chicago:
In a long-winded answer, Stroman explained his mother and his heritage as a Puerto Rican were the major influences on his decision to switch.
“To go out there and represent her culture. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico till she was eight years old. So I just feel like it’s an unbelievable story to be able to go out there,” Stroman said. “Shows you that I’m multicultural. Shows you that I have the American side, but I also have ties. I’m 50 percent Puerto Rican as well at the end of the day. And that comes from my mother. And that’s a huge point. My flare, my swag, my charisma. I truly feel like that all comes from that Puerto Rican side.”
5
Joc Pederson (Israel)
The Israel roster is filled with players that have Jewish heritage, which would qualify them to play for the team. Other notable names include catcher Garrett Stubbs and pitcher Richard Bleier.
6
David Fletcher (Italy)
Did you know David and his brother Dominic have an Italian mother? They do, and they’re both on the roster.
“Our mom taught us Italian when we were young,” Dominic said. “We kind of grew up speaking Italian and then over the years lost little bits and pieces. We still speak decent Italian. It was good enough to be able to have a decent conversation with our family.”
7
Matt Harvey (Italy)
The free agent’s mom is Italian. From a 2013 New York Post interview:
Q: Describe your mom.
A: She’s a little Italian lady, she’s got the biggest heart. It seems like she’s always going one step further. She very rarely does anything for herself.
