Several Former Marauders Slated to Compete In World Baseball Classic

SEVERAL FORMER MARAUDERS SLATED TO COMPETE IN WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC

BRADENTON, Fla. - As Major League Baseball’s Opening Day approaches, Spring Training baseball in Bradenton is right around the corner. While much of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization will operate out of Pirate City and LECOM Park this March, several players will step onto a different stage, representing their home countries in this year’s World Baseball Classic.

This year’s tournament features 20 teams divided into four pools of five, with the first round slated to begin on March 6 and the Championship Game set for on March 17 at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida.

Additionally, on March 3, the Pirates will host Team Colombia for an exhibition game at LECOM Park at 1:05 p.m. ET. The matchup will feature 2013 Marauder and current big leaguer Elias Díaz, 2015 Marauder Harold Ramirez as well as former Pirates pitcher José Quintana.

Representing their country on baseball’s largest-international stage, numerous Marauders from recent seasons will take part in this year’s event:

RHP, Paul Skenes – Few have accomplished what Skenes has during his first three seasons as a professional. Selected second overall by the Pirates in the 2023 MLB Draft, the LSU product made his professional debut with the Marauders that year, tossing three scoreless frames over two starts before finishing the season with Double-A Altoona. After brief stint with Triple-A Indianapolis to begin 2024, Skenes was called up to the show and hasn’t looked back since.

Over his two big-league seasons, he has posted a microscopic 1.96 ERA through 320.2 innings. In the process, he has started two All-Star Games, become the first former Marauder to be named Rookie of the Year, and joined Gerrit Cole as the only other former Marauder to win a CY Young Award.

Before he begins his third big-league season, the reigning ERA champion will suit up for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Skenes previously pitched for the 2022 Collegiate National Team and 2024 12U National Team. Prior to his time with LSU, the California native began his collegiate career at the United States Air Force Academy. He will headline a dominant American rotation that also features Tarik Skubal and Logan Webb.

Team USA will compete in Pool B and will begin the tournament in Houston, Texas.

OF, Oneil Cruz – The 2026 campaign will mark Cruz’s sixth big-league season and first opportunity to represent the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. The 6-foot-7 phenom was acquired by the Pirates in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017.

It wasn’t long before he donned a Marauders uniform. In 35 games during the 2019 season, he launched seven homers and batted .301. Cruz progressed quickly through the minor leagues, making his MLB debut in 2021 as a 22-year-old.

Over five seasons in the majors, Cruz has played 379 games and blasted 60 longballs. In 2025, he led the National League with 38 stolen bases, and blasted a 122.9 mph homer, the hardest hit ball of the Statcast Era.

He joins fellow Pirates teammates Gregory Soto and Dennis Santana in representing the Dominican Republic, which eyes its first WBC Title since 2013.

Team Dominican Republic will compete in Pool D and begin the tournament in Miami, Florida.

RHP, Antwone Kelly – Ranked as the No. 8 prospect in the Pirates organization by Baseball America, Kelly is the most recent Marauder set to appear in the tournament. With Bradenton in 2024, the right hander made 14 starts and pitched to a 5.09 ERA. Kelly took a significant step forward in 2025, combining for 25 starts between High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona. The now 22-year-old fired a career-high 107.1 innings and punched out 116 hitters.

Born in Oranjestad, Aruba, he will represent the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Still awaiting his Major League debut, the 2026 World Baseball Classic will provide Kelly the biggest stage of his professional career yet. He also represented the Dutch in the 2023 tournament, when he tossed a scoreless frame against Chinese Taipei.

Team Netherlands will compete in Pool D and begin the tournament in Miami, Florida.

RHP, Alessandro Ercolani – Hailing from San Marino, a nation of roughly 34,000 people surrounded by Italy, Ercolani will represent his home country in this year’s tournament. At 19 years old, he made 15 starts for the Marauders in 2023 and registered a 4.43 ERA through 65 innings of work.

In 2025, the righty logged a career-high 100.1 innings and pitched to a 4.04 ERA for Double-A Altoona. He will be joined on Team Italy by fellow Pirates right hander Kyle Nicolas.

Managed by former Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli, Team Italy will compete in Pool B and begin the tournament in Houston, Texas.

RHP, Po-Yu Chen – Chen suited up for the Marauders in 2021 and 2022, combining for 26 starts and a 4.72 ERA. In 2025, the now 24-year-old split time with Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis. The right-hander made two separate stops at the Triple-A level, recording one start in May and two in September, allowing one run across 13.2 frames.

Chen will represent Chinese Taipei in the World Baseball Classic, with his team opening the tournament in Pool C in Tokyo, Japan.

To stay up to date on former Marauders, visit our Marauders in the Majors page.

For more information about Pirates Spring Training, please call 941-747-3031, visit www.Pirates.com/SpringTraining, or email [email protected].