Which Brewers Are Playing In The 2026 WBC?

The United States team plucked only one Brewers player for its roster, but manager Mark DeRosa made it count.

Brice Turang will suit up in red, white, and blue this week and will play second base for the American squad. While he may not be the headliner on a team that features Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper, Turang knows he has a specific role to fill.

“I’m just going to do whatever the situation calls for, whatever the team needs,” he said. “For me, it’s just to go out and play the game hard, like I always do, and then the situations can kind of tell you what to do, when to do it, and just continue to be the player that I am, and let those guys be the players that they are.”

Turang will vie for playing time with Baltimore Orioles’ second baseman Gunnar Henderson and Toronto Blue Jays’ infielder Ernie Clement. Besides playing for his country, Turang hopes to make this experience an educational one.

“I’m really excited to learn from those guys and then compete against other countries. It’s going to be a great experience,” he said. “There’s not one specific person. I just want to pick everyone’s brain a little bit, not to the point where they’re thinking, ‘Dude, you’re just asking me tons of questions.’”

Two Milwaukee starters, Jackson Chourio and William Contreras, will suit up and should have a resounding influence for the Venezuela squad. MLB.com writer Brent Maguire believes that Chourio is one of the “X-factors” who will not flinch under the bright lights of the world’s stage.

“It’d be a stretch to call Team Venezuela an underdog — just take a look at that roster — but they’re not widely viewed as a favorite in the tournament,” he wrote. “But any roster that features names like Ronald Acuña Jr., Ranger Suárez and the Contreras brothers has a chance to take it the distance. To get there, though, Venezuela will need someone to have a huge performance.

“That could come from Chourio, who doesn’t turn 22 until next month and has already compiled 6.9 WAR (per FanGraphs), 42 home runs and 43 stolen bases through his first two MLB seasons. Chourio could be primed for an even bigger 2026 season and we’ve already seen him shine on the biggest stage, like when he homered twice in his second career playoff game in 2024 and when he crushed a 101.4 mph fastball for a home run in last year’s NLDS.”

Playing for Venezuela is a dream come true for Contreras. Aside from playing in the 2022 All-Star game together, this will mark the first time Brewers’ William and his brother Willson, now with the Boston Red Sox, have shared the same dugout.

Willson Contreras remarked how proud he will be to play for his country and with his brother.

“It’s gonna be amazing,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a dream come true to represent Venezuela, especially having Mom and Dad in the stands, and our family there. It means a lot to us. It means a lot to me, because I’ve always been a voice for Venezuela, and wearing ‘Venezuela’ on my chest means a lot to me, so I want to play hard. I want to play proud. And I just can’t wait to share the moment with my brother.”

Joey Ortiz, Milwaukee’s everyday shortstop in 2025, will don the red and green and play for Mexico. He will team up with former Brewers players Luis Urias and Rowdy Tellez on the Mexican infield. Ortiz is projected to start for Mexico, and his defensive prowess is a big reason for that distinction.

In his preview of Mexico’s WBC roster and chances, Fox Sports’ Rowan Kavner feels that Ortiz playing shortstop gives that team a fighting chance to compete. He writes that “an infield that includes Ortiz and (Pittsburgh Pirates Nick) Gonzales up the middle with (Toronto catcher Alejandro) Kirk behind the plate should make Mexico’s pitchers thrilled.”

Black And Four Brewers Pitchers Also Found WBC Roster Spots

Spring-training sensation Tyler Black, who is currently hitting .667 in Cactus League play, will hope to keep his bat hot for Team Canada in the WBC. Black will be joined on the Canadian roster by pitcher Rob Zastryzny, who enters his third season as a Brewer.

Three other Milwaukee pitchers hope to earn glory with their countries in the WBC. Abner Uribe joins the Dominican Republic pitching staff that includes 2022 Cy Young Award recipient Sandy Alcantara and Philadelphia Phillies’ Cristopher Sanchez. Angel Zerpa will join the Contreras brothers and play for Venezuela, and Carols Rodriguez plans to suit up for Nicaragua.

End Of My Brewers Rant: WBC Is Heaven For Patriotic Baseball Fanatics

The recent run to hockey gold medals by the American men’s and women’s teams proved that fervent fans of the red, white, and blue crave nationalistic pride. Jack Hughes became an instant hero to many, even those who know nothing about hockey, when he put home the “Golden Goal” against Canada.

No matter who one roots for in the upcoming WBC, baseball fans in general will be the overwhelming winners. The best players combined with patriotic pride makes for gripping drama that will unfold on the field.

First-round matchups featuring Brewers players include:

• Netherlands vs. Venezuela, Friday, 11 AM CT
• Mexico vs. Great Britain, Friday, 12 PM CT
• Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic, Friday, 6 PM CT
• USA vs. Brazil, Friday, 7 PM CT
• Columbia vs. Canada, Saturday, 10 AM CT