The World Baseball Classic wrapped up earlier this month with a brutal reality check for American fans. Fortunately for those of us who love the Phillies, there was plenty to cheer for, as 13 players from the organization took the field during the tournament. Some played massive roles for their teams, while others served in more of a depth capacity. Let’s dive into how each of them performed and take a look at whether their tournament showing raised or lowered their stock heading into the 2026 season.
Phillies WBC Power Rankings: Hard to avoid Dante Nori in No. 1 hype spot
No. 1: Dante Nori, Italy (Stock Up)
2024 first-round pick Dante Nori wasn’t expected to do much heading into this year’s tournament, but by the time it was over, he and Team Italy had emphatically put themselves on the map. Nori’s Italian squad made a Cinderella run to the semifinals, narrowly losing to eventual-champion Venezuela.
As for Nori himself, the 21-year-old showed out with a ludicrous .400/.435/.750 slash line across 24 trips to the plate. He wasn’t just doing that against scrubs either, as he faced off against solid major leaguers like Nolan McLean, Seth Lugo and Javier Assad, among others. Nori even chipped in two stolen bases to go along with solid defense in left field.
The Michigander only got the smallest of tastes at Double-A last year, but after a bananas WBC run and with the Phillies outfield perpetually in shambles, he may have played himself into a big league debut sometime this year.
No. 2: Aaron Nola, Italy (Stock Up)
Seeing as longtime rotation stalwart Aaron Nola is coming off of easily the worst season of his 11-year MLB career, it raised some eyebrows when he decided to represent Team Italy at this year’s WBC. The former All-Star made quick work of those doubts by returning to vintage form in two starts for the Italians.
Nola fired nine total innings of one-run ball, punching out eight hitters and only allowing 10 men to reach base. Aside from his on-field dominance, he even earned himself a new nickname courtesy of former Phillie Dan Plesac. Seeing the Cy Young-caliber Nola return for at least two outings should do wonders for Phillies fans’ hopes heading into the regular season.
No. 3: Bryce Harper, USA (Stock Up)
At only 33 years old, Bryce Harper is already a lock to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and the two-time MVP donned his nation’s uniform in the WBC for the first time earlier this month. It was shaping up to be a lousy tournament for the eight-time All-Star, as he had an ugly .167 batting average heading into the championship game against Venezuela. However, Harper had another “Bedlam at the Bank” moment in that final game, crushing a two-run blast in the eighth inning to tie the contest at two apiece.
Unfortunately, the bullpen would let him down, and Team USA went on to lose a heartbreaker. Still, it’s good to see arguably the most important player on the Phillies show that he can still make things happen when the lights shine brightest.
No. 4: Kyle Schwarber, USA (Stock Up)
Kyle Schwarber crushes baseballs. He did it for the Cubs when they won the World Series back in 2016. He’s done it for the Phillies for the past four seasons. And now, he’s done it for Team USA for the second consecutive World Baseball Classic.
Back in 2023, Schwarber posted an insane 1.093 OPS in five games as his team barely lost in the finals to Japan. Unfortunately, they met that same finals fate again this year, but fortunately for Phillies fans, Schwarber continued to rake. He slashed .320/.469/.440 in all seven games. All told, that gives the 33-year-old a cumulative .974 OPS over 12 career WBC games. Suffice it to say, he can handle the big moments.
No. 5: Cristopher Sánchez, Dominican Republic (Stock Up)
When forever ace Zack Wheeler went down with thoracic outlet syndrome last season, Cristopher Sánchez stepped right in to fill the void at the top of the Phillies’ rotation. The lanky southpaw turned in not just his best campaign yet, but finished second in Cy Young Award voting.
Sánchez filled the same ace role for his native Dominican Republic in the WBC, and turned in an interesting performance. The 29-year-old was smacked around a bit in his first start against Nicaragua, although he was able to make a bit of history in that game. However, Sánchez immediately righted the ship, tossing five scoreless frames in the quarterfinals opposite Team Korea. There was never any doubt about Sánchez heading into the 2026 season, but it’s good to see the Phillies' recently-extended ace overcome a bit of adversity early on.
No. 6: Taijuan Walker, Mexico (Stock Up)
Free agent bust Taijuan Walker may not have lived up to expectations in a Phillies uniform, but he’s been rock solid whenever he’s taken the ball for Team Mexico. Back in 2023, Walker twirled four innings of shutout ball in a nail-biter against Great Britain, and he did more of the same this time around. The 33-year-old fired 3 ⅓ scoreless frames against Brazil, fanning three batters and only surrendering two baserunners. Walker is set to open the 2026 season in the Phillies’ rotation, and another solid WBC run may have brightened his outlook just a tad heading into the final year of his contract.
No. 7: Max Lazar, Israel (Stock Up)
Reliever Max Lazar may be more of a depth piece for the Phillies, but the right-hander played a crucial role for Team Israel in this year’s WBC. The 26-year-old only got into one game, but he locked up two crucial outs in Israel's 5-0 win over Nicaragua that secured the team a spot in the 2029 tournament. The Phillies have a pretty crowded bullpen mix heading into the regular season, but when they inevitably need a fresh arm Lazar should be one of the first ones up.
No. 8: Mitch Neunborn, Australia (Stock Up)
After a Cinderella run to the quarterfinals in the 2023 tournament, Team Australia fell just short this time, missing out on advancing by just one run. Whichever way the blame gets assigned, none of it can fall at the feet of reliever Mitch Neunborn, who was excellent in his two outings. Facing off against Czechia and South Korea, Neunborn retired five total hitters, punching out two and yielding only two baserunners. At 28 years old, Neunborn isn’t much of a prospect, but seeing as he made it all the way to Triple-A last season, this performance may have gotten him just a bit closer to a major league debut.
No. 9: Garrett Stubbs, Israel (Stock Even)
Most Phillies fans know Garrett Stubbs as more of a lovable mascot, and less for his production on the field. In four years with the franchise, Stubby has only gotten into 146 major league games, and spent almost the entire 2025 season at Triple-A. The 32-year-old served a key role in Team Israel’s solid run at the WBC, where he split his time between catching and designated hitter duties, switching off with his brother, fellow big leaguer CJ. Garrett didn’t fare so well in 14 trips to the plate, only recording one hit and one walk, but he brought enthusiasm, experience and his usual fantastic work with pitchers to a team that outperformed expectations. Stubbs will likely start the 2026 season in the minors once again, but he should be the first man up if J.T. Realmuto or Rafael Marchán go down.
No. 10: Edmundo Sosa, Panama (Stock Even)
Jack of all trades Edmundo Sosa has been a key contributor for the Phillies ever since coming to town in a deadline deal back in 2022. The 29-year-old has displayed solid defense all over the infield (and even tried his hand at left field) while providing a capable bat off the bench. Sosa suited up as the starting third baseman for his native Panama at this year’s WBC, and slashed .250/.333/.313 in four games of pool play. While that may not have been the greatest showing, Sosa is still locked in to a platoon/super-utility role for the Phillies heading into the regular season.
No. 11: Brad Keller, USA (Stock Down)
New Phillies reliever Brad Keller was a surprise addition to Team USA’s roster, but unfortunately he didn’t fare too well at the tournament. The 30-year-old right-hander made his way into four games, surrendering two earned runs over four innings, including an embarrassing performance against Italy in which he made a crucial throwing error and threw a wild pitch. Still, Keller is coming off of an incredible 2025 season with the Chicago Cubs, and a handful of rough games in mid-March shouldn't worry the Phillies or fans too much.
No. 12: Gabriel Barbosa, Brazil (Stock Down)
Team Brazil wasn’t expected to do much at the WBC, and neither was Phillies minor leaguer Gabriel Barbosa. The 24-year-old had a decent 2025 season overall, but struggled to get hitters out upon reaching Double-A. It was more of the same at the WBC, but in fairness to Barbosa, he was facing elite MLB hitters. The right-hander got into two games against the USA and Mexico (two loaded lineups) and was smacked around for five earned runs in only 1 ⅓ innings of work. While that may have been tough to watch, it shouldn’t ding Barbosa too badly moving forward, as he’s still young and can be forgiven for coughing up runs against big league All-Stars.
No. 13: Jaydenn Estanista, Netherlands (Stock Down)
The Kingdom of the Netherlands barely snuck out one win in this year’s tournament, as Atlanta Braves star Ozzie Albies provided the first walk-off home run in WBC history against Nicaragua. Outside of that historic moment, there wasn’t much to cheer for, including the performance of Phillies minor leaguer Jaydenn Estanista. The 24-year-old right-hander only appeared in one game, facing four Dominican Republic batters, yielding one hit, walking two and plunking another. All four baserunners came around to score. Yikes. For a young man who was already struggling to throw strikes, this kind of outing against big league-caliber hitters has done little to raise his stock.