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There are Major League Baseball players who are eager to represent their respective nations in the World Baseball Classic (WBC). For example, Pete Alonso, now a new Orioles player, was very excited to play with the United States in the 2026 edition, but he was out of luck.
Despite the slugger's open expression of his desire last year by speaking out loud that he was willing to accept Mark DeRosa's call to join the U.S. team, to his misfortune, the manager ignored his words.
Italy, on the other hand, did listen. As Alonso has Italian ancestry, they reached out to him to invite him to be part of the roster that would compete in the tournament. Ironically, the first baseman had to turn down the offer because he was just at that moment unable to compete with any team.
Why did Pete Alonso decline to play for Italy?
On the one hand, the baseball player is said to have even turned down the invitation from the United States because he became a first-time father and wanted to be with his wife in this new stage of their lives as parents, as well as because she needed him close by.
On the other hand, the move from New York to Baltimore in the offseason involved a move that has allowed little time to acclimatize to the city, because he immediately had to get to work on the project that the team is planning for the 2026 campaign.
The WBC is amazing, but this was not the year to do it. Personal circumstances just didn't match up
Mark DeRosa had his pick
For the USA manager, it was clear from the start that the player who would occupy first base would be Bryce Harper. As for the batter's box, the strong man in his squad would be Aaron Judge. Mike Trout was also one of the leaders contemplated.