Professional baseball players from all around the world are set to compete in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, with more than 35 of them getting their start on the baseball diamond back in Little League®. From March 7-21, a group of former Little Leaguers representing 12 different countries will take the field with hopes of taking home the WBC Championship title.
Among the more than 35 Little League graduates are also a group of former Little League Region and World Series tournament participants, looking to add another international tournament to their illustrious careers.
Below is the full list of Little League alumni taking the field this March:
Canada
- Freddie Freeman – Long Beach (Calif.) LL
Czech Republic
- Pavel Chadim (Manager) – Coach of the 2013 Europe and Africa Region LLBWS Team (South Moravia LL)
Dominican Republic
- Jeremy Pena – Elmwood LL (Providence, R.I.)
- Juan Soto – Banco Central LL (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) – 2010 Caribbean Region Tournament
Israel
- Joc Pederson – Palo Alto (Calif.) LL
- Ian Kinsler – Manager – Canyon Del Oro LL (Tucson, Ariz.)
- Dean Kremer – Sundown LL (Stockton, Calif.)
Italy
- Matt Festa – Great Kills LL (Staten Island, N.Y.)
Japan
- Shohei Ohtani – Mizusawa (Japan) LL
Korea
- Tommy Edman – Tierrusanta (Calif.) LL
Mexico
- Austin Barnes – Magnolia LL (Riverside, Calif.)
- Julio Urias – Culiacan, Mexico
- Luis Urias – Sergio Kaliman Robles LL (Sonora, Mexico)
Netherlands
- Xander Bogaerts – Aruba South LL (San Nicolas, Aruba) – 2009 SLBWS
- Didi Gregorious – Pabao LL (Williamstad, Curacao)
- Kenley Jansen – Pabao LL (Williamstad, Curacao) – 2003 SLBWS
- Jair Jurrjens – Pabao LL (Williamstad, Curacao) – 2003 SLBWS
- Shairon Martis – Pabao LL (Williamstad, Curacao) – 2002 and 2003 SLBWS
- Jurickson Profar – Pabao LL (Williamstad, Curacao) – 2004 and 2005 LLBWS, 2008 SLBWS
- Jonathan Schoop – Pabao LL (Williamstad, Curacao) – 2003 and 2004 LLBWS, 2008 SLBWS
- Sharlon Schoop – Pabao LL (Williamstad, Curacao)
- Andrelton Simmons – Pabao LL (Williamstad, Curacao)
Panama
- Jaime Barria – Cerro Viento LL (Panama)
- Javy Guerra – David Doleguita LL (Chiriqui, Panama)
Puerto Rico
- Jose Berrios – Santa Monica LL (Bayamon, Puerto Rico)
- Ricky Bones (Pitching Coach) – Radames Lopez LL (Guayama, Puerto Rico) – 1981 Latin America Region Tournament
- Alex Cintron – Juan Antonio Bibiloni LL (Yabucoa, Puerto Rico)
- Carlos Correa – Villa Blanca LL (Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico)*
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José De León – Jose “Papi” Vega LL (Isabela, Puerto Rico)
- Edwin Diaz – Miguel Luzunaris LL (Humacao, Puerto Rico)
- Alexis Diaz – Miguel Luzunaris LL (Humacao, Puerto Rico)
- Juan Gonzalez (Assistant Hitting Coach) – Jaime Collazo LL (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico)
- Martin Maldonado – Naguabo (Puerto Rico) LL
- Jose Miranda – Juncos (Puerto Rico) LL*
- Jovani Moran – Gino Vega LL (Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico)
- Emilio Pagan – Simpsonville (S.C.) LL
- Henry Ramos – Rosario y Cardona LL (Maunabo, Puerto Rico)
- Emmanuel Rivera – Sultana LL (Mayaguez, Puerto Rico)
- Luis Rivera (3B Coach) – Cidra (Puerto Rico) LL
- Eddie Rosario – Radames Lopez LL (Guayama, Puerto Rico) – 2006 JLB Latin America Region Tournament
- Neftalí Soto – Barceloneta (Puerto Rico) LL
*Players were selected to original roster but substituted after withdrawing
United States of America
- Pete Alonso – Tampa Bay (Fla.) LL
- Nolan Arenado – Lake Forest (Calif.) LL
- Kyle Higashioka – Seaview LL/Walnut Creek LL (Huntington Beach, Calif.)
- Lance Lynn – Brownsburg (Ind.) LL – 1999 LLBWS
- Jeff McNeil – Goleta Valley South LL (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
- Kyle Tucker – Tampa Bay (Fla.) LL
- Trea Turner – West Boynton Beach (Fla.) LL
The 2023 World Baseball Classic is set to take place from March 7-21 with four pool-play tournaments taking place in Taichung, Taiwan; Tokyo, Japan, Phoenix, Arizona; and Miami, Florida. The semifinals will take place on March 19-20 with the championship set for March 21 in Miami.
To learn more about former Little Leaguers who have gone on to incredible careers, visit LittleLeague.org/Alumni.
NOTE: If you know of a Little League graduate that would fit into any of these categories and is not listed, please complete the Little League Alumni Submission form.