The World Baseball Classic has been everything fans hoped for and more, with stunning results and an amazing atmosphere in the stands. The most pleasant surprise of the tournament has been, by a country mile, team Italy.
The Italians beat Puerto Rico 8-6 on Saturday afternoon and advanced to the semifinals. They are currently undefeated, and two members of the Cleveland Guardians, Dylan DeLucia and Matt Festa, have been behind their success.
A third Guardian will join the pitching duo to reinforce Italy for their semifinals clash: infielder Brayan Rocchio.
“Guardians INF Brayan Rocchio will join Team Italy for the semifinals in Miami,” MLB reporter Daniel Alvarez-Montes posted on X.
#Guardians INF Brayan Rocchio will join Team Italy for the semifinals in Miami. https://t.co/hMM0h6DAUR
— Daniel Álvarez-Montes (@DanielAlvarezEE) March 14, 2026
The 25-year-old Rocchio, one of the hardest workers on the team, is projected to be the starter at the shortstop position for the Guardians in 2026, but first, he will make the trip to Miami to join Italy ahead of the semifinal game on Monday against his native country, Venezuela. If the team makes it to the final, Rocchio is expected to remain on the roster and fight for the title.
A slick-fielding shortstop, Rocchio is widely known for his clutch moments and postseason hits and homers. He still has a lot to prove over the course of a long season, though.
Rocchio owns a career line of .222/.293/.327 with a 77 wRC+. The league-average hitter has a 100 wRC+, so the infielder has been 23 percent worse than his peer with a bat in his hands.
There is hope, however, that the improvements he showed in the second half after coming back up to Cleveland following a stint in Triple-A will stick.
After being recalled on July first, Rocchio hit a much better .257/.310/.391 with a 96 wRC+. Basically, he became a league average hitter, which combined with his excellent glovework, make him a very useful player.
He will now defend the land of his ancestors because his own country, Venezuela, didn’t include him on their roster for the event.
Rocchio boasts a solid .310/.394/.552 line and a 144 wRC+ in 33 Cactus League plate appearances. He is performing well and putting some good swings on the ball.
Who knows, maybe he has one big moment in store for Team Italy in the WBC semifinals.
NEXT: Corey Kluber Is Having Big Influence On Guardians Pitchers
