WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Major League Baseball has announced the final rosters for the twenty nations competing in the 2026 World Baseball Classic with eight alumni of the Williamsport Crosscutters being selected to participate.
The eight Cutters alumni are listed below;
OF Tim Kennelly – Australia
A member of the 2007 Williamsport Crosscutters and a native of Perth, Australia, Tim Kennelly was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2005 out of the Major League Baseball Australian Academy Program. After being reassigned from the Clearwater Threshers in 2007, Kennelly appeared in 39 games for the Crosscutters, hitting .235 with 6 runs, 7 doubles, 2 home runs, 8 RBI, 9 walks, and 2 stolen bases. After being released by the Phillies in 2013, Kennelly spent a month in the Texas Rangers organization before returning to the Australian Baseball League, where he has been a member of the Perth Heat ever since.
C Mitch Edwards – Australia
A member of the 2019 Williamsport Crosscutters and a native of Melbourne, Australia, Mitch Edwards was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018 out of the Australian Baseball League. After being promoted from the Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2019, Edwards appeared in 17 games for the Crosscutters, hitting .158 with 5 runs, 1 double, 2 RBI and 6 walks. After being released by the Phillies in 2021, Edwards returned to the Australian Baseball League where he is currently a member of the Adelaide Giants.
RHP Seranthony Domínguez – Dominican Republic
A member of the 2016 Williamsport Crosscutters and a native of Esperanza Valverde Mao, Dominican Republic, Seranthony Domínguez was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2012 as an international free agent. After being promoted from the Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2016, Domínguez made 3 starts for the Crosscutters, earning a 1-1 record with a 2.12 ERA in 17.0 innings of work with a 0.71 WHIP and an opponent batting average of .136. Those numbers quickly earned Domínguez another promotion, this time to the Lakewood BlueClaws. He would make his MLB debut in 2018 with the Philadelphia Phillies where he remained until 2024 when he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles. In 2025, Domínguez was again traded, this time to the Toronto Blue Jays, before electing to enter free agency and signing with the Chicago White Sox for the 2026 season.
OF Johan Rojas – Dominican Republic
A member of the 2019 Williamsport Crosscutters and a native of San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic, Johan Rojas was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018 as an international free agent. After being promoted from the Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2019, Rojas appeared in 42 games for the Crosscutters, hitting .244 with 17 runs, 5 doubles, 6 triples, 2 home runs, 11 RBI and 11 stolen bases. Rojas made his MLB debut in 2023 with the Philadelphia Phillies and has split time between Philadelphia and the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs since.
RHP Vance Worley – Great Britain
A member of the 2008 Williamsport Crosscutters, Vance Worley is eligible to compete for Great Britain through his mother, who was a Chinese national born in Hong Kong, which was a colony of Great Britain at the time. He was selected in the 3rd Round of the 2008 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies and was assigned to make his professional debut with the Williamsport Crosscutters. Worley made 2 starts in Williamsport, earning a 1.13 ERA in 8.0 innings of work with 8 strikeouts, a 0.50 WHIP and an opponent batting average of .120 before quickly being promoted to the Lakewood BlueClaws. He would go on to make his MLB Debut in 2010 with the Phillies. Worley would have an eight-year MLB career with the Phillies, Twins, Pirates, Orioles, and Marlins through 2017 before spending time back in the minors through 2021. Worley continued to compete after his affiliated days were behind him, making appearances for Great Britian in international play in 2022 and 2023.
RHP Yacksel Ríos – Puerto Rico
A member of the 2013 Williamsport Crosscutters and a native of Caguas, Puerto Rico, Yacksel Ríos was drafted in the 12th Round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. After being promoted from the Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2013, Ríos appeared in 15 games and made 10 starts for the Crosscutters, posting a 5-3 record with a 3.59 ERA in 52.2 innings pitched and recording 39 strikeouts and a .265 opponent batting average. Ríos made his MLB debut in 2017 with the Philadelphia Phillies and would spend six seasons in the majors with the Phillies, Pirates, Mariners, Red Sox and Athletics through 2023. Ríos continues to try to earn his way back to the majors, spending his 2025 season in the New York Mets system before signing a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs for the 2026 season.
LHP Eduardo Rivera – Puerto Rico
A member of the 2021 Williamsport Crosscutters, the first season as a part of the MLB Draft League, Eduardo Rivera is a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Rivera appeared in four games for the Crosscutters in 2021, earning a 1-0 record with a 12.15 ERA in 6.2 innings of relief with 10 strikeouts. Rivera would make history as the first Williamsport Crosscutters player to be selected in the MLB Draft, being selected in the 11th Round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics. He would be released by the Athletics in 2024 before signing a minor-league contract with the Boston Red Sox that same year. Rivera remains in the Red Sox system, currently as a member of the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs.
LHP Ranger Suárez – Venezuela
A member of the 2016 Williamsport Crosscutters and a native of Pie de Cuesta, Venezuela, Ranger Suárez was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2012 as an international free agent. After being promoted from the Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2016, Suárez made 13 starts for the Crosscutters, earning a 6-4 record with a 2.81 ERA in 73.2 innings of work with 53 strikeouts, a 1.15 WHIP and an opponent batting average of .223. Suárez would be named to the New York-Penn League South All-Star team and was selected as the Rankin Johnson Pitcher of the Year for the club. He made his name in the Phillies farm system on July 26th of that season against the Auburn Doubledays as Suárez tossed the first (and only to date) complete game no-hitter in Cutters franchise history and was a lead-off walk away from a perfect game. Suárez made his MLB debut in 2018 with Philadelphia, spending 8 seasons with the Phillies and was selected as a National League All-Star in 2024. Suárez elected for free agency after the 2025 season and signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox for the 2026 season.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic will be played from March 4th to March 17th with teams competing at the Tokyo Dome in Japan, Hiram Bithorn Stadium in Puerto Rico, Daikin Park in Houston, and loanDepot Park in Miami. Coverage of all games will be available on FOX, FS1, FS2, FOX One and the FOX Sports App. Further information, including the full schedule of games and exact broadcast information, can be found by CLICKING HERE.
The Williamsport Crosscutters begin the 2026 season on Tuesday, June 2nd hosting the West Virginia Black Bears to kick-off the 100th Anniversary Celebration of Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field.
MVP Club Season Tickets, Bonus Books, UPMC Senior Loggers Club memberships, and Group Outings are now available for the 2026 season and are available by visiting Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field, calling the Cutters Hotline at 570-326-3389 or by visiting Crosscutters.com. Information on single game tickets, Boomer’s Kids Club memberships and nightly promotions for the 2026 season will be released in the coming weeks.
