MIAMI — Sixteen countries entered the tournament, and now only six stand heading into Saturday’s slate of 2026 World Baseball Classic quarterfinal games.
Despite an exit of Team Israel following the conclusion of Pool Play on Tuesday, Cole Carrigg has further established himself as one of the most exciting young prospects in the game.
Honoring his paternal grandmother’s Jewish heritage, Carrigg, a 2020 graduate of Turlock High School and top farmhand for the Colorado Rockies, served as the starting shortstop for Israel as the country competed in Pool D of the triennial international tournament, with all games played at loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins.
At the plate, Carrigg was 2-for-15 with an RBI, two stolen bases and two runs scored as Israel finished 2-2 in the tournament. Defensively, despite not having played in the infield in over a year — played all 110 games in the field with Double-A Hartford in the outfield — Carrigg recorded 16 outs (11 assists, five putouts) in 17 chances.
In Israel’s 5-0 win over Nicaragua on Sunday, Carrigg went 2-for-4 with an RBI while serving as a menace on the basepaths to give the team its first lead of the tournament.
Carrigg collected his first hit in the second inning of the 0-0 ballgame, slapping a single down the third base line. After breaking Hartford’s single-season stolen base record a year ago with 46 thefts, Carrigg showed off his speed on national television, swiping second and third with ease, then coming around to score on a single by Noah Mendlinger. In the fifth inning, Carrigg dropped a single in center field to plate former Modesto Nuts outfielder RJ Schreck to cap off Israel’s scoring.
“He had some good at-bats, had some good swings,” said Israel manager Brad Ausmus, a former big catcher for 18 seasons and former skipper of the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels. “His speed you saw, went on display, He’s a dynamic player. I can see why he was so highly touted coming out of (San Diego State).
“It was a blast,” Carrigg said at his postgame presser Sunday. “Just trying to help the team win, and we did that. It was a really fun game.”
The victory secured Israel an automatic berth to the next WBC in 2029.
The country’s other win this tournament came in the finale Tuesday, a 6-2 victory over the Netherlands. Israel lost the opener Saturday to Venezuela, 11-3, as well as Monday’s contest with eventual pool winner and perennial powerhouse Dominican Republic, 10-1.
Carrigg, the 65th overall draft pick by the Rockies in 2023 and the organization’s No. 6 prospect, returned to major league spring training on Thursday, collecting hits over the past two days in Cactus League action. Through nine games, the switch-hitting Carrigg is batting .409 (9-for-22) with three doubles, two triples, four RBI, a stolen base and five runs scored.
Although it is widely expected that Carrigg will begin the regular season with Triple-A Albuquerque, the 23-year-old is continuing to push the envelope to potentially make the big league club out of camp.
Ryan returns from injury, joins Team USA
This spring has not gone as expected for Minnesota Twins ace and Stanislaus State alumnus Joe Ryan, but he has still ended up exactly where he wanted to be. And that’s donning the stars and stripes.
After the United States advanced out of Pool B as a runner-up (3-1) to undefeated Italy to start the World Baseball Classic and defeated Canada by a 5-3 score in Friday’s quarterfinal game from Daikin Park, home of the Houston Astros, Ryan was added to the country’s active roster. He replaced retired Los Angeles Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw, and if the club can win in the semifinal Sunday against the Dominican Republic and advance to the championship game on Tuesday in Miami, he’d be in line for the start.
It would be a large ask. The former Warrior has only appeared in one Grapefruit League game this spring after experiencing minor back inflammation early in camp. Against Tampa Bay on Tuesday, he allowed two hits and two walks in three scoreless frames (48 pitches, 31 strikes).
Ryan was initially scheduled to be a part of Team USA’s starting rotation from the jump, committing to the team in December. Nevertheless, he gave up his roster spot to New York Yankees southpaw Ryan Yarbrough.
Soderstrom and Morris showing out in Cactus League
Tyler Soderstrom and Kade Morris may be wearing the same uniform this spring, but they each know that they are in very different stages of their professional baseball careers. Regardless of the experience, they’ve experienced their share of successes as the Cactus League continues.
After establishing himself as one of the faces of the Athletics franchise last year, Soderstrom is crushing pitching across Arizona. Meanwhile, Morris has been finding his footing in big league camp as he continues to develop and tries to earn himself a spot in “The Show” at some point this season.
Morris, a 2020 graduate of Pitman High, is coming off his best appearance of the spring thus far last Friday, tossing three innings, giving up two hits (including a home run) while striking out a pair. In six innings of work over three games, Morris has given up four runs on eight hits and three walks while punching out five.
Soderstrom, a former Turlock High standout, has put on a power display as of late, homering in his last two games. Overall, he is slashing .382/.447/.794/1.241 with 13 hits, four home runs, 13 RBI and three walks. On Wednesday, Soderstrom blasted a 419-foot three-run shot, and on Friday, crushed a 456-foot two-run shot. There may not be another player itching more for Opening Day than the Turlocker.
Turlock native Ward channels Rickey Henderson
Although he did not play high school ball in Turlock, Braiden Ward was still a regional standout on the baseball diamond, starring for El Capitan High in Merced. And since his time as a Gaucho, the Turlock native has made his mark in baseball’s history books.
Ward, an outfielder in his first season with the Boston Red Sox after an offseason trade from the Colorado Rockies, swiped his 17th base of the Grapefruit League — a record for most steals in a single spring. After being urged by teammates and even members of the media, Ward picked up the second base bag, paying homage to Rickey Henderson, baseball’s best base stealer of all time. The late Henderson famously raised the base over his head after breaking Lou Brock's all-time record of 938 stolen bases in 1982.
It was a playful celebration, but Ward’s numbers this spring are important for a player looking to break into the big leagues. Ward, a teammate of Cole Carrigg's throughout the minor leagues until the trade over the winter, is hitting .382 (13-for-34) with four walks and 10 runs scored.
Take this as a tip of the hat to Ward, forever connected to Turlock.
