Harrison Bader, who was among the few on the Yankees to do well in the playoffs, said this week that he won’t play for Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. The outfielder wants to stay healthy after a 2022 season that was full of injuries. The 2023 MLB season starts just a few days after the World Baseball Classic ends in March and Harrison Bader can’t afford to take any risk.
Born to a Jewish father, Harrison Bader is ready to consider future offers to play for Israel’s national baseball team. He told the New York Post:
“When it comes back around and the opportunity’s extended, I would absolutely consider it much more, and we’ll kind of go from there.”
Scott Effross, Harrison Bader’s teammate and a reliever for the Yankees with 2.54 ERA in 2022, wanted to be in Israel’s national team. But a surgery this fall is going to prevent him from playing baseball for at least 10-12 months.
Team Israel to miss Harrison Bader
Ian Kinsler, a former All-Star second baseman who played for Team Israel in the 2020 Olympics and is now the team’s manager, has been working hard to get other major league players, including Harrison Bader, to join.
Here are some of Team Israel’s important current roster members, according to the Times of Israel:
- Pitchers: Dean Kremer (Baltimore Orioles), Jake Bird (Colorado Rockies), Eli Morgan (Cleveland Guardians), Zack Weiss (Los Angeles Angels), Richard Bleier (Miami Marlins), Jake Fishman (Marlins organization), Robert Stock (plays in Korea), Bubby Rossman (free agent)
- Infielder: Ty Kelly (free agent)
- Catcher: Ryan Lavarnway (free agent)
- Outfielders: Joc Pederson (San Francisco Giants), Kevin Pillar (free agent)
Altogether, up to a dozen, major league players could be on the Israeli team, Harrison Bader is special considering his current form. Team Israel has its games planned in Miami, which is close to where many MLB teams hold their spring training.
“Team Israel has shown well,” Kinsler said in October, “Being in Miami makes players’ decisions easier. All of those things led to more opportunities for more players. I think we get more accomplished players.”
Israel’s continued success on the world stage is also a factor. The team came in seventh at the WBC in 2017 and was one of only six teams to qualify for the Olympics in 2020. There are still months until the tournament, so recruiting is still going on.
Alex Bregman, a star third baseman for the Houston Astros who is Jewish and played for the US team last year, does not plan to play in the tournament. Peter Kurz, the general manager of Team Israel, says that so far, the best pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, Max Fried, has not said yes or no. Garrett Stubbs, who is a backup catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, might join the team. Rowdy Tellez, who plays first base for the Milwaukee Brewers and has a Mexican father and a Jewish mother, has decided to play for Mexico.
Kinsler said that Pederson, who has helped multiple teams win the World Series in the past few years and has become a star because of it, is helping with the effort.
Harrison Bader, on the other hand, is fully focused on his Yankees’ career at the moment. During the playoffs, he was the best of their batting maestros and have the maximum homer runs while most others, including Aaron Judge, fall silent.
What do you think, is Harrison Bader’s decision a good sign for the Yankees? Leave your comment below.
