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Phillies’ Aaron Nola officially set to pitch for Team Italy in WBC
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- Phillies’ Aaron Nola officially set to pitch for Team Italy in WBC
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The Philadelphia Phillies are spending their offseason analyzing any ways they can bolster their playoff push in 2026. For one of their star pitchers, he'll be spending his time trying to add more hardware to his trophy case.
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Aaron Nola will pitch for Team Italy in the upcoming World Baseball Classic , the Phillies announced. This will mark Nola's first time participating in the WBC.
In the last iteration of the tournament, back in 2023, Team Italy made it out of group play with a 2-2 record. However, they were ousted in the quarterfinals by Team Japan; who would go on to win the entire tournament.
Back in 2023, Team Italy was led by pitchers such as Matt Festa of the Guardians, Andre Pallante of the St. Louis Cardinals and former New York Mets legend Matt Harvey . Festa and Harvey both had ERAs below 2.50. But still, Team Italy will receive a massive boost adding Nola into their rotation.
The right-hander struggled mightily in 2025, pitching to a 6.01 ERA and a 97/28 K/BB ratio. However, injuries limited him to just 17 starts. A year prior, Nola held a 3.57 ERA and a 197/50 K/BB ratio. Over his entire 11-year MLB career, the righty has posted a 3.83 ERA and a 1,876/449 K/BB ratio.
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Philadelphia signed Nola to a $172 million extension in 2023 with hopes that he would lead their rotation. With Ranger Suarez leaving for the Boston Red Sox and Zach Wheeler still injured, Nola will take on even more responsibilities. Perhaps his time with Team Italy will have his arm ready to take on the 2026 season.
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