NJ High School Baseball Stars Heading to the 2026 World Baseball Classic! 🏆⚾ (2026)

Former New Jersey High School Baseball Stars Make Their Mark at the 2026 World Baseball Classic

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is set to begin on March 5, and the rosters for all 20 teams have been announced. New Jersey is proud to be represented by several former high school stars who have earned their spots on the tournament's teams.

Here's a closer look at the New Jersey alums participating in this year's tournament.

Team Israel

1. Rob Kaminsky

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   • High School: St. Joseph (Mont.)
   • MLB Team: Free Agent
   • 2025 Stats: 17.2 IP, 5.60 ERA, 0-3, 2.208 WHIP (with Staten Island)
   • Kaminsky had a busy 2025 season, playing for multiple teams. He appeared in one game with the Memphis Redbirds, the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, two games for the Florida Complex League Cardinals, and six games for the Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League. The 31-year-old was drafted by the Cardinals in the first round, 28th overall, in 2013 from St. Joseph (Mont.). In his senior season, he pitched 64 innings, struck out 128 batters, and allowed only one earned run, finishing with a 9-0 record. He is a two-time NJ.com Player of the Year.

2. Jason Marquis (Coach)

   • Marquis, from Staten Island, New York, has strong ties to New Jersey. He is currently an assistant coach at Middletown South, where he helped the Eagles achieve a 15-11 record last spring. Marquis played in the MLB for 15 seasons with nine different franchises. His career stats include a 4.61 ERA and a 124-118 record, with 1,174 strikeouts.
   • He will be the pitching coach for Team Israel at the WBC.

Team Italy

1. Kyle Teel

   • High School: Mahwah
   • MLB Team: Chicago White Sox
   • 2025 Stats: .273 AVG, 8 HR, 35 RBI, 11 2B, .786 OPS
   • Teel graduated from Mahwah in 2020 and was a Second-Team All-State honoree as a shortstop in 2019. In 2020, he was named New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year and earned First-Team All-State honors. In 2023, he was selected by the Boston Red Sox 14th overall in the MLB Draft. He made his MLB debut on June 6, 2025, and recorded his first hit in his second at-bat.

2. Gordon Graceffo

   • High School: Cranford
   • MLB Team: St. Louis Cardinals
   • 2025 Stats: 43 IP, 3-1, 6.28 ERA, 40 K, 1.47 WHIP
   • Graceffo made his MLB debut during the 2024 season and appeared in 26 games in 2025. Before graduating in 2018, he pitched just under 175 innings at Cranford, striking out 128 batters. The Cardinals drafted him in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Draft from Villanova.

3. Ron Marinaccio

   • High School: Toms River North
   • MLB Team: San Diego Padres
   • 2025 Stats: 10.2 IP, 0.84 ERA, 12 K, 0.938 WHIP
   • Marinaccio began his MLB career at 26 in the Bronx. He was released by the Yankees in September 2024 after almost three seasons with the team and was later claimed by the White Sox but never played for them. In 2025, he played for the Padres in seven games.

4. Andrew Fischer

   • High School: Wall
   • 2025 Team: University of Tennessee/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (A+)
   • 2025 Stats: 65 GP, .341 AVG, 74 H, 70 R, 25 HR, 65 RBI, 1.227 OPS (with Tennessee); 19 GP, .311 AVG, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 8 R
   • Fischer was a Second-Team All-State honoree as a senior at Wall in 2022. That spring, he hit .382 with 22 runs and 27 RBI in 76 at-bats. He excelled during three seasons at the University of Tennessee, batting .307 with 155 runs, 155 RBI, and 56 homers in 167 games. The Milwaukee Brewers drafted him in the first round, 20th overall, in the 2025 draft. He concluded his 2025 season with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers of the Midwest League.