Who To Watch In The WBC: Ceddanne Rafaela Fuels Netherlands, Owen Caissie Adds Pop For Canada

Sunday is a day of rest for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic. After improving to 2-0 by beating Great Britain on Saturday, the Americans will resume pool play Monday vs. Mexico in what promises to be a rowdy atmosphere in Houston.

The two games that do take place in Pool B are of interest as teams jockey for position. Great Britain (0-2) is looking to finally get a win, while Italy will look to join the U.S. at 2-0. Mexico can join those two atop Pool B if it beats Brazil (0-2).

Here are some players to keep an eye on today:

Ceddanne Rafaela, Netherlands

The 25-year-old Boston Red Sox center fielder was right in the middle of the Netherlands' big ninth-inning rally Saturday. More appropriately, he got the comeback started. Trailing Nicaragua 3-1 with two outs in the ninth and down 0-2 in the count, Rafaela singled to center and went to third on a Xander Bogaerts double. That brought up Ozzie Albies, who cranked a three-run walk-off homer on the first pitch. It was the first walk-off homer in WBC history. Rafaela also had a third-inning single. In addition to being a key part of the Dutch lineup, Rafaela will be a big role for the Red Sox not only with his Gold Glove defense, but with his bat, especially if he can improve upon his career .247/.284/.401 slash line.

Joey Ortiz, Mexico

The defensive anchor at shortstop for the Milwaukee Brewers has been showing a little bit of offense this spring. While he still dazzled with a couple of nice defensive plays, Ortiz contributed to an RBI double during a four-run ninth inning Friday as Mexico put away Great Britain 8-2. He came around to score after his lone hit. Ortiz also walked once, but did strike out twice while hitting ninth. In Cactus League play, Ortiz is hitting a sizzling 7-for-17 (.412) with two walks and five runs scored. Maybe Ortiz is feeling a bit more comfortable entering his second season as an MLB starting shortstop. Any production above what he has shown would be a boon for Mexico and the Brewers.

Owen Caissie, Canada

Stuck in an outfield logjam with the Chicago Cubs, the 23-year-old had a change of scenery this offseason when he was shipped to the Miami Marlins in the Edward Cabrera deal. If he shows out as he did in Canada's 8-2 win over Colombia on Saturday, the Marlins will have a really nice addition. Caissie got Canada going with a two-run homer in the second inning and added a single in four at-bats. The left-handed hitter rocketed a 76.6 mph curveball on a 1-2 pitch from right-hander Austin Bergner into the right-field stands. Caissie has 41 homers over 226 Triple-A games the last two seasons to go along with a .281/.380/.507 slash line.

Daniel Palencia, Venezuela

After having his 2025 end early with a strained right shoulder, the 26-year-old closer for the Cubs didn't have much room to ease into 2026 by being named to Venezuela's roster. The right-hander made his WBC debut in Friday's opener, finishing off a 6-2 victory over the Netherlands with a scoreless ninth inning in which he struck out a pair. His four-seamer cracked 100 mph three times and averaged 99.6 mph, finishing off both strikeouts with the fastball. His slider checked in at 91.4 mph, which was up a couple of mph from where it was in spring training. Of his 14 pitches, 10 went for strikes. Valencia will be facing tougher tasks as the WBC progresses, but this was a nice first outing.

Alek Jacob, Italy

How deep is the San Diego Padres' bullpen? The 27-year-old right-hander, who made 29 relief appearances for the Friars in 2025, is likely headed back to Triple-A to begin 2026. So opportunities like the WBC are big for Jacob. He turned in a nice outing Saturday in Italy's 8-0 win over Brazil. Jacob came on to finish the fifth inning after left-handed starter Sam Aldegheri (Los Angeles Angels) threw 63 pitches. Jacob retired all four Brazilians he faced, getting three swinging strikeouts. At worst, Jacob is nice bullpen insurance to have at Triple-A, but also be attractive to other teams.