San Francisco Giants pitcher Tristan Beck and his brother Brendan will represent Great Britain at the World Baseball Classic, highlighting a new generation of players redefining British baseball. The California-born siblings are set to face Mexico in their opening match on Friday.
The brothers acknowledge their connection to Britain stems from their mother, who is "100 per cent British", and fond memories of their football-mad Welsh grandfather. Brendan, a New York Yankees prospect, noted that all squad members qualify to play for GB, with varying degrees of personal ties, but said this diversity makes the team "unique and pretty special".
Great Britain debuted at the 2023 WBC, earning automatic qualification for 2026 after upsetting Colombia. This year they face a tough pool including Italy, Brazil, Mexico and the United States. The 2023 squad became fan favourites for celebrating home runs with a mimed tea-drinking tribute, and Tristan Beck joked that learning 'God Save the King' is a priority.
Eight members of manager Bradley Marcelino's squad have Major League Baseball experience, including co-captain Jazz Chisholm Jr, a Bahamian-born Yankees second baseman who last represented GB in 2016. Chisholm recently joined an elite group of MLB players with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a season. Tristan praised Chisholm for giving the team confidence to be themselves.
GB performance director Gary Anderson said recruitment has changed dramatically since 2023, with players now approaching the programme. "We don’t have to sell it anymore. People come looking for us now," he added.
