Oldest and youngest players in World Baseball Classic, from 44-year-old Alexei Ramirez to 17-year-old prospects

· Yahoo Sports

Oldest and youngest players in World Baseball Classic, from 44-year-old Alexei Ramirez to 17-year-old prospects originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Visit sweetbonanza-app.com for more information.

The 2026 World Baseball Classic will feature some of the biggest stars in baseball around the globe, including many active MLB players. But those aren't the only names to know in the tournament.

Among the players on the 20 WBC teams this year are some former MLB players who are either now retired, or long-removed from their time in the big leagues. And at the same time, there are some up-and-coming young players who will be competing in the WBC — without many limits in-place for each team's roster, the World Baseball Classic leads to a massive age range for its players.

This year, that includes a 44-year-old former All-Star shortstop who has been out of MLB since 2016.

Here's what to know about the oldest and youngest player at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

MORE: Full 2026 WBC rosters

Who is the oldest player in the WBC?

The oldest rostered player at the 2026 World Baseball Classic is Alexei Ramirez of Team Cuba. 

A former MLB shortstop, Ramirez is now 44 years old. According to MLB.com, if he appears in a WBC game, he would become the oldest player ever to do so; that mark is currently held by Roger Clemens, who pitched in a WBC game at 43 years and 224 days in 2006. Of non-pitchers, Nelson Cruz was 42 years and 256 days in 2023 when he competed in the WBC.

Alexei Ramirez previous WBC appearances

Ramirez isn't new to the World Baseball Classic. In fact, he played in the inaugural tournament back in 2006, when he was a 24-year-old two years prior to coming to MLB. He played center field for Cuba in the 2006 event, collecting six hits in 16 at-bats — and his performance helped lead to his successful MLB career.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by World Baseball Classic (@wbcbaseball)

Twenty years after appearing in the World Baseball Classic for Cuba, Ramirez is back at 44 years old. He is set to play first base this time around.

Alexei Ramirez MLB career

Ramirez, who earned the nickname "The Cuban Missile," had a nine-year MLB career, making his debut in 2008 and making his last appearance in 2016. 

He primarily played for the Chicago White Sox, initially playing center field and finishing as the runner-up in 2008 AL Rookie of the Year voting. He still holds the major league record for most grand slams in a rookie season with four.

Ramirez would transition to shortstop and become a productive big-league player, winning two Silver Slugger awards and making one All-Star appearance. Known for his slim physique with some power, he would total 115 career home runs and 590 RBIs.

After stints with the Padres and Rays, Ramirez left MLB after the 2016 season and joined the Mexican League in 2018. He confirmed his retirement in 2020, but in 2024 competed for Pinar del Rio in the Cuban National Series. Now, he's making a WBC return at 44 years old.

Who is the youngest player in the WBC?

The youngest player on the 2026 World Baseball Classic rosters is Joseph Contreras on Team Brazil. He is a 17-year-old pitcher, born in May of 2008. He is a Vanderbilt commit, and considered one of the top prospects for the 2026 MLB Draft.

Contreras isn't the only young player on Brazil's roster, as the team has 17-year-old pitcher Pietro Albanez and 18-year-old catcher Enzo Hayashida as well. 

Per MLB.com, there have been seven players to appear in a WBC game before turning 18, four of which were pitchers. The last time a player age 17 or younger appeared in a WBC game was when Brazil’s 16-year-old Daniel Missaki pitched for the team in 2013.

Joseph Contreras draft projections

Contreras stands at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, per Baseball America, and is a right-handed pitcher considered to be a strong prospect for the upcoming 2026 MLB Draft. It's incredibly rare for a high school prospect to be pitching in the WBC, but Contreras will be doing it as a commit to Vanderbilt.

MLB.com has Contreras ranked as its No. 47 prospect in the draft. Per ESPN, Contreras was ranked as the No. 35 prospect for the 2026 draft; his mother was born in Brazil, which is why he's competing for the nation in the WBC. The biggest question about Contreras is his "quality of his primary breaking pitch," as he has thrown a mid-80s slider, but is now throwing an 88-91 mph cutter, per ESPN. Contreras' fastball sits around 94-98 mph, but he has hit 99.

The 17-year-old is being projected as a starter someday, per ESPN, but the "industry is still split on Contreras to a degree."

Where is Joseph Contreras from?

Joseph Contreras is from Alpharetta, Georgia, and attended Blessed Trinity Catholic High School.

His father was born in Cuba, but his mother was born in Brazil, which is why he's competing for Brazil in the WBC.

Brazil will face the U.S. in pool play of the 2026 WBC, so as one of the top young arms for the 2026 draft, he could have the chance to face a collection of MLB All-Stars.

Who is Joseph Contreras dad?

Part of the appeal of Contreras' ceiling as a draft prospect is also his lineage. His father is former MLB pitcher Jose Contreras, who spent time with the Yankees, White Sox, Phillies and more from 2003-13.

The elder Contreras was named an All-Star in 2006, won a World Series with the White Sox in 2005 and competed for the Cuban national team in the Summer Olympics, the Pan American Games and the Baseball World Cup; he's regarded as one of the best Cuban baseball players ever.

Is Joseph Contreras related to William or Wilson Contreras?

No, despite having the same last name, Joseph Contreras is not related to current MLB players William and Wilson Contreras, who are brothers.

Read full story at source