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Nationals hire new general manager
On Friday, FOX 5 spoke with the newest member of the Nationals front office — their general manager, 31-year-old Ani Kilambi. He is the latest young leader that team owner Mark Lerner is turning to as he looks to rebuild the franchise.
WASHINGTON - The World Baseball Classic tees off this week, with 20 teams fighting for the world title.
The Washington Nationals will be sending just two players from camp to the tournament. Neither will represent the U.S.
Here's who the Nats are sending to the tournament:
Harry Ford of Team Great Britain.(Photo by Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Great Britain
- C Harry Ford
Ford is the No. 3 prospect in the Nationals' organization, after coming over from the Seattle Mariners. He will rep Great Britain for the second time in 2026. In 2023, at just 19 years old, he led the team in hits, home runs and RBI.
SUGGESTED: Nationals announce 31-year-old Ani Kilambi as new general manager
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Matt Mervis #35 of the Washington Nationals poses for a photo during the Washington Nationals Photo Day at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 20, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/ …
Israel
- 1B Matt Mervis
2026 is Mervis' first in Washington, but it will be his second time participating in the World Baseball Classic. Mervis recorded just one hit for Israel in the 2023 WBC. In 42 games for the Miami Marlins last year, he hit .254 with 7 home runs and 14 RBI.
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Other Nationals connections
Dig deeper:
The Nationals' new manager, Blake Butera was the bench coach for Italy's 2023 WBC team.
When does the 2026 World Baseball Classic start?
What's next:
The official start date of the World Baseball Classic is March 5. But, because the first game is in Tokyo, which is 14 hours ahead of Washington, the first game between Chinese Taipei and Australia is at 10 p.m. on March 4.
Team USA's first game will be against Brazil on March 6 at 8 p.m. on FOX.
The Source: Information in this story is from Baseball Reference, Major League Baseball and the Washington Nationals.