Every Tigers player participating in the World Baseball Classic (and fans' worry level)

In just a couple of short weeks, the 2026 World Baseball Classic will be upon us. It is both a thrilling and nerve-wracking time as the drama and high level of competition will enthrall us, but the risk of injury will be heightened. The Detroit Tigers will be sending off a number of representatives, with 11 guys ranging from stars to deep-cut backups, getting sent off to represent various countries.

For some of these minor players, the WBC represents an opportunity to get a larger workload than they may have in camp, giving them the opportunity to turn heads. For the established players, the risk-reward calculation changes dramatically. We've seen seasons derailed or seriously delayed by injuries suffered in the tournament before, and there are certain players who could put the Tigers' season in peril should the worst-case scenario come to pass.

Here are the 11 Tigers players who will be suiting up in the 2026 World Baseball Classic

Of the 11 players who will be participating, seven different countries will be represented. For some of these guys, they'll be the stars of their respective countries' teams. Here's the full list:

One quick note: Will Vest is part of Team USA's designated pitcher pool, meaning he could be called up to the active roster as a replacement after the tournament's first round.

In some cases, we're happy that some of these guys get a shot to take the global stage. Players like Enmanuel De Jesus, Woo-Suk Go, and Carlos Lequerica are getting better opportunities to show off their skills by participating in the spectacle than they would by staying in camp. However, there are others that have us feeling varying degrees of unease.

Ranking the Tigers WBC players who have us worried, from least to most concerning

6. Hao-Yu Lee

Hao-Yu Lee is one of the dark horse candidates to make the Tigers' Opening Day roster as a versatile infield chess piece. One of the Tigers' top prospects, he has a leg up due to the fact that he's on the 40-man roster, though he's likely behind Arizona Fall League breakout star Max Anderson in the pecking order.

The Tigers are fortunate to have good infield depth, but regardless of whether or not Lee breaks camp with the big league club, the 2026 campaign will be a crucial one for his development. Detroit is hoping he can turn the signs of promise into a true breakout, but suffering an injury in the tournament would set him back.

5. Keider Montero

Keider Montero's importance as an innings-eating swingman was vital to Detroit last season, and if you asked us a few weeks ago, he might rank higher on the concern meter. The additions of Framber Valdez, Justin Verlander, and Drew Anderson throughout the offseason have beefed up the starting pitching depth chart. Still, you can never have too many arms, so there's still some concern with Montero's participation.

4. Jahmai Jones

It might sound funny to be worried about a guy who only tallied 150 plate appearances last year, but what Jahmai Jones does for the Tigers isn't easily replicated. Serving primarily as Kerry Carpenter's caddy against southpaws, Jones executes his role exceptionally well. He might play sparingly, but he has positional versatility, and his .287/.387/.550 line last season shows he can have a big impact even with minimal playing time.

3. Gleyber Torres

Here is where the worries start to grow. On the one hand, it's exciting that Gleyber Torres will get a few weeks to work with Tigers legend Miguel Cabrera, who is serving as Team Venezuela's hitting coach. On the other hand, an injury to Torres could be catastrophic.

Torres posted a superb .281/.387/.425 line in the first half, helping Detroit to a sizzling 59-38 start. However, he played through a sports hernia injury in the second half and saw his production drop to .223/.320/.339 as a result. As he pointed out, when he stopped hitting, the Tigers stopped winning as their historic collapse truly accelerated over the final month of 2025.

The Tigers have other options for second base, but in a lineup full of free-swinging power hitters, Torres' plate discipline and contact prowess are rare skills that are of the utmost importance.

2. Kenley Jansen

One of Detroit's earlier moves, the addition of Kenley Jansen, was celebrated as an important step towards solidifying a bullpen that was far too erratic in 2025. While he isn't as dominant as he was at his peak, the 38-year-old closer can still lock down the ninth with regularity.

There are a lot of miles on that right arm, and you'd ideally like for him to ease into 2026. That won't happen as he will be one of Team Netherlands' biggest stars. An injury to Jansen will essentially mean the Tigers will be rolling out the same bullpen they did for much of last year. That's a scary proposition.

1. Tarik Skubal

This is obvious. The Tigers' season might be over before it begins if Tarik Skubal were to go down during the WBC. It will be thrilling to watch him and Paul Skenes tear through lineups as the world's best two pitchers will be united in a patriotic quest for greatness.

But the Tigers have $32 million reasons why any injury, even if it's not a long-term one, would be a disaster. We'll be holding our breath with each pitch he throws, even if he's already limited himself to just one start.