Dante Nori had a standout WBC, which could lead to a big year in the Philadelphia Phillies organization.
Several of the Philadelphia Phillies’ stars left camp in Clearwater, Florida, to compete in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The most notable of those players were Aaron Nola, Bryce Harper, and Kyle Schwarber.
However, there were other players in Philadelphia’s organization who participated in the tournament, including No. 7-ranked prospect Dante Nori.
“Participated” might not be strong enough to describe what Nori did over the last few weeks. Not only did he play for Team Italy, but the 21-year-old excelled, helping his national team go on a Cinderella run to the semi-finals and setting himself up for a breakout year in the Phillies organization.
Nori was arguably Italy’s top hitter during their run, which included upsets over teams such as Team USA and Team Puerto Rico. He finished with a .400/.435/.750 slash line, including a pair of home runs and a double.
Nori’s strong tournament even gained the attention of Alex Rodriguez, who called the Phillies prospect a future star; “Dante Nori, do not forget that name.”
Mar 7, 2026; Houston, TX, United States; Italy left fielder Dante Nori (16) bats during the third inning against Brazil at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn ImagesAfter Italy fell to the eventual winner in Team Venezuela, Nori was reassigned to Minor League camp, where he’ll continue to prepare for the 2026 season, but that doesn’t mean his momentum needs to stop here. After the WBC, the Phillies should be extremely encouraged about his development for the upcoming season.
Even manager Rob Thomson commented, "He’s performed very well at a pretty high level. I don’t know where he’s going to start the season, but he’s a guy to think about... I don’t know what the plan is for him, but jeez, he was pretty impressive in that tournament.”
Nori was originally selected by the Phillies in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft. Since then, he’s shown some flashes at the plate, such as his stint at High-A last summer before being promoted to Double-A at the end of the season, but the organization has never seen anything like this from him since joining the organization.
In Nori’s two-year Minor League career, he owns a .259/.367/.363 slash line. By no means is that bad for a developing player, but Nori found a new gear in the WBC, and hopefully, he can build on that in 2026 and beyond.
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