Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Spencer Horwitz shares his passionate experience representing Israel in the World Baseball Classic.
Spencer Horwitz noticed a difference.
The Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman played for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic for the second time this year. The Israelis did not make it out of pool play in Miami, going 2-2 and finishing behind the Dominican Republic (4-0) and Venezuela (3-1).
Horwitz also played in the 2023 WBC. Compared to 2017, he felt there was more hype surrounding the event this time.
"I'd say back in 2023, it was definitely, I thought, just about winning," Horwitz told reporters on Thursday after returning to the Pirates’ spring training camp in Bradenton, Fla. "And now in 2026, it’s about more than just winning, but also growing the game. It felt like we were getting some serious national attention, and I think it's great for baseball."
"It’s very different. It’s truly back to the roots of baseball: playing for the love of the game and for family. That’s why many people play the game, and you can really see that passion in those guys."
While Horwitz is not a native of Israel—he was born in Timonium, Md.—he is of Jewish heritage. He was proud to wear the Team Israel jersey in these days of rising anti-Semitism, particularly because of Israel’s ongoing conflict with the Palestinians.
"We showed our pride in these troubling times," Horwitz said. "There are a lot of proud Jews out there, and I was proud to represent them. In baseball, we proved we can put together a pretty damn good team. There aren't many Jews in baseball, but we're a tight-knit group."
On the field, Horwitz went 4 for 16 with one home run. That homer came in the same game where Pittsburgh center fielder Oneil Cruz homered for the Dominican Republic, drawing a parallel between teammates.
"It was great," Horwitz said of matching Cruz. "We joked, made faces from the dugout. He's doing great, especially in the WBC, and all his offseason hard work is paying off."
Horwitz jumped right back into action for the Pirates on Thursday night, two days after Israel finished play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. He went 0 for 3 as the leadoff hitter in a 5-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves in a Grapefruit League game in Bradenton.
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