The 2023 World Baseball Classic is scheduled to begin in less than a month, and the New York Mets are expected to be well-represented at the tournament. Here is a rundown of the Mets that will and won’t be playing for their respective countries in the WBC.

Infielders Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil were selected to be a part of the team for the United States. Newly-signed Met and relief pitcher Brooks Raley will be there for USA as well, adding a left-hander to their bullpen. Relief pitcher Adam Ottavino, who represented Italy at the WBC back in 2009, will be a part of the United States team this time around.

Shortstop Francisco Lindor and relief pitcher Edwin Díaz will be playing in the tournament for Puerto Rico, managed by former St. Louis Cardinal and future Hall of Famer Yadier Molina. Both Lindor and Díaz were on the Puerto Rico team in 2017 that finished as the runner-up to the United States. They are joined by Mets pitching prospect Dominic Hamel on the Puerto Rican team. 

Catcher Omar Narváez and infielder Eduardo Escobar will both be representing Venezuela at the WBC, neither of which played in the 2017 tournament. Mets right-handed pitcher Elieser Hernandez is part of Venezuela’s designated pitching pool.

Starting pitcher José Quintana will be heading back to the World Baseball Classic to represent Colombia for the second time. 

Minor league pitchers Cameron Opp will be joining Great Britain at the WBC, and right-hander Claudio Scotti will be representing the Italian national team. He [Scotti] will not be joined by center fielder Brandon Nimmo though, who played for Italy back in 2017. Nimmo has chosen to stay in camp down in Port St. Lucie. Another notable name on Team Italy is former Met Matt Harvey.

Minor leaguers Humberto Mejia and Jonathan Arauz are playing for Panama.

“We are excited and proud that they are going, but they can’t come back and be way behind,” New York Mets manager Buck Showalter said Tuesday in Manhattan at the 43rd annual Thurman Munson awards dinner, benefiting the AHRC New York City Foundation.

While Showalter has his concerns about the timing of the tournament, he is certainly excited for those will be playing in the WBC. “You worry when guys start their clock up that quickly, but [the WBC] is good for the game, I am told, and that is the bottom line. It enhances our game globally and I support it, but I am looking at it selfishly from what’s best for the New York Mets.”

Outfielder Starling Marte, who is recovering from off-season core surgery, will miss the tournament.

The Mets will host Team Nicaragua on March 8 and Team Venezuela on March 9 at Clover Field in Port St. Lucie for exhibition games.

The WBC gets underway on March 8 with Pool A games taking place in Taiwan. Pool B then starts on March 9 in Japan, Pool C. The last two Pools, Pool C in Phoenix, Arizona, and Pool D in Miami, Florida will both start on March 11.