Joseph Contreras, 17, set to be youngest pitcher at 2026 World Baseball Classic
joseph contreras, a 17-year-old right-handed pitcher and Vanderbilt commit, will be the youngest player on Brazil’s roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, a stage that includes an opening pool game against the United States at Daikin Park in Houston with first pitch scheduled for 8 p. m. ET.
Contreras is the son of former big-league right-hander Jose Contreras and was born in the United States; his mother, Isabel, is Brazilian. He played high school baseball in Georgia, stands 6-foot-4, and announced his commitment to Vanderbilt in September 2025.
Joseph Contreras brings a mid-90s fastball to Brazil's roster
Listed as one of the premier high school arms for the 2026 MLB Draft, Joseph Contreras reaches the mid-90s with his fastball, a trait scouts have highlighted as part of his projection as a future starting pitcher. He will wear Brazil’s uniform as the tournament’s youngest rostered player, giving him an uncommon platform to show his stuff against major-league competition.
A rare high-school call for a World Baseball Classic roster
Brazil last participated in the World Baseball Classic in 2013 and carries less established MLB or MiLB depth than powerhouses like Japan, the United States or the Dominican Republic. The decision to include a high-schooler like Joseph Contreras underscores the team’s need for high-end arms and creates an opportunity for a 17-year-old prospect to pitch on a global stage.
Brazil will open pool play against the United States at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, with first pitch set for 8 p. m. ET. That matchup gives Contreras the chance to face a lineup filled with major-league talent, an immediate test that could shape perceptions ahead of the 2026 MLB Draft.
Major-league clubs are already watching: scouts from the Toronto Blue Jays have evaluated the Georgia high school right-hander as he prepares for Brazil’s WBC games. Contreras’s pedigree — the son of José Contreras, who spent more than a decade in MLB — and his ladder of measurable traits have made him one of the top prep names to follow this spring.
Joseph Contreras’s inclusion on Brazil’s roster and his commitment to Vanderbilt tie together two clear paths for the right-hander: college development at a flagship program and a prominent audition on the international stage. Which route he pursues beyond the WBC will be visible once Brazil’s pool play begins and his outings are recorded against major-league competition.
Brazil’s opening game against the United States at Daikin Park is the next confirmed event on the schedule for Contreras and his teammates; that game’s 8 p. m. ET first pitch will be the first concrete measuring point for scouts and college coaches watching the 17-year-old right-hander.
