Bradley Marcelino at the 2021 European Championships in Piedmont, Italy
(Paul Stodart/Great Britain Baseball)
The British Baseball Federation and Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks have today confirmed that British Baseball Hall of Famer Bradley Marcelino will lead Great Britain Baseball at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Great Britain will play in Pool B in Houston, Texas, from 6-14 March 2026, against the United States, Italy, Brazil and Mexico.
Marcelino was born in Essex, England, and made his Great Britain Baseball debut in 1999 at the European Championships, with his GBR playing career spanning 14 years through the 2013 World Baseball Classic Qualifier.
A second-generation British baseballer, with his father Oscar also serving as both a player and coach for Great Britain, Marcelino was elected to the British Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018. and holds multiple all-time Great Britain Baseball records: 1st in games played, 1st in runs scored, 1st in hits, 3rd in RBIs. His collegiate/professional playing career took him to the US and internationally and he retired in 2013.
As a coach, Marcelino was an integral part of the GBR staff at the 2017 and 2022 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers, as well as the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He has served as the hitting coach/bench coach on multiple European Championship teams, under former managers Drew Spencer and Liam Carroll, and was a member of both European-silver-medal-winning Great Britain teams – in 2007 as a player, and in 2023 as a coach.
Marcelino will make his managerial debut for Great Britain at the 2025 European Baseball Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands, from 20-27 September 2025.
Marcelino is currently the hitting coordinator for the Arizona Diamondbacks, leading the hitting department. He has served as a hitting coach for a number of teams, including the Tacoma Rainiers (AAA) in the Seattle Mariners organization. Marcelino was an integral part in recruiting Mariners prospect and current Rainiers player Harry Ford to the Great Britain Baseball roster.
“I am excited to lead the national team as it has been part of my family history for a long time. My parents (Betty and Oscar) made a tremendous sacrifice to give me a chance to be part of this great game, said Marcelino.”
“A lot of people to be thankful for in this journey including all of my former coaches, teammates, staff and a special thank you to Gary Anderson and Alan Dean for giving me this opportunity. All of this is not possible without the support of my family (Johanna, Clayson and Easton). I am excited for this chapter, how we will grow the game in the UK and continue to build momentum with Great Britain Baseball”
“When we were considering who the best person to lead Great Britain at the World Baseball Classic, Brad was our first choice, “said Performance Director Gary Anderson. “His experience with the programme and alignment with the team’s performance objectives uniquely qualifies him for this role in such an important competition. With Brad leading the team, I am confident that Great Britain will be in the best possible position to continue the programme’s upward trajectory and prove that GBR belongs amongst the world’s best teams.”
“We are delighted that Brad will be leading Great Britain Baseball at the 2026 World Baseball Classic in March next year,” said Richard Evans, President of the British Baseball Federation. “He has a very strong connection to the programme and brings a wealth of experience at the highest level to the role.”
The World Baseball Classic is sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) as the sport’s official National Team World Championship. This is Great Britain’s second appearance at the WBC, following their debut at the 2023 edition. For more information, please visit mlb.com/world-baseball-classic.
For the latest news and notes from GB Baseball at the 2025 European Baseball Championships and World Baseball Classic, make sure to follow Great Britain Baseball on Facebook, gb_baseball on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, TikTok at @gbbaseball, and on the British Baseball Federation Website, britishbaseball.org.uk.
– #LetsGoGB –