The Italian American Baseball Foundation revealed that Ned Colletti will serve as the general manager for Team Italy at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Colletti’s appointment was revealed at the yearly CON-X baseball and softball convention in Rimini, Italy.
Colletti has worked as a general manager for multiple MLB teams over the years. At the beginning of his career, he was employed in public relations for the Chicago Cubs in 1982. He ultimately served as the assistant GM for the San Francisco Giants, where he was for 11 seasons.
Colletti served as the GM for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006 to 2014. During his nine seasons with the team, Colletti’s efforts helped the Dodgers achieve five playoff appearances and three National League Championship Series berths.
In 2015, Farhan Zaidi took his place. Zaidi managed the franchise until 2022, when the current Dodgers GM, Brandon Gomes, assumed control.
Team Italy advanced to the quarterfinals in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Nevertheless, the team eventually fell 9-3 to Team Japan. Team Japan, featuring many of MLB’s top Japanese-born stars, won the tournament by defeating Team USA 3-2 in the final match.
Colletti, a native of Chicago, Illinois, is of Italian-American descent. Colletti announced his employment on Instagram and attributed his success to his grandparents’ immigration to the United States 135 years ago.
In addition to Colletti, Team Italy appointed ex-MLB catcher Francisco Cervelli to take over as the team’s manager from Mike Piazza.
Cervelli was born in Venezuela, although his father hailed from Italy. The MLB veteran with 13 seasons under his belt played for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic in 2009 and 2017.
Team Italy placed ninth at the 2023 European Championships, marking the first occasion the nation did not secure a medal since 2007. The team’s unusually low position led to Piazza’s replacement.
Even though the World Baseball Classic is 15 months off, possible tournament rosters for Italy in 2026 have already been anticipated. Present Dodgers outfielder Michael Conforto and ex-Dodgers second baseman Cavan Biggio are included among players anticipated to represent Italy in the tournament.
Drawing on his experiences and achievements in the Major Leagues, Colletti will have the opportunity to assemble a skilled Italian team, potentially including both former and current Dodgers players.
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