Chicago Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon will pitch for Canada at the World Baseball Classic, he announced Wednesday evening on social media.
“Excited to put on the uniform and represent my family and our Canadian roots!” Taillon said as part of a post on X announcing his decision.
Honored (Honoured?) to play for @baseballcanada in the World Baseball Classic! Excited to put on the uniform and represent my family and our Canadian roots!
— Jameson Taillon (@JTaillon50) January 7, 2026
The 34-year-old right-hander was born in Lakeland, Fla., and went to high school in Texas, but both of his parents are Canadian and he holds dual citizenship.
Taillon was 11-7 with a 3.68 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 129.2 innings pitched last season spread out over 23 starts. He is a veteran of nine big-league seasons, split between the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees before he joined the Cubs on a four-year contract after the 2022 season.
Taillon has represented Canada before on the international stage, donning the Red and White at the 2013 World Baseball Classic as a 21-year-old. He did not pitch at the most recent WBC in 2023.
Taillon has a 3.87 ERA in 224 career regular season MLB outings.