Phillies Bryce Harper USA Hockey World Baseball Classic

The USA Hockey gold medal game had Phillies Camp locked in and now it’s baseball’s turn

Drew Smith
February 23, 2026
Phillies
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The timing could not have been more perfect. Team USA’s Olympic gold medal game tipped off just after 8 AM Sunday, right as Phillies players were going through their morning clubhouse routines before the Spring home opener against Pittsburgh.

The big screen in the middle of the Phillies’ clubhouse was on. Guys were parked in front of their lockers and on the couches. Out on the field at BayCare Ballpark, the game was showing on the giant new video board as hitters took batting practice. The whole camp was locked in.

One of the most invested Phillies player in the building was Aidan Miller.

Aidan Miller is a big hockey guy, grew up going to Tampa Bay Lightning games, still gets on the ice for stick-and-puck in the winter, and has worn USA across his chest before. He won gold at the 15U World Cup event in 2019 and silver three years before that.

He watched every Team USA game at these Olympics. Anxiously bounced around the facility during Sunday’s final, from the clubhouse to the trainer’s room to the weight room, and was back in front of the TV when Jack Hughes scored the golden goal in overtime.

Bryce Harper casually broke the Aidan Miller injury news before the Phillies did

“Winning gold is the greatest feeling in the world. You can’t even describe it,” Miller said. “You’re only there to win gold. You could see the Canadians getting their silver medals and they didn’t seem too happy even though finishing second is a pretty cool accomplishment. But everybody there wants to win gold.”

Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber were equally locked in, and for good reason. Both of them are leaving Phillies camp next weekend to join Team USA for the World Baseball Classic, with the first game on March 6.

Harper called it “incredible” during his in-game interview on the NBC Sports Philadelphia broadcast. “I’m so proud to be an American and so happy they were able to take over the hockey world for at least three more years.”

Bryce Harper on Instagram:

Schwarber admitted he does not watch a ton of hockey but made sure he caught this one. He was not disappointed.

It’s Harper’s first time playing in the WBC. For Schwarber it’s the second go-round after Team USA lost a heartbreaker to Japan in 2023 when Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout to end it.

He still does not know where his silver medal from that tournament ended up. Same energy as Miller. He went there for gold and came back with something else and it has bothered him since.

That’s the connection. Hockey just gave baseball the blueprint. Red, white and blue, gold or bust. Now it’s Schwarber and Harper’s turn to do something about it.