Phillies prospect Dante Nori makes WBC history for Team Italy

On a Saturday in Houston where Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Aaron Judge were all playing under the same roof, the most impressive individual performance of the day belonged to a 21-year-old Phillies prospect with zero MLB experience batting ninth for Team Italy.

Dante Nori went 3-for-3 with two home runs as Italy shut out Brazil 8-0.

He became the first player in Italy’s WBC history to hit two home runs in a single game. Also the first with three extra-base hits and 10 bases reached in a game. The kid wrote himself into the WBC record books on Saturday and he blacked out for both of them.

Dante Nori HR No. 1

Italy’s No. 9 hitter Dante Nori hits the team’s first home run of this World Baseball Classic! pic.twitter.com/h2K8k42SHP

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 7, 2026

Dante Nori HR No. 2

It's a 2-homer game for Team Italy's Dante Nori! 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/DNBEZsQoAF

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2026

“The home run, blackout, I don’t remember either one, to be honest,” Nori said. “Kind of just blacked out right around the bases. No, it’s something special. And just the feeling is unbelievable.”

Both were no-doubters. 420 feet to right-center in the seventh. 395 feet in the eighth. One on a 75 mph curveball. One on an 85 mph slider. The kid is not just slapping singles around. He has real power upside, which is exactly what makes him interesting as a prospect.

After each homer he went back to the dugout and took an espresso shot. That was Vinnie Pasquantino’s idea. Nori does not like coffee. He took the shot anyway.

Dante Nori Espresso Celly

Dante Nori homers for Team Italy and takes an espresso shot to celebrate ☕️#WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/46rv7u43vZ

— Milb Central (@milb_central) March 7, 2026

The 27th overall pick in the 2024 Draft out of Northville High School in Michigan, Dante Nori had a strong first full professional season in 2025.

He hit .261 with a .361 on-base percentage, walked 75 times against 85 strikeouts, stole 52 bases, and climbed from Single-A Clearwater all the way to Double-A Reading. Then hit .308 in the Arizona Fall League.

His high school coach compared him to Lenny Dykstra, which is exactly the kind of compliment you want for a 5-foot-9 guy who gets on base at an elite clip and makes life miserable for pitchers.

Dante Nori is currently ranked the seventh prospect in the Phillies system and is likely to start 2026 back at Double-A Reading. The Phillies just graduated Justin Crawford to the majors. If Nori keeps developing at this rate, he could be the next homegrown center fielder in the pipeline.

Saturday against Brazil is not a measuring stick for what he will do against big-league pitching. That is fair. But two opposite-field bombs on offspeed pitches from a 21-year-old with no professional experience above Double-A tells you something real about the bat.

The Phillies saw it. Italy is seeing it now. The rest of baseball is starting to pay attention.

Dante Nori will be back with the Phillies for Spring Breakout later this month. He is going to show up with a lot more confidence than he left with.

Phillies’ top three prospects remain focused on The Show, but the 2026 Spring Breakout is still worth watching >>

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