A proud moment for Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs, playing for Team Israel, has been soured by controversy, according to an uneasy update from his wife, Evyn.

Stubbs turned heads during an exhibition game against the Marlins, scoring an RBI triple in the top of the fourth inning to lift his team to a 1-0 win. But off the field, his decision to represent Israel in the WBC has come with an unfortunate cost.

“Evyn Stubbs is on Instagram complaining about receiving hate because her husband plays on Team Israel.”

One Philly fan account posted Evyn’s Instagram story on X and wrote the caption.

Around a month ago, when the World Baseball Classic X account announced the full Team Israel roster, users swarmed the comment section to criticize Garrett’s decision, citing the ongoing turmoil around the world. Yet, the pride in Evyn’s voice for her husband was visible.

“I really am so proud of Garrett. I love how proud he is to be Jewish. I am proud that he is Jewish,” shared Evyn on her story.

With that, Evyn called out the trolls to come out in public, while acknowledging the “good people” on the internet for their support. She also emphasized that despite all the backlash, Stubbs would play for Israel in the WBC.

Meanwhile, Team Israel is betting big on Stubbs.

The WBC in 2017 was magical for Israel. They won against the Netherlands, South Korea, and Chinese Taipei. It all started in their first game in Pool A, where they stunned host nation South Korea with a tight 2–1 win. That victory set the tone, and Israel went on to sweep the pool despite having very low expectations.

They carried that momentum into the quarterfinals in Japan, where they defeated Cuba 4–1 to improve to 4–0 in the tournament. However, their impressive run eventually ended after losses to the Netherlands and Japan.

This time, with MLB names like Garrett Stubbs, Team Israel is hoping to go deeper.

In the Spring Training, Stubbs is already hitting at an average of .273, which definitely makes his WBC presence even more hopeful.

Plus, his 2023 WBC was a show in itself.

Stubbs had hit a game-winning, two-run double against Nicaragua that ultimately clinched Israel’s automatic qualification for the 2026 tournament!

Now, in 2026, Garrett Stubbs has joined a few other MLB names for Team Israel.

Garret Stubbs will get a few more MLB names on his side in the WBC

Harrison Bader and Dean Kremer will also be joining Team Israel.

Last year was a strong one for Bader.

He split the season between the Twins and the Phillies and ended up posting the best numbers of his career, hitting 17 home runs and driving in 54 RBIs. Now, if he can carry that kind of momentum into the WBC, Team Israel could see some extra fireworks in the lineup alongside Stubbs.

With Stubbs and Bader helping power the offense, the next big question is Israel’s pitching.

Kremer becomes an important piece of the puzzle there.

He is coming off a busy 2025 season in which he posted an 11–10 record with a 4.19 ERA across 31 appearances. While those numbers might not jump off the page, they do show durability. Also, experience against major league hitters could come in handy in a tournament setting.

If these MLB players on the roster can perform at the WBC, Israel could be in position for its best finish in tournament history.