If you are tuned into Saturday night’s matchup between Team USA and Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic, you might catch a familiar name batting eighth for Team GB.
That’s right, Trayce Thompson—probably better known as NBA star Klay Thompson’s younger brother—is suiting up for Great Britain at the 2026 WBC.
While his brother Klay has won an Olympic gold medal for Team USA in men’s basketball, Trayce has competed internationally for Great Britain in baseball for a few years now. He played in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and hit the first homer in Team GB’s WBC history off United States pitcher Adam Wainwright.
So, why is Trayce Thompson—born and raised in Los Angeles alongside his brother Klay—playing for Great Britain?
Why Trayce Thompson is playing for Great Britain at the World Baseball Classic
Thompson is eligible to play for Great Britain because his father, Mychal, is from the Bahamas, which is a former British colony and current Commonwealth realm. Mychal Thompson was born in the Bahamas and spent his childhood there before moving to Miami in high school, and going on to have an illustrious collegiate and NBA career.
Here is the eligibility rules that allow Trayce Thompson to play for Great Britain:
- The player has at least one parent who is, or if deceased was, a citizen of the Federation Team’s country or territory, as evidenced by a passport or other documentation satisfactory to WBCI
- The player has at least one parent who was born in the Federation Team’s country or territory, as evidenced by a birth certificate or its equivalent
What to know about Trayce Thompson’s baseball career
Trayce Thompson has carved out a solid career in professional baseball over the last decade-plus.
A second-round pick by the White Sox in 2009 out of Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., Thompson debuted for Chicago in 2015. He had a great first season—batting .295/.363/.533 with five homers—before he was traded to the Dodgers, and thus began his career as a journeyman.
Thompson last appeared in the big leagues in 2023.