WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — When the Houston Astros open their 2026 season on March 26, Zach Dezenzo may well be watching from Triple-A Sugar Land. The Astros’ infield remains crowded, roster spots are limited, and his path to everyday at-bats in Houston is complicated by circumstances largely outside his control.
For the past two weeks, though, none of that has mattered.
Dezenzo has been living a different kind of baseball life—one where espressos appear after big hits, suits are worn to the ballpark, and his grandfather’s homeland is cheering him on from across the Atlantic.
Dezenzo is one of two Astros players representing their heritage in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, wearing the blue and white of Team Italy while the tournament has unfolded—fittingly—in Houston. Batting fifth and playing third base, he has quietly contributed as Italy has evolved from an intriguing underdog into a legitimate semifinalist.
His tournament began with Italy’s opener against Brazil. Playing in his home ballpark at Daikin Park, Dezenzo opened the scoring with an RBI single that helped set the tone for an 8-0 victory.
Against Great Britain, he tripled and later scored on a throwing error during another convincing Italian win.
Then came the shocker. Italy stunned the United States 8-6 in pool play, one of the signature upsets of the 2026 World Baseball Classic, and by that point Dezenzo had established himself as a steady presence in the middle of the lineup.
Italy kept the momentum rolling Saturday, defeating Puerto Rico 8-6 in the quarterfinals at Daikin Park to advance to the semifinals in Miami, the deepest run in the country’s WBC history.
The team has done it with style as well as substance: suits arriving at the ballpark, celebratory espresso shots, and a roster that has grown more confident with each win.
For Dezenzo, the experience carries a deeper connection. His eligibility comes through his grandfather, whose Italian roots he honors each time he pulls on the Azzurri uniform.
It’s exactly the kind of story the World Baseball Classic was built to showcase: a player from Ohio who went undrafted out of high school, worked his way through the Astros’ system, and now finds himself performing on an international stage in his own home ballpark.
His Astros future will sort itself out.
The raw ability has never been the question. Dezenzo’s elite exit velocity and double-plus raw power project him as a potential 25-plus home run hitter in the big leagues. Whether Houston finds him a role in 2026 or he continues refining his game at Triple-A Sugar Land, the organization understands the upside.
For now, though, Dezenzo heads to Miami with a Team Italy club that has captured the imagination of a sport still growing across the country—and the attention of baseball fans far beyond it.
