Northville’s Nori to compete for Italy in World Baseball Classic
Dante Nori, a 2024 graduate of Northville High School, has been selected to play for Team Italy in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
Former Northville High School baseball star Dante Nori is having a grande start to his professional baseball career.
Grande is Italian for great — an adjective that fits Nori’s early production with the Philadelphia Phillies farm system — and beginning Friday for Team Italy in the much-anticipated World Baseball Classic.
At just 21, Nori is among the youngest WBC players, who include players like Aaron Judge and Tarek Skubal, both of whom are on Team USA’s roster.
Speed to burn
Currently ranked as the No. 7 Phillies prospect by Baseball America, Nori stole 52 bases last season in the minors and his plate discipline — he has a sterling 19.3 swing-and-miss rate and has drawn 91 walks in 537 professional at-bats — has been outstanding.
Nori was the Phillies’ No. 1 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.
He finished last season for the Phillies’ Double-A affiliate Clearwater and put up solid numbers in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .308 with one home run, seven RBI and two steals in 44 plate appearances.
Team Italy opens WBC play Saturday and Sunday against Brazil and Great Britain.
Italy is scheduled to face Team USA March 10 at Daikin Park in Houston.
