Dante Nori returned to his regular duties with the Philadelphia Phillies on March 19, following a notable showing for Italy in the World Baseball Classic. Nori participated in a Minor League game against Blue Jays prospects at Carpenter Complex, where he played before a small crowd after recently performing in front of thousands.
Nori’s recent experience at the World Baseball Classic has drawn attention due to his strong performance. He was the only player without Major League Baseball experience named to the All-Tournament team, hitting .400 with two home runs and six RBIs. “We were joking about it in the morning,” Nori said about returning to minor league play. “Hey, welcome back, you go from 40,000 [fans] to left field on [Robin] Roberts [Field]. So we were joking about it, but I was excited to see the guys again. I left [for the Classic] right before the majority of them came [to camp]. The high is still there, just coming off that success we had as a team. But it’s ordinary. You remember it. You’re back to the ground level.”
Nori is currently ranked as the Phillies’ No. 7 prospect by MLB Pipeline and is expected to start this season with Double-A Reading, though he could advance quickly through Triple-A Lehigh Valley. His name has been mentioned by Phillies manager Rob Thomson as a potential option for center field depth following Johan Rojas’ suspension for performance-enhancing drugs.
Reflecting on his time at the tournament, Nori said: “Nothing really sped up on me… Honestly, as much as people say I’m lying, it felt normal.” He also described memorable moments such as homering twice against Brazil and participating in team traditions like taking espresso shots after home runs—despite not liking coffee: “You see the steam coming off it and you just knew right away it was going to hurt.” Bryce Harper commented on Nori’s future with the organization: “Obviously, he’s going to be a guy for this organization… He’s knocking on the door… So it’ll be a lot of fun to watch.”
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Looking ahead, Nori hopes his recent momentum will carry into future opportunities with both club and country: “I haven’t really settled down,” he said. “You’re still on that adrenaline rush… You’re like, ‘Hey, I can hang with the best in the world.’”
