How Are Aaron Nola, Vinnie Pasquantino, More Able to Play for Italy? WBC Eligibility Rules Explained

This year's World Baseball Classic features players representing their native countries, but there are also a handful of American-born players representing other squads.

Aaron Nola and Vinnie Pasquantino are among the 21 players on Italy's team who have played in MLB and were born in the United States, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.

The WBC allows players to play for countries other than the one in which they were born. According to the official rules, a player must be a citizen of the country, be a permanent legal resident, be born in the country, have at least one parent born in the country, or have satisfactory documentary evidence that they would be granted citizenship or a passport to that country.

For Pasquantino, playing for Italy meant the chance for the Kansas City Royals first baseman to honor his family.

"As selfish as this sounds, it's the one kind of opportunity to play for the name on your back," Pasquantino said, per Ardaya. "I don't mean yourself, I mean play for your family. For your heritage and to just be proud of that."

Specifically, Pasquantino gets the chance to represent the place where his grandfather was born.

"My grandfather won't shut up about asking me about Italy," Pasquantino said.

Pasquantino and the other Americans playing for Italy surely made their families proud on Tuesday when they downed a Team USA squad headlined by Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and other stars.

Italy led by eight through five and a half innings before the American squad got back into it. The United States ultimately fell short of the comeback, though, losing 8-6 after Judge, the team's captain, struck out in the bottom of the ninth.

Jac Caglianone, an American-born prospect for the Royals, led the way for Italy as he went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.

The loss for Team USA meant that its hopes of making the tournament relied on Italy beating Mexico, or Mexico beating Italy and scoring more than five runs.