U-18 Baseball World Cup alum Patrick Silva signs for MLB's Philadelphia Phillies

Italian slugging first baseman Patrick Silva signed a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He will start his professional career in the Dominican Republic.

"It's my childhood dream becoming true," said Silva in a video posted by the Italian Baseball Softball Federation (FIBS) on Facebook. "I've spent countless hours on the field. Hard work is the only way to the top. My next goal is to make the [Phillies] roster in the Dominican Summer League."

Born in 2009, Silva grew up in Vercelli and has represented Italy since the 2019 U-12 European Championship. After helping his country qualify for the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup 2024, he led the lineup going 13-for-27 (a .481 batting average) with two triples, three doubles and seven RBIs. His performance earned him a spot on the tournament's All-World Team.

He represented Italy at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2025 where, despite being 16, he started eight games and will be eligible for the 2027 edition.

Silva, who turns 17 next month, has already debuted in the Italian Serie A with Settimo Baseball.

Italy now has nine players under contract with MLB organisations. The other eight are: Nicolò Pinazzi (26, left-handed pitcher, Los Angeles Angels), Matteo Marelli (19, right-handed pitcher, New York Mets), Giacomo Taschin (19, left-handed pitcher, Toronto Blue Jays), Filippo Sabatini (18, right-handed pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies), Williams Wong (20, infielder, Texas Rangers), Alessandro Ercolani (21, right-handed pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates; he is a dual citizen Italy/San Marino) and Samuel Aldegheri (24, left-handed pitcher, Los Angeles Angels).