Want your shot at history? Famous prop from Team Italy's Classic run up for auction

Unlike “Michael’s Secret Stuff” from “Space Jam,” the elixir propelling Team Italy to the 2026 World Baseball Classic semifinal was pretty well-known — even before Vinnie Pasquantino mashed the first three-home-run game in tournament history.

After each of Pasquantino’s trots around the diamond, he marched into the dugout to pour himself a bit of espresso. As the team barista, he did so after each of his teammates’ long balls, too.

Now, the general public has its shot at owning this year’s famous prop.

Team Italy’s espresso machine is listed on MLB auctions. As of publication of this article Thursday, the current bid sat at $970. The auction will run through Monday (March 23) at 8 p.m. ET. All net proceeds from the sale will benefit the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center.

The machine has been authenticated for use in Italy's pool-play win over the United States, the quarterfinal win over Puerto Rico and the semifinal loss to Venezuela. It features Team Italy’s letter “I” logo on each side, three WBC logos, player number decals and a sticker that reads “Baseball isn’t boring.”

Italy only started using espresso shots as a home run celebration this year, but the presence of an espresso maker in the dugout dates back to the 2023 Classic. And this time around, it helped the Azzurri make its deepest run in tournament history.

First-time manager Francisco Cervelli quickly caught onto the tradition.

“It goes everywhere with us,” Cervelli said. “It’s something normal. We got it on the bus. We’ve had it in the dugout, everywhere.”

Others weren’t so quick to appreciate the taste, such as Phillies No. 7 prospect Dante Nori. But a two-homer game against Brazil was a good shock to the tastebuds.

“I do not like coffee, so it did not taste great,” Nori laughed postgame. “The first one especially, I was like, ‘Ugh.’ But the second one, kind of liked that one a little bit more.”