Blessing? Headache? Either way, Team DR's Classic roster will be loaded
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ORLANDO – When it comes to the World Baseball Classic, the Dominican Republic is invariably mentioned as one of the favorites to win the tournament, along with heavyweights such as Japan and the United States. And with a roster of names that jump off the page for every WBC event, the Dominican club will now be managed by arguably the country’s greatest position player ever, Albert Pujols.
Perhaps the greatest challenge for the Dominican Republic is finding space on that 30-man roster for those that want to participate in the Classic, and then finding playing time for those that do make the cut.
For the 2026 WBC, one example of those challenges could be third base, with Junior Caminero officially on the roster, along with the expected presence of Manny Machado and José Ramírez.
“We’ve got three third basemen that can play right now,” Pujols said. “It’s about finding at-bats for the guys and finding ways to give ourselves the opportunity to make the most of their talent to win games. Right now, I can’t tell you, ‘I’m going to play Caminero at third and then at DH.’ We’ve talked about a strategy and that’s what we’ll execute day by day.
“I’m happy to have those guys, though. It’s a good headache to have so many superstars. Each one of them will have their moment, a high point to help us win.”
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Both Pujols and general manager Nelson Cruz have talked about the balance between the “blessing” and the “headache” that come with so much talent eager to contribute.
The Dominican club, between those confirmed, those awaiting final approval and those ultimately included on the roster, could consist of an infield puzzle of Caminero, Ramírez, Machado, Geraldo Perdomo, Elly de la Cruz, Jeremy Peña, Willy Adames, Ketel Marte and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The outfield could potentially be filled by a mix of Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Julio Rodríguez.
On the mound, Sandy Alcántara, Freddy Peralta, Cristopher Sánchez, Framber Valdez and Luis Castillo would be a formidable rotation, backed by a bullpen consisting of Carlos Estévez, Jhoan Durán, Bryan Abreu, Abner Uribe, Ronny Henríquez and Camilo Doval.
The names across the board speak for themselves. But the Dominican Republic has presented these types of rosters in the past, and since running the table to win the 2013 title, Team D.R. has gone just 6-4 in the past two tournaments, being eliminated in the second round in 2017 and in group play in 2023.
“The expectations are always high,” said Cruz, in his second stint as the club’s GM. “It’s almost impossible for them not to be when you talk about the Classic and our country.”
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The first step will be to advance to the second round from Group D in Miami, where the D.R. will face Venezuela, Nicaragua, the Netherlands and Israel.
As in past Classics, loanDepot park is expected to be electric for the tournament. And for Pujols, it will be an opportunity to strengthen his managing resumé after his debut in the dugout last year in the Dominican Winter League for Leones del Escogido, whom he not only led to a league championship, but also won the 2025 Caribbean Series in Mexicali, Mexico.
“The guys are professionals,” said Pujols of the eventual D.R. roster. “They know the responsibility we have to win. We didn’t do that well in the last Classic, so that may put more pressure on us. But in the end, it’s about representing your country.”