D.R. has hit some of the most electric home runs we've ever seen

MIAMI -- This Dominican Republic lineup is all-time. And so are its home run celebrations.

Juan Soto, Ketel Marte, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr. all crushed monster home runs in the heavyweight bout between the D.R. and Venezuela on Wednesday night at the World Baseball Classic, which the Dominican team won, 7-5, to claim the top spot in Pool D. Those four homers came with epic bat flips and home run trots that pushed the crowd noise in Miami to eardrum-shattering decibel levels.

"It starts with who we are," Tatis said. "It starts with our culture. In the Dominican Republic, it's what we grow with, and what we've seen, and how we feel, how we dance. It's all a credit to the Dominican Republic, and who we are as a person."

Soto, who opened the scoring with a vintage two-strike home run in the first inning, spun his bat high in the air after walking with it halfway to first base.

Marte finished his home run swing in the third with a flourish and then flung the bat in the direction of the D.R. dugout.

Vlad Jr. bent over and watched frozen in the batter's box as his home run later in the same inning carried just over the left-field wall, then spiked his bat to the ground.

And Tatis, who capped the Dominican home run barrage in the fourth, had barely finished the follow-through of his swing when he sent the bat twirling up and out of his hands -- an instant-classic bat flip -- and stomped his way toward his own dugout and finally peeled off to start his home run trot.

"I thought that was fire," Soto said with a laugh. "I had the best seat. I was right there in the hole, just watching from the best seat in the stadium. And then you see the ball go like that, he's fired up, the bat is flying all over the place. It's really cool. It's really cool to see it -- and I just feel like I have done that too. It's just like, whatever he does, I feel like he's myself. And I enjoy it just like it is me."

On all four homers, the D.R. sluggers saluted the crowd as they circled the bases. On all four homers, their teammates spilled out of the dugout in a mini-mosh pit as the balls sailed out of the park.

Soto pounded his chest as he approached first base. Marte threw his hands in the air to pump up his team and the fans. Guerrero turned to scream at his teammates in triumph and high-five them before breaking into his trot. And Tatis leaped in the air as he rounded third base and headed for home.

"I think that's everything -- having fun out there," Soto said. "Definitely we respect the game, too, but we have to have fun. I think that's when the best of you comes out … I think that's why we have really good players here. That's why we have guys that are really emotional -- because they play for their countries and they're having fun and they see the crowd and everything. I think it brings everything out of you."

Tatis enjoys watching his teammates' home run celebrations as much as doing his own. When Soto started the party for the Dominican Republic, Tatis saw a bat flip and celebration worthy of … well, Tatis.

"It feels like looking in the mirror," Tatis said. "We definitely have some loud bat flips. But we enjoy each other. We enjoy watching and playing baseball with each other. And now being able to be on the same team, and with the quality of the team that we have, we're definitely enjoying our moment, and we're planning on doing something special."

No team at the World Baseball celebrates a home run like the Dominican Republic.

Soto's home run trot took over 32 seconds. Marte's took 26. Vlad Jr.'s lasted nearly 35. And Tatis' took 28.

Guerrero and Soto's home run trots against Venezuela are the two longest of the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The D.R. has the four longest of the tournament, and eight of the top 10 -- including five lasting over 30 seconds. The only non-Dominican player with a home run trot that long is Ozzie Albies, on his walk-off homer for the Netherlands against Nicaragua.

Longest HR trots of the 2026 WBC:

1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (D.R.): 34.58 seconds vs. Venezuela
2. Juan Soto (D.R.): 32.38 seconds vs. Venezuela
3. Juan Soto (D.R.): 32.31 seconds vs. Netherlands
4. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (D.R.): 31.78 seconds vs. Netherlands
5. Ozzie Albies (Netherlands): 31.20 seconds vs. Nicaragua
6. Junior Caminero (D.R.): 30.50 seconds vs. Netherlands
7. Oneil Cruz (D.R.): 29.09 seconds vs. Nicaragua
8. Pete Crow-Armstrong (USA): 28.63 seconds vs. Italy
9. Julio Rodríguez (D.R.): 28.58 seconds vs. Nicaragua
10. Fernando Tatis Jr. (D.R.): 27.96 seconds vs. Israel

"In the regular season, I don't think you're going to see anything like what we're doing here, but I think everybody understands it, you know," D.R. manager Albert Pujols, who starred in an era of MLB when dramatic bat flips and home run celebrations were far less common, said the day after the game. "I don't have any problem with that, and I'm sure other people don't have any problem.

"Do we do it more than others? Yes. Does it mean that we care more? No. That's our culture and that's who we are. We don't want to change who we are [in] this tournament."

Funnily enough, both Tatis and Soto zeroed in on a different member of the team as having the best home run celebrations: Caminero, the 22-year-old newcomer on the roster.

"We have really good candidates on our team, but I feel like the loudest and the one that people are enjoying because it's brand new -- it definitely has to be Junior Caminero," Tatis said.

"Oh, 100%," Soto agreed. "I think Junior, he's just, he's so loud. It's funny to watch."

Vladdy, thinking it over the next day, couldn't pick his favorite bat flipper.

"It all depends on the situation, basically. For example, Tatis yesterday, he was a big one -- he threw the bat even before the ball even left the park," Guerrero said. "We all celebrate our homers in a different way. We all want to do our job and to show who we are. We try to transmit the energy. No matter who hit the homer, we all celebrate."

There are a lot of good options to choose from. The Dominican Republic has now mashed 13 home runs through four games of the World Baseball Classic, most of any team in the tournament. And there's no home run like a Dominican home run.

"It's because we're Dominican," said starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara (who, after witnessing all four home runs against Venezuela, thought Tatis' was the best). "That came from inside us. We have that energy inside, and we always celebrate like we're happy, man."