Yadier Molina will return as the manager of Team Puerto Rico for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
As announced by the team on Wednesday, Molina will be Puerto Rico’s manager for the second straight WBC after guiding the nation to the quarterfinals of the 2023 tournament.
Molina, a 10-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion and one of the best defensive catchers of any era, participated in each of the first five World Baseball Classics for Puerto Rico, four as a player. He was a leading member of the teams that finished as the WBC runner-up in 2013 and 2017 to the Dominican Republic and the United States, respectively.
The 2026 WBC begins on March 5. The following day, Team Puerto Rico, which ranks No. 9 in the world, will open its tournament run against Canada. Those squads are joined in Pool A by Colombia, Cuba and Panama. All games in Pool A will originate from Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor will serve as Puerto Rico’s captain, also reprising his role from 2023.