Tatis, Vlad Jr. among stars joining Team DR for Classic

The Dominican Republic is loading up its roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Four MLB stars recently joined Team DR: Fernando Tatis Jr., Oneil Cruz, Cristopher Sánchez and Sandy Alcantara.

On Wednesday, another big-time player was named to the squad, with Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. joining his countrymen, while White Sox reliever Seranthony Domínguez, free-agent first baseman Carlos Santana, Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello and Astros catcher Yainer Diaz were announced on Thursday.

The Dominican Baseball Federation announced that all nine players will represent the Dominican Republic at the upcoming Classic. The Dominican Republic begins play in Pool D of the World Baseball Classic on March 6 against Nicaragua at 7 p.m. ET at loanDepot park in Miami.

Tatis is coming off his third All-Star season for the Padres. He finished the year with 25 home runs and 32 stolen bases, the third 25-25 season of his career.

Cruz hit 20 home runs and tied for the National League lead with 38 stolen bases for the Pirates. He also set a Statcast-era record for the hardest-hit ball with a 122.9 mph home run on May 25.

Vlad Jr. just had one of the best seasons of his career, making his fifth straight All-Star team and leading the Blue Jays all the way to Game 7 of the World Series. Guerrero hit .292 with 23 home runs and an .848 OPS in the regular season, then hit .397 with eight home runs and a 1.289 OPS in the postseason.

Sánchez emerged as an ace for the Phillies, going 13-5 with a 2.50 ERA and 212 strikeouts in 202 innings. The left-hander finished as the runner-up for the NL Cy Young Award to the Pirates' Paul Skenes.

Alcantara is a former Cy Young Award winner and two-time All-Star, and although the Marlins ace had an up-and-down return from Tommy John surgery in 2025 -- going 11-12 with a 5.36 ERA and 142 strikeouts in 174 2/3 innings -- he started to look like his old self down the stretch.

The 39-year-old Santana, who also played for Team DR in the 2013 and '17 tournaments, is still looking for a team for his 17th MLB season. He posted a .633 OPS for the Guardians and Cubs in 2025, when he was named Gold Glove finalist at first base.

Domínguez, 31, just signed a one-year deal with the White Sox on the strength of his strong 2025 season with the Orioles and Blue Jays, including a 3.18 ERA in 11 1/3 postseason innings during Toronto's run to Game 7 of the World Series.

The 26-year-old Bello, a native of Samana, D.R., posted a career-best 3.35 ERA last season with the Red Sox, projected by many to have one of the deepest rotations in the game in 2026.

Diaz, 27, owns a career 110 OPS+ over his three-plus seasons with the Astros, the eighth-highest mark among catchers in the Majors since 2023 (minimum 100 games).