DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

In the 2026 World Baseball Classic anyone watching a Team DR match will see that when a player hits a home run is brought a special decorated jacket and a dumbbell made of plantains.

Plantains are a staple food in the DR, and the Dominican breakfast is mashed plantains with salami, cheese and eggs. The Dominican national food (aside from the sancocho stew) is rice, beans, meat and fried plantains.

But how did platano power get to become a symbol of national pride in baseball? In the high-stakes world of international baseball, symbols of national pride usually involve flags or anthems.

The answer is that the “Plátano Power” phenomenon evolved from a spontaneous dugout joke into a global brand of athletic excellence, serving as the definitive cultural calling card for Dominican players on the world stage.

The movement traces back to the 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC)...