The World Baseball Classic will be held 5 to 17 March 2026 with the participation of 20 teams. The event has been held on five occasions yet the DR has only won the event once in 2013, but the intent this year is to bring the trophy home.
This time around, the Dominican Republic is taking action to best ensure a win. Nelson Cruz early on was appointed general manager. He had been the manager also in 2023. He has created an all-star committee – Juan Marichal, Pedro Martinez, Vladimir Guerrero, Adrian Beltre, David Ortiz and Edwin Encarnacion
These then chose Albert Pujols, fresh off winning the Escogido Lions Dominican Professional Baseball League championship and the Caribbean Series.
Pujols is working to build the best possible Dominican team.
The past WBC winners are:
2006, 2009, 2023: Japan
2013: Dominican Republic
2017: United States
10 March 2025