Team Dominican Republic will host a two-game exhibition series against the Detroit Tigers at Santo Domingo’s Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal.
The matchups will take place on 3 and 4 March 2026 at the Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in Santo Domingo, marking the first time the Dominican national squad has hosted a Major League Baseball (MLB) club on home soil.
The series serves a dual purpose: providing a final tune-up for the Dominican “Dream Team” before they head to Miami for Pool D play and acting as a memorial event. The games are dedicated to the victims of the 8 April 2025, tragedy at the Jet Set nightclub; as part of the initiative, MLB and promoter UEPA will make donations to the Dominican Red Cross.
The matchups:
Game 1: Tuesday, 3 March at 6pm (Local/AST).
Game 2: Wednesday, 4 March at 3pm (Local/AST).
Roster highlights
Manager Albert Pujols will have a star-studded roster at his disposal, including names like Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Fernando Tatis Jr.
To ensure depth during these exhibition games, several stars from the Dominican Winter League (Lidom) have been called up to assist. This group is led by veterans Junior Lake, Sócrates Brito, and Mel Rojas Jr., along with pitchers Enny Romero and Jimmy Cordero.
Team DR general manager Nelson Cruz emphasized that this platform is a way to showcase what baseball means to the country while honoring those lost in the JetSet Club roof collapse. The sister of Nelson Cruz, Nelsy Cruz was one of the victims in the tragedy on 8 April. At the time of her death, she was serving as the governor of Montecristi province and was the first to alert President Luis Abinader of the tragedy as she was one of more than 500 at the Ruddy Perez merengue concert that evening. The official investigation reveals marked negligence on behalf of the owners of the club and the overloading of the roof.
Following these exhibition games, the Dominican Republic will play Nicaragua in the opening commitment in the WBC tournament on 6 March in Miami, Florida.
26 February 2026