The Dominican Republic’s national baseball team concluded its World Baseball Classic (WBC) ranked third. Its journey in the semifinal round secured US$3 million in prize money for its performance in the tournament’s sixth edition. The Dominican Republic ended winning Pool D and a first game in the quarterfinals against Korea, but then lost to the United States (2-1).
The WBC comes with a US$4.5 million award to the winner that will be decided between Venezuela and the United States on Tuesday, 17 March 2026.
Beyond the financial gains, the Dominican Republic achieved a major competitive milestone by securing a spot in the 2028 Olympic Games to be held in 2028 in Los Angeles, USA. This will mark the fourth time the nation participates in Olympic baseball. Previous appearances include Los Angeles 1984 (as an exhibition sport), Barcelona 1992, and Tokyo 2020, where the team famously captured the bronze medal.
Official 2026 WBC payout structure
According to the WBC tournament regulations, the earnings are divided equally, with 50% going to the players and the remaining 50% allocated to the Dominican Baseball Federation (FEDOBE) for upcoming projects and events.
In the tournament payout breakdown, the DR earned US$300,000 as Participation Fee; US$300,000 for winning Pool D; US$400,000 for advancing to the quarterfinals and US$500,000 for advancing to the semifinals, for a total US$1.5 million for its base performance. Another US$1.5 million were added in Participation Pool distributions and commercial revenues shares, effectively doubling the revenues won by the Dominican Republic.
Per the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) agreement, exactly $1.5 million (50%) will be distributed among the 30-man roster and coaching staff. The other US$1.5 million (50%) goes to the affiliated federation (FEDOBE) for national baseball development.
Managed by MLB legend Albert Pujols, the “Plátano Power” squad erased the memory of a disappointing early exit in 2023. The roster featured a constellation of Major League stars, including Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado, Junior Caminero, and Ketel Marte. The Dominican offense was the story of the early rounds, racking up 51 runs in their first five games and setting a new home runs record of 15 runs.
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El Nuevo Diario
17 March 2026