The Dominican Republic has completed its preparation for the World Baseball Classic and its first game will be against Nicaragua on 6 March 2026 in Miami, Florida. The DR team last won a championship in 2013 and has not made the quarter finals since. Millions and countless hours have been directed to put together a team and expectations are high that the trophy will be won.
As the final preparation, the Dominican Republic’s national baseball squad, dubbed the “Dream Team,” wrapped up a highly anticipated two-game series of World Baseball Classic warm-up exhibition games against the Detroit Tigers at the Quisqueya Ball Park in Santo Domingo this week. A first game on 3 March 2026 gave fans a glimpse of the firepower on the Dominican roster. It ended with a crowd-exciting 12-4. The second game on the next day ended with a tie of 4-4 and served as the final tune-up before the team traveled to Miami. For local fans, it was a lifetime chance to watch the MLB greats all together.
It was also the first time the Dominican Republic national team has hosted a Major League Baseball franchise on home soil. US Ambassador Leah Francis Campos attended the game and spent time with the famous players, El Dia reported.
The first game on 3 March had thrilled the fans, especially when in the bottom of the 4th inning, Juan Soto and Manny Machado hit back-to-back home runs and then Junior Caminero followed with a solo shot to right field, completing the historic “back-to-back-to-back” sequence.
Following the two successful warm-up games, local media outlets, including Noticias SIN, El Nuevo Diario, and El Día, described the squad as “aceitada” (well-oiled) and fully prepared for tournament play. However, the team did hit one potential speed bump during preparations: shortstop Jeremy Peña suffered a finger injury during defensive drills and required an MRI to determine his availability moving forward. Meanwhile, Japan’s most famous player, Shohei Ohtani said that while practice is good, rest is also important. Japan holds three WBC titles and is the team to beat as it goes for its fourth trophy.
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5 March 2026