The oldest player in WBC history just became the oldest player in WBC history to have tested positive for banned substances. The 44-year-old slugger represented Cuba in the 2026 event and was also an Olympic champion at the 2004 Athens Games.

MLB had left the steroid era behind by the early 2000s. But a veteran player testing positive with the same again, and that too, in an elite tournament like the WBC, proves there’s more work left. For now, the baseball world is once again hit by the doping allegations.

“Alexei Ramirez tested positive for four anabolic steroids at the World Baseball Classic. The 44-year-old set the record for the oldest player in WBC history,” Talkin’ Baseball shared via X.

According to a notification by the International Testing Agency (ITA), Ramirez’s sample was taken during the 2026 WBC. Banned substances like mesterolone, methandienone, oxandrolone, and stanozolol have been found. They are all classified under section S1.1 (Anabolic Androgenic Steroids) of the 2026 Prohibited List by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

These are “prohibited at all times, both in and out of competition, and are considered non-specified substances,” ITA further added in their official statement.

Reportedly, the substances found in Ramirez’s sample help in building muscle mass and strength. Something the 44-year-old might have used to get going in the WBC. However, the worst part was that Ramirez’s sample simultaneously detected four anabolic substances, which suggests continuous use. Still, as the result is out now and proven, we assume an imminent stringent repercussion.

According to Article 7.4.1 of the WBSC anti-doping rule, any athlete found with these substances will be subjected to a mandatory provisional suspension, even though the athlete could still appeal.

For Ramirez, he could appeal and request another sampling, and if the new sample concludes the same result, the violation of doping rules will stay confirmed. And punishment? As per the anti-doping code, Ramirez will be subject to a minimum 4-year suspension. That means he could only return to action by 48.

While Ramirex represented Cuba in the last WBC, the doping charges against him mean a lot for MLB as well. Notably, Ramirez had played in MLB for 9 years, which includes stints with the White Sox, Padres, and Rays. He made his MLB debut in 2008 with the White Sox and was the runner-up for the Rookie of the Year award. In the next few years, Ramirez went on to win an All-Star selection and 2x Silver Slugger awards.

Ramirez played his last in MLB in 2016 and played across different leagues after that.

So, Alexei Ramirez’s doping charges are renewing the debate around the usage of banned substances in MLB.

Alexei Ramirez’s charges proved an uneasy truth in baseball

Doping charges against baseball veterans like Alexei Ramirez proved how baseball is still far away from being free from any banned substances. And we can’t help but recall the 2025 event with Jurickson Profar. The Braves outfielder was suspended for 80 games last year following a positive test for Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), a performance-enhancing substance.

However, he tested positive again later, which left him with a 162-game suspension in MLB. And the list goes on.

The Phillies’ Max Kepler received an 80-game suspension in January 2026 for testing positive for Epitrenbolone. Then another Phillies player, Johan Rojas, was suspended for the first 80 games of the 2026 season due to a positive test for Boldenone.

So, with so many repeated instances, the main question that arises is why the players are risking their careers. The answer lies in MLB’s guaranteed contracts.

MLB guaranteed contracts ensure that players are paid even if they are suspended for performance-enhancing drugs. So, while PED suspensions are unpaid, the guaranteed nature of the deals means players do not lose the bulk of their contract value. Players juicing up and putting some insane figures means they are fetching fat contracts before getting tested positive.

But Ramirez was not in any MLB contracts. Still, the charges against him proved that baseball needs to travel long to eradicate this menace.