While the baseball world anticipates a World Baseball Classic showdown between Team USA and Team Japan, the hungriest nation in the tournament is quietly preparing to crash the party.
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Among the 20 teams competing in the biggest baseball international event in less than a week, the Dominican Republic is one of the three teams to have already won the favorite title, other than Japan and the USA. After their 2023 disappointment, analysts dubbed the Manny Machado-led nation as the “hungriest” for the WBC glory.
“They (Dominican Republic) are motivated, they are loaded, they might have the best WBC lineup in history. And I think they really wanna flip the script because they have the motivation and talent to do it. There’s a clear top tier of teams – the US, Japan, and Dominican Republic as the top three. I think the D.R. is far and away the hungriest of those three this year,” noted Mike from Stark Raving Sports in a collaboration with Jim Riley’s BALLCAP Sports.
In the last WBC edition, the D.R. faced an early exit, failing to qualify in the quarters. They lost to Venezuela and Puerto Rico by a combined score of 10-3 while playing in Pool D, labeled as the “group of death.” This year, too, they will play in Pool D, but with comparatively easier teams.
They will be competing against Venezuela, the Netherlands, Israel, and Nicaragua.
The Dominican Republic boasts having the most Major League players outside the USA since 1995.
General Manager, former big leaguer, Nelson Cruz has put together a team that can be a notice to the USA and Japan. They are not to be taken lightly, with some of the MLB bests in the roster.
They have a powerhouse of talent featuring a lineup of Fernando Tatis Jr, Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Manny Machado, and others. The lineup is bolstered by a rotation of Sandy Alcantara and Christopher Sanchez. While former Mets top prospect Amed Rosario is the utility man, the young Marlins catcher Agustín Ramírez has a chance to break out in the WBC. And with former three-time MVP Albert Pujols as their manager, this is a team set to dominate the world stage.
The country is in the hunt for another WBC title after 2013.
According to the analysts, “They make up for not getting out of the group in 2023 by winning the whole thing in 2026.”
Much of the team’s hope rests on the shoulders of its stars, and perhaps none more so than Fernando Tatis Jr, who already has a message for the competition.
Fernando Tatis Jr. has a message for Shohei Ohtani ahead of the WBC
Fernando Tatis Jr. has a responsibility to take the Dominican Republic to the top this year.
With Shohei Ohtani in the squad, Team Japan is always a formidable power. And in an interview with Dominican journalist Yancen Pujols, Tatis Jr. made his thoughts known about Shotime.
“Credit where credit is due. Shohei Ohtani is the best player in the world right now. But even he can’t play all nine positions or bat nine times in a game.”
Valid point indeed, especially with Ohtani not pitching this WBC.
The San Diego Padres star also showed confidence in his countrymen ahead of the championship. He is not bothered by the other teams, keeping his focus on winning the glory back for his country.
“It’s a team sport. Honestly, with the team we have, I’m not afraid of anyone. My respect to them (Team Japan). I give them full respect and honor where it’s deserved. Team USA is undeniably stacked, too, but Team DR carries unmatched preparation and a relentless work ethic, leaving almost no flaws on the field.”
The 27-year-old right fielder logged 25 home runs and 71 RBIs across 155 games last season. He recorded a batting average of .268 and an .814 OPS.
No matter what happens, we will definitely be in for a fight of equals this year!