The 2026 World Baseball Classic is finally here, and with it comes the familiar debate: where should players’ priorities really lie — with their MLB teams or with the WBC?

Well, we’ve already seen a few big names lean toward their MLB commitments. Guys like Cody Bellinger and Roki Sasaki chose to skip the WBC to focus on their club responsibilities. But this time, the momentum might be shifting a bit.

The Yankees’ newest prospect, Elmer Rodríguez-Cruz, is set to miss the rest of spring to suit up for Puerto Rico in the WBC. While it’s obviously a dream-come-true moment for him, not everyone sees it that way. Just like Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay, who thinks it’s the wrong move.

“Please explain to me, it makes sense he’s leaving the Yankees on Sunday so he could play for Team Puerto Rico in the WBC… I love the WBC… But I don’t understand: when you’re a kid who’s trying to make a team, you decide I’m going to leave the team for two weeks. I’m gonna go pitch for my home country doesn’t make sense to me.” Kay shared his no-nonsense take via ESPN.

According to Kay, the WBC might be marketed as baseball’s premier global event, but at its core, he sees it as an MLB-driven business venture. A way to grow the brand internationally, rather than something on the level of the Olympics. From his perspective, that means a player’s top priority should always be MLB!

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Online reaction made one thing clear: fans aren’t buying Kay’s take. One user bluntly told him, “You’re so wrong on this one,” calling the WBC baseball’s version of the World Cup, and one of the only times stars truly play for their country.

Another took a sharper jab, saying, “I get your point, boomer,” while arguing that elite international competition can actually help a young player grow. Bottom line, the flak was real, with plenty of fans pushing back on the idea that MLB should always come before national pride.

Now, Kay’s argument feels even stronger when you look at how Rodríguez-Cruz has opened his spring. The 22-year-old was impressive in the Yankees’ Grapefruit League opener, giving up just three hits across three scoreless innings, striking out one and not issuing a single walk. So, with that kind of start, Kay believes the young right-hander could be setting himself up for a bright future in New York.

So Kay questions why Rodríguez-Cruz would choose to head to the WBC and risk injury, especially when he has a real opportunity to make noise with the Yankees right now. One injury on the international stage could derail all that early momentum.

However, for Rodríguez-Cruz, it’s about something bigger. Representing Puerto Rico on home soil, in front of his family, is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. That kind of emotional pull is hard to ignore.

Kay sees it differently.

In his view, Rodríguez-Cruz should focus on establishing himself with the Yankees over the next few years. Build your career, secure your place, and then one day play in front of your family at Yankee Stadium; that’s the smarter path. After all, while someone like Shohei Ohtani, the face of MLB, could survive a two-year pitching gap following his post-2023 WBC injury, a young prospect doesn’t necessarily have that same safety net.

The Yankees have a mixed ratio of players in the WBC 2026

The Yankees have a mixed participation rate in the WBC. Some of their veterans are all in, even though they’re the faces of the franchise. Others have decided to sit it out.

For example, Cody Bellinger reportedly chose to skip the WBC out of loyalty to the Yankees. After the team showed its faith in him with a five-year commitment, Bellinger made it clear where his priorities lie. From that standpoint, it looks like a calculated and smart decision.

Aaron Judge, though, is a completely different case. For years, he stayed away from the WBC. But this time, even with the Yankees’ World Series hopes heavily resting on his shoulders again, he’s embracing the challenge, and not just participating, but captaining Team USA!

However, according to Kay, the difference is simple: Judge has nothing left to prove. He’s already established himself as one of the biggest stars in baseball, so taking that kind of gamble isn’t as risky for him. If anyone can afford it, it’s Judge. But for a young prospect who’s just getting started, that same gamble could carry much bigger consequences.