Dodgers: Julio Urias Honored to Represent New Team at WBC

Julio Urias called it a 'special thing' to be able to represent his home country at the World Baseball Classic.

The 2023 World Baseball Classic will have no shortage of Dodgers. From Trea Turner to Will Smith to Mookie Betts, the star-studded USA team will be loaded with L.A.'s finest.

But the US isn't the only country able to say that.

Team Mexico will be represented by the ace of the Dodgers and native of Culiacán, Mexico, Julio Urias.

This will be the first time Urias takes the mound for the team, but not for a lack of trying.

In 2017, at the age of 20-years-old, Team Mexico asked Urias to pitch for them. The Dodgers front office, who didn't want their up-and-coming star getting overworked in the offseason, denied him that opportunity.

But this time around, now that Urias is older and has proven to be one of the most durable pitchers in the league, his dream will come true.

“It’s going to be a very special thing for me, a very special moment for everybody, to represent Team Mexico. Mexico is everything for me," said Urias. "[My family] are all very excited, they’ve seen me wear the Team Mexico jersey when I was a child, but now they’re going to see me wear it professionally and they’re all very excited for me.”

Urias and the rest of the Dodgers have some work to do this season before they can start looking ahead to the World Baseball Classic, which begins next March.