Dodgers News: Julio Urias Expected to Lead Mexico WBC Team

The Dodgers pitcher looks forward to representing his home country.

As a Mexican-born baseball player, Dodgers pitcher, Julio Urias, does not shy away from his roots. His identity is deeply connected to both his culture and his profession, as he looks ahead to playing for his home country. 

Fellow Mexican pitcher, Rodrigo Lopez, played in the big leagues for 11 years across teams including the Padres, Orioles, Rockies, Phillies, Diamondbacks, and Cubs. Following his playing career, he now serves as general manager of Team Mexico for the World Baseball Classic.

When discussing WBC teams with MLB insider Jon Morosi, Lopez had nothing but high praise for Julio Urias. 

#Dodgers star Julio Urías is viewed as the captain of México at @WBCBaseball 2023, Rodrigo López, the GM of @MexicoBeis, told me on @MLBNetworkRadio.

When roster invitations went out, López said, Urías “was one of the first to raise his hand.”@MLBNetwork @MLBONFOX

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 2, 2023

Although there aren’t technically captains for WBC teams, Urias is fit for the role. Other notable players on the team are Alejandro Kirk, Randy Arozarena, and Alex Verdugo. 

Urias is a strong player to lead a team. During his career, Urias has already racked up significant accomplishments at 26 years old. In just the past two years, Urias has finished seventh and third in the Cy Young voting. He also led the National League with a 2.16 ERA in 2022, as the first Mexican-born pitcher ever to win an ERA title.

Julio has touched upon the importance of him playing for Team Mexico:

“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, to be able to represent the country and my team. … Even here, when we play at Dodger Stadium, I feel like it’s a part of little Mexico when I come out and pitch amongst all my fans out here. … [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 takes on his future responsibilities with pride. Now that he’s been in the big leagues for seven years, he is advancing at a steady pace. Adding on this leadership role will only help further establish him as an experienced player.

Team Mexico’s WBC experience begins March 11 on Chase Field in Phoenix. Fans can also look forward to watching Urias go up against Team USA on March 12.