Multiple Ex-Seattle Mariners Highlight Upcoming WBC Support Staff For Dominican Republic
The 2023 World Baseball Classic met all the hype and then some.
Team Japan won the Gold Medal against Team USA, with the final at-bat coming down to Shohei Ohtani striking out his then-Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout. Not only was it an amazing battle between teammates, it was a face-off between two players who both have had an argument over the last decade as being the face of baseball.
It'll be difficult for the 2026 World Baseball Classic to exceed the 2023 iteration of the international tournament, but it's also likely to feature many recognizable stars. Many of those stars will have ties to the Seattle Mariners.
Julio Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, Teoscar Hernandez, Ketel Marte, Diego Castillo and Jean Segura are among the current, former or future Mariners to play for the Dominican Republic in the WBC.
Many of those players could return to the team in 2026. But the Seattle ties won't be limited to the active roster, it'll extend to the staff, too.
Former Mariner Nelson Cruz competed on the team in 2023 and also served as General Manager. On Monday, he announced the operations staff of the 2026 team. Former Seattle players Adrian Beltre and Edwin Encarnacion were among the group, which also included David Ortiz, Vladimir Guerrero Sr., Albert Pujols, Pedro Martinez and Juan Marichal.
Nelson Cruz announced the following members of his Dominican Republic Operations staff for the 2026 World Baseball Classic 🇩🇴
— Shawn Spradling (@Shawn_Spradling) December 2, 2024
Albert Pujols
Adrián Beltré
Juan Marichal
Pedro MartÃnez
Vladimir Guerrero
David Ortiz
Edwin Encarnación
🎥: @Martinrodrivpic.twitter.com/P9bJRyT8AZ
Cruz played with the Mariners from 2015-18, Beltre from 2005-09 and Encarnacion in 2019.
The Dominican Republic has had the second-most MLB players on their five previous WBC rosters, second to the USA. They've placed in the top four twice and won the Gold Medal in 2013.
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