The Dominican Republic, which is set to field one of the strongest lineups in its World Baseball Classic history, has added even more firepower with commitments from several top pitchers.
On Friday, Nelson Cruz confirmed to Dominican reporters that Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta will pitch for the Dominican Republic at the World Baseball Classic. A few days earlier, Seattle Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo confirmed in Loma de Cabrera, Dominican Republic, that he had received permission from the Mariners to participate in the tournament. Castillo made the announcement during the unveiling of the town’s first artificial turf field, a project funded through an investment by Julio Rodríguez.
Peralta will pitch in the World Baseball Classic for the first time after declining to participate in 2023 while recovering from shoulder injuries sustained in 2022. He is coming off one of the best seasons of his Major League Baseball career in 2025, posting a career-high 176 2/3 innings, a career-best 2.70 ERA and 204 strikeouts. His performance was a key reason the Brewers finished with the best record in MLB at 97-65 and advanced all the way to the National League Championship Series. Peralta is expected to take on a leading role in the Dominican rotation as he toes the rubber for his country for the first time.
Castillo is another pitcher who declined to play for the Dominican Republic in 2023 and will now suit up for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Acquired by Seattle in 2022, Castillo has spent three and a half seasons with the Mariners and delivered another solid campaign in 2025. He recorded a 3.54 ERA in 180 2/3 innings with 162 strikeouts, helping the Mariners reach the postseason for just the second time since 2001. Seattle fell one game short of its first World Series appearance in franchise history.
Peralta and Castillo join Sandy Alcántara and Brayan Bello among starters who have received clearance to participate in the World Baseball Classic. Framber Valdez has also expressed interest in pitching, but his status remains uncertain as he enters free agency. Cristopher Sánchez has also indicated interest as well, athough his availability has not yet been confirmed.
The additions of Peralta and Castillo represent a significant boost for a Dominican rotation that has frequently been without its biggest names throughout the tournament’s history. In 2023, Valdez, Castillo and Peralta all declined to participate. In an elimination game during pool play against Puerto Rico, the Dominicans started 37-year-old Johnny Cueto, whose best seasons were already behind him. The lack of rotation depth proved costly as the Dominican Republic was eliminated in the first round for the first time since 2009.
With a rotation led by Peralta, Castillo and 2022 Cy Young Award winner Alcántara, this projects to be the strongest pitching staff the Dominican Republic has ever assembled in the World Baseball Classic, with the potential to improve further.
The pitching staff complements a lineup that includes Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ketel Marte, Geraldo Perdomo, José Ramírez, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Julio Rodríguez, forming one of the most stacked rosters in the tournament.
The Dominican Republic will compete in Pool D in Miami and open play March 6 against Nicaragua. The pool also includes Israel, the Netherlands and Venezuela. The top two teams will advance to the quarterfinals in Miami to face one of the top two teams from the Tokyo pool. With a potential matchup against Samurai Japan looming for the second-place finisher, winning the pool will be critical—and the Dominican Republic appears well-positioned to do just that.
WBN Dominican Republic: https://worldbaseball.com/league/dominican-republic/
Photo: Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta throws against the Texas Rangers during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
