Third baseman Mark Vientos will likely be suiting up with the Dominican Republic for the World Baseball Classic in 2026. According to Nicaraguan reporter Fernando Rayo, Vientos is not expected to join Nicaragua’s team for the Qualifiers in February.
Vientos’ mother was born in Nicaragua, while his father was born in the Dominican Republic, giving him the eligibility to represent both teams. Vientos was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, but was raised in New York. He would eventually attend high school in Pembroke Pines, Florida. The New York Mets then selected him in the second round of the 2017 MLB Draft. Vientos is also eligible to represent the United States and Puerto Rico. His paternal grandfather (his father’s father) was born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.
The 25-year-old infielder made his debut with the New York Mets in 2022. Between his first two seasons with the Mets, he played 81 games with a .205 average, hitting ten home runs with 25 RBIs.
Entering the 2024 season, the Mets went with Brett Baty out of Spring Training, sending Vientos down to Triple-A. He would be called back up in May and never looked back. Playing in 111 games, Vientos hit for a .266 average, hitting 27 home runs, driving in 71 RBIs, and adding 22 doubles. He would also help the Mets into the postseason, where his bat continued to be clutch, hitting five home runs, 14 RBIs, and.327 in his first career postseason. The Mets would lose to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.
Many fans might ask if a player can represent two teams during the World Baseball Classic. The short answer is yes. In 2022, Ronald Medrano represented Spain at the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers but would go on to represent Nicaragua for the 2023 WBC. It could still be a possibility that Vientos could play for Nicaragua in February, but he will likely be with the Mets for Spring Training.
If Mark Vientos wanted to, he could pull a Ronald Medrano
WBC rules allowed Medrano to play for 2 different countries in the same WBC cycle:
????????Spain – 2022 WBC Qualifiers
????????Nicaragua – 2023 WBCVientos could help Nicaragua qualify for the WBC, then play for the DR in the WBC pic.twitter.com/GgYaNOOwUW
— Shawn Spradling (@Shawn_Spradling) January 8, 2025
