Nelson Cruz made a major announcement on Monday as the former major leaguer is now the general manager of the Dominican Republic World Baseball Classic team.
He served the role for the 2023 World Baseball Classic and is at the helm for 2026 when the event rolls around again.
Cruz revealed the operations staff for the Dominican team in 2026, which includes former big-name MLB players such as Albert Pujols, Adrián Beltré, Pedro Martinez, Vladimir Guerrero, and David Ortiz.
The #DR operations staff for the #WBC has been announced https://t.co/HmkeyHvlRR
— World Baseball Network (@WorldBaseball_) December 3, 2024
In 2023, the Dominican Republic finished 3rd place in pool D. It was the first time they had failed to advance past the group stage since 2009. The losses they suffered included defeats against Venezuela and Puerto Rico.
Currently, the WBSC ranks the D.R. 11th overall in the world, sitting between Cuba and Australia, ranking 10th and 12th, respectively.
For the 2026 WBC, the Dominican Republic will again be in pool D and play at LoanDepot Park in Miami from March 6 to 11. The other teams in the pool include Venezuela (third in the WBSC), the Netherlands (seventh in the WBSC), and Israel (19th in the WBSC).
