Diving Deep Into World Baseball Classic Pool D

The rosters for the 2026 World Baseball Classic were announced earlier this month, so aside from changes due to injuries or insurance eligibility decisions, we now know who will be suiting up for each country when the tournament begins in early March. In this series of posts, you’ll find a team-by-team breakdown, with notable players, storylines to monitor, and speculation on the serious stuff, such as how the squad will fare on the field, as well as commentary on some of the less serious stuff, like uniforms and team aura.

If you missed the post covering Pool A, or you need a quick refresher on how the WBC works, you can catch up on that here. The post covering Pool B is right over here, and for Pool C click here.

The five teams competing in Pool D — Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, Israel, and Nicaragua — will play their games in Miami from March 6 to March 11. The two clubs with the best records after playing each of the other four will advance to the Knockout stage, where they will compete in a single-elimination bracket against the six teams that advance from the other pools.

In addition to breaking down the rosters, each team’s blurb will also contain a bit of a vibe check in two primary mediums — music and fashion. Since we’re talking national teams, I’ll be suggesting a secondary anthem for each squad, not as a replacement for any country’s actual anthem, but more of an informal, and very much impermanent alternative. Think of it as a song that speaks to the team’s energy in the current moment, while keeping in mind that the energy could change at any time. Then, on the “look good, feel good” front, we’ll check out the uniforms each team will sport this year and render a quick upgrade/downgrade judgement relative to their 2023 threads. The uniforms for the current iteration of the tournament were largely handled by Nike (Team Japan, with its uniforms made by Mizuno, is the lone exception), whereas in the past each individual country did its own thing. This means every team will have the same quality of uniform, but also that Nike is the one guaranteeing the quality, which could mean anything at this point. It also means less variation in uniform design, as it’s clear Nike used the same two templates for every team.

Venezuela

Full Roster

In 2023, Venezuela easily advanced out of pool play, but then lost a 9-7 shootout against the U.S. in the quarterfinals. Starting pitching was a key weakness of the 2023 squad, and the situation is, if anything, more dire this time around. During the last WBC, Luis Garcia (currently a free agent after dealing with elbow injuries the past couple of years) and Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo combined to throw 11 innings with a 1.64 ERA and 15 strikeouts. Neither is returning to the team for 2026, nor is Pablo López, who threw 4 2/3 innings with six strikeouts and one earned run in 2023. It was reported on Tuesday that López has a torn elbow ligament that may require surgery. The best pitcher left standing in Venezuela’s rotation is Ranger Suárez, who just signed a deal for five years and $130 million with the Red Sox. He was on the roster in 2023, though he did not pitch, and he can certainly pick up some of the slack this time around. Venezuela’s other starting options are a pair of Rockies (enough said), right-handers Germán Márquez and Antonio Senzatela, and Diamondbacks lefty Eduardo Rodriguez, who is coming off a couple of down years spent battling shoulder injuries.

That said, Venezuela has a killer bullpen, and based on the way the team deployed its pitchers in 2023, it won’t be afraid to use its relievers. During the last WBC, the team’s starters maxed out around four innings, and this year when manager Omar López make the call to the ‘pen, he’ll have at his disposal Mariners right-hander Eduard Bazardo, who is coming off a career-best season in which he threw 78 2/3 innings with a 2.52 ERA, and Cubs righty Daniel Palencia, who put up a 2.91 ERA over 52 2/3 innings in 2025, likewise his best season to date. They’ll join Phillies lefty José Alvarado, who pitched three scoreless innings for Venezuela in 2023. Last year, he served an 80-game PED suspension and also missed a couple of weeks in September with a forearm strain, but he appears to be healthy now, based on early reports out of Phillies camp. And should the team need length from the bullpen, Venezuela can also turn to Tigers swingman Keider Montero and Angel Zerpa, who is getting stretched out to possibly carry a starter’s workload with the Brewers after five seasons with the Royals.

Team Venezuela’s pitching staff also has the luxury of taking the mound in front of several stellar defenders. On the infield, there’s newcomer Maikel Garcia of the Royals, who ranked second in OAA among third basemen last year. Returning to the team is Andrés Giménez of the Blue Jays, who can play either second or shortstop. His defense was best summarized during the 2025 postseason, when former Guardians teammate Josh Naylor said, “[W]atching Gimi on defense is poetic.” Another new addition is Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, who was less dazzling in the field last year (perhaps due to suffering a hip contusion in April and an oblique strain in June), but he posted 99th-percentile range in 2024. In the outfield, the team is adding Red Sox Gold Glover Wilyer Abreu and Brewers center fielder Jackson Chourio, whose defense is aided by his 93rd-percentile sprint speed. They’ll play alongside Team Venezuela veteran Ronald Acuña Jr., who lacks range at this point in his career — that’s what happens when you have two ACL surgeries — but makes up for it with his 98th-percentile arm strength.

Though Venezuela’s lineup is losing two of it’s key contributors from 2023 — David Peralta, who slashed .357/.471/.500, and Anthony Santander, who posted a .353/.450/.882 line — neither the retired Peralta, nor the injured Santander was going to repeat his performance this year. Venezuela will also be without the leadership of veterans Eduardo Escobar and Jose Altuve, with the former no longer active and the latter denied insurance coverage. Now retired, Miguel Cabrera also won’t be on the roster, but he will serve as hitting coach.

Meanwhile, the additions to Venezuela’s position player group more than make up for the subtractions. Along with Garcia, Abreu, Chourio, and Tovar, the team is gaining Brewers catcher William Contreras and Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras. Hitters returning to the team include the aforementioned Acuña and Giménez, as well as Royals catcher Salvador Perez, infielder Luis Arraez (who signed with the Giants at the end of January), Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres, and third baseman Eugenio Suárez (who returned to the Reds, his team from 2015-2021, in early February).

Between the loud bats and silky smooth defense, as long as the pitching staff can keep the ball in the ballpark, Venezuela should have no problem making a deep run.

Uniforms Compared to 2023? Upgrade

Venezuela’s 2023 uniforms make the players look like sitcom teenagers working their first job at a fictional fast food restaurant, so even though the 2026 uniforms are nothing special, I prefer them to the ones that make it look like Torres is promoting a two-for-one deal on burnt corn dogs.

Secondary Anthem: “She’s Like the Wind” by Patrick Swayze

Despite its track record of producing big league talent, Team Venezuela has never made it to the finals of the WBC, and the team has only made one appearance in the semifinals. A deep run has proven elusive for Venezuela, like the wind, one might say. But sometimes the sweetest victories follow a lengthy stretch of obstacles and heartbreak. And if Team Venezuela does pull out a win this year, it can easily transition its anthem from “She’s Like the Wind” to “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” with Suárez hoisting Acuña into the air just like Swayze and Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing.

Dominican Republic

Full Roster

Team Dominican Republic would probably like to forget the 2023 WBC. Frankly, it was unacceptable for such a star-studded roster, representing a country that cares so deeply about baseball, to go 2-2 in pool play and fail to advance to the Knockout stage. But this year’s team is getting boosts on both sides of the ball. Whether or not more Dominican players are showing up to represent their country to avoid another result like 2023, manager Albert Pujols is surely grateful to have reinforcements.

Notable adds to the rotation include Boston’s Brayan Bello, who put up an ERA- of 78 over 166 2/3 innings in 2025, Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sánchez, who finished second in the NL Cy Young voting last year, and Luis Severino, who owns a career ERA- of 94 despite his down 2025 season pitching in Sacramento. Joining the bullpen are Abner Uribe of the Brewers, Dennis Santana of the Pirates, Carlos Estévez of the Royals, Huascar Brazobán of the Mets, and Edwin Uceta of the Rays. Uribe posted a 40 ERA- over 75 1/3 innings in 2025; Santana, a 51 ERA- over 70 1/3 innings. With an ERA- of 59 over his last two seasons, the 33-year-old Estévez has been significantly better than he was at any point during his 20s, and both Brazobán and Uceta are coming off above-average seasons, as well.

On offense, the Dominican Republic is picking up Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., and Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz. Guerrero is coming off a year in which he ran a 137 wRC+ during the regular season and a 241 wRC+ in 89 postseason plate appearances. In his first full season in the majors last year, the 21 year-old Caminero spent 653 plate appearances bruising baseballs with his 99th-percentile bat speed and 92nd-percentile hard-hit rate, resulting in a 129 wRC+. Perdomo finished fourth in the NL MVP voting and won the Silver Slugger at shortstop last year. Tatis used 2025 to post a ho-him (for him) 131 wRC+ while playing elite defense in just his third season as a right fielder. Meanwhile, Cruz — who, despite his leaderboard-topping bat speed, exit velocities, arm strength, and sprint speed, struggled at the plate and in the field at his new position — will be hard-pressed to see playing time on a stacked roster that is returning Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez.

Now, consider that those are just the players who didn’t suit up in 2023. Returning to the team are Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara, Yankees reliever Camilo Doval, Padres third baseman Manny Machado, Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña, Mets left fielder Juan Soto, and the aforementioned Rodríguez. All five of the position players on that list received MVP votes last year. Alcantara and Doval are both a few years removed from their best seasons, but they’re still legit big league pitchers. Not returning from the 2023 squad are Giants teammates Willy Adames and Rafael Devers, but where would Pujols even find at-bats for another shortstop and DH anyway?

You can almost copy and paste the top-line summary of Team Venezuela’s roster and apply it to Team DR. Bangin’ lineup, bonkers bullpen (complimentary), but a thin rotation. The DR’s starting pitchers inspire slightly more confidence than Venezuela’s, but Venezuela definitely has the edge defensively. During pool play at least, it’s unlikely to matter which team is actually better because, with Puerto Rico in a different pool this time around, both should easily advance.

Uniforms Compared to 2023? Downgrade

The trim around the sleeves on the 2023 white jerseys is better, but I can get over that. The real reason for the downgrade is that this year’s uniforms are depriving us of that ombre. It’s a distinct look that really popped on the field; instead of that, Nike is lazily serving up more of the same.

Secondary Anthem: “Let It Go” by Idina Menzel

Look, 2023 was embarrassing for the DR. This is a team that’s supposed to cruise through pool play. The Dominicans have a slightly easier path to the Knockout stage this year, so it’s time for them to let go of what happened during the last WBC, step into their power, and prove to everyone that they don’t freeze under pressure because the cold never bothered them anyway.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands

Full Roster

Historically, the Netherlands has performed well in the WBC. Since 2006, the team has advanced past the first round four times and made the semifinals twice. But the 2023 WBC was not one of the stronger showings for the Dutch, who failed to advance out of a pool in which all five teams went 2-2 because they ranked third in the tiebreaker statistic (runs allowed per defensive out). Like many WBC teams, the 2023 squad was thin on pitching. Shairon Martis was the only pitcher with big league experience to see game action, and he last pitched in the majors in 2013.

Tigers closer Kenley Jansen was on the roster in 2023, but he had just signed with the Red Sox and was coming off a 2022 season in which he’d experienced heart issues, so he didn’t make it into a game. This year, Jansen should be available after a healthy 2025 season with the Angels, for whom he posted a 63 ERA- over 59 innings.

The other pitchers of interest for Team Netherlands are current minor leaguers. In 2025, Pirates righty Antwone Kelly made it as high as Double-A in his age-21 season. Due to shaky command, he currently projects as a multi-inning or high-leverage reliever with a plus fastball and compelling secondaries. Jaitoine Kelly (Antwone’s younger brother) is in the Diamondbacks system and also on the roster for the Netherlands, but he’s only 18 and currently lacks an effective breaking ball.

At 19 years old, Reds lefty Ryjeteri Merite just finished his first season of pro ball. On the latest Reds Top Prospects list, Merite was described as a, “[L]anky 6-foot-3, and his arm stroke is very whippy, difficult for hitters to parse. He’ll frequently bump 95 mph in the early innings of his starts, and even though his curveball features very little raw spin, hitters don’t pick it up out of hand and Merite dominated with it in a limited sample.” That limited sample was a 0.81 ERA with a 31.9% strikeout rate over 33 1/3 innings in the DSL.

Phillies 24-year-old reliever Jaydenn Estanista made it to Double-A last season with a mid-90s fastball, a slider that flashes plus, and control that leaves something to be desired, according to his most recent report. He threw two scoreless innings with a hit, a walk, and a strikeout in the 2023 WBC.

Moving to the lineup, you’ll see a few more recognizable names. Boston center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela, San Diego shortstop Xander Bogaerts, and a trio of teammates from Atlanta: second baseman Ozzie Albies, left fielder Jurickson Profar, and catcher Chadwick Tromp. Rafaela brings elite defense in center. Bogaerts, though not quite the player he was in 2023, managed a mild bounce-back at the plate last season (104 wRC+). And despite Albies’ recent decline at the plate and in the field, he still represents an upgrade over Jonathan Schoop, the former Oriole and Tiger who manned second for the Dutch in 2023. Profar missed 80 games in 2025 due to a PED suspension, but he returned to his above-average-hitting ways upon his reinstatement. Tromp is a respectable defender behind the plate, and though he hasn’t hit much in the majors, he recorded three singles and a home run for the Netherlands in 2023.

In the Fun Storylines, But Probably Not Impact Players category, Sharlon Schoop (Jonathan’s older brother) is listed on the roster even though his little bro is not, and Juremi Profar (Jurickson’s younger brother) will probably get some reps at third. Former big league shortstop Didi Gregorius is back on the roster in 2026 after playing first base for the Netherlands in 2023. Gregorius’ last major league game came with the Phillies in 2022, but he’s been playing in the Mexican League since then. Druw Jones, the second overall pick by the Diamondbacks in 2022, will be managed on Team Netherlands by his father and newly elected Hall of Famer Andruw Jones. The younger Jones has not developed as initially expected, and he now profiles as more of a defense-first fourth outfielder. Dayson Croes is a 26-year-old infielder in the Giants system who signed out of indie ball in April of last year. He started in the Complex League and made it all the way to Triple-A, with a wRC+ over 120 at each stop.

Team Netherlands would like to get back to the semifinals and eventually win it all, but this probably isn’t the team to do it, especially in a pool with Venezuela and the DR.

Uniforms Compared to 2023? Downgrade

Nike clearly thinks that the players of the Kingdom of the Netherlands have not earned their pinstripes. Not even former Yankee, Didi Gregorius. I cannot abide such flagrant fashion gatekeeping.

Secondary Anthem: “Honkbal Hoofdklasse” by Johannes Vonk and the Clogheads

Stand on the homehonk. It’s time to fall in love.

Israel

Full Roster

Team Israel walked away with one win in the 2023 WBC, a 3-1 victory over Nicaragua. Unfortunately, Israel hasn’t had enough meaningful turnover to suggest the team will fare much better in 2026. The big addition is Harrison Bader. The new outfielder for the Giants is coming off a 2025 season in which he posted a career-best 122 wRC+ over 501 plate appearances while continuing to play strong defense in whichever outfield position he was needed. The only other big league regular in the lineup is Pirates first baseman Spencer Horwitz, who has been an above-average hitter over his first two full seasons in the majors. Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs had two hits in five plate appearances for Team Israel in 2023, and though he lost his job as Philadelphia’s backup catcher last season, he does have big league experience. C.J. Stubbs (Garrett’s younger brother and fellow catcher) racked up three whole plate appearances in the majors with the Nationals last season and signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jays last month.

Israel has a slew of minor leaguers on the roster, and though most are non-prospects who are a touch too old for their current level, there are a few worth keeping front of mind while you watch them play in the WBC. RJ Schreck, an outfielder in the Blue Jays system, is nearest to the majors after reaching Triple-A last year and posting a 129 wRC+ over 234 plate appearances. He’s added strength, and subsequently power, since getting drafted. Our evaluators worry he doesn’t have the bat speed to maintain his current production against elite velocity, but against WBC-caliber pitching Schreck could add some juice to Israel’s lineup.

Rockies outfielder Cole Carrigg spent last year at Double-A. He’s not the most exciting hitter, but he’s got an 80-grade arm that gives him the option to try his hand at pitching if things don’t work out for him at the plate. Let’s hope we get to see him uncork a throw from center to nail a runner at home.

Missing from this year’s team is Rangers DH Joc Pederson, who was ice cold during the 2023 WBC and the 2025 regular season, as well as reliever Richard Bleier, who threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings in the last tournament. Bleier officially retired following the 2024 season, having last pitched in the majors in 2023.

Perhaps the biggest roster loss is Shlomo Lipetz, the soft-tossing lefty who was 44 years old during the last WBC. This profile of Lipetz (which you should read in full) describes him as the legendary throughline of the Israeli National Baseball team, a mythical figure who sports a mullet, dresses like a magician, and has a day job booking acts for a music venue. Reports indicate there have been conversations about Lipetz’s taking on a coaching role, but I couldn’t find anything confirmed. If not, his energy in the clubhouse is sure to be missed.

As for the pitchers who will be in the clubhouse, there are Orioles starter Dean Kremer (coming off two very league-average seasons), free agent reliever Tommy Kahnle (who declined significantly last season), and little else. Phillies reliever Max Lazar has thrown 55 innings in the majors over the last two seasons with an ERA of 4.75. Relievers Matt Bowman, Eli Morgan, Robert Stock, and Zack Weiss all have big league experience, but all have since been relegated to the minors. Josh Mallitz, on the other hand, is a minor leaguer on the rise. Signed by the Padres as an undrafted free agent, Mallitz hit Double-A last season and, according to his prospect report from last June, “His fastball careens downhill, but a deceptive arm action balances some of the effectiveness he loses as a result, and Mallitz’s higher slot creates artificial depth on his breaking ball. His best pitch so far this year has been a power upper-80s changeup, something he rarely used in college.”

Despite the Bader addition, the ceiling for Israel remains low. The best-case scenario for the team is probably doubling its win total in pool play, but its odds of advancing are infinitesimal.

Uniforms Compared to 2023? Downgrade

Nike is again policing who gets to wear pinstripes, also swapping in a less interesting font and nixing the slightly thicker blue stripe that runs down the sleeve and continues down the leg of the pants. What’s the opposite of Midas turning everything he touches into gold?

Secondary Anthem: “Ay Bay Bay” by Hurricane Chris

It’s looking like more of the same for Team Israel this year, and any hopes of tilting its fortunes rest on the back of Bader, who is, to be fair, a certified vibes elevator. So why not lean all the way in and go with the song that is clearly the wordplay inspiration behind his Instagram handle (@aybaybader) and was at one point his walk-up music? And since the song came out in 2007, we’re about due for it to come back around as some retro trend that Zoomers and Gen Alpha listen to ironically or whatever.

Nicaragua

Full Roster

Team Nicaragua went 0-fer in pool play in 2023, scoring just four runs and allowing 22. The 2026 team should be better (admittedly, it would be difficult to be worse), but the marginal improvements are unlikely to translate to more wins.

Nicaragua is returning two of its better pitchers from 2023 — free agent Erasmo Ramírez and Brewers prospect Carlos Rodriguez. Ramírez is technically a big leaguer, having thrown 11 innings in the majors for the Twins last season, but outside of a solid season relieving for the Nationals in 2022, he hasn’t really been a major league-caliber pitcher since 2017.

In his start for Nicaragua in 2023, Rodriguez, then age-21, went four innings and allowed one run with three strikeouts and a walk. He saw his first big league action in 2024 and made it back for a brief stint in 2025. Now 23, he’s a little more seasoned, with the stuff of a backend starter and an improved ability to locate his pitches.

The only other pitcher of moderate note is Stiven Cruz. A Double-A reliever for the Brewers, Cruz can touch 97 mph and throws with an off-kilter delivery that’s difficult to time up and should be effective in limited looks against hitters who haven’t seen him before.

The largest improvements to Nicaragua’s roster are on offense. Mets corner infielder Mark Vientos provides a jolt of active big league talent. He posted a 132 wRC+ over 454 plate appearances in 2024, and though he experienced a bit of a sophomore slump last year, he still hit close to league average, which is enough to make him Nicaragua’s best hitter. Infielder Jeter Downs, who was selected 32nd overall in the 2017 draft, played in the minors for seven-ish seasons, hitting well until he got to Triple-A, where he seemed to find his ceiling. Midway through 2024, he made the leap to Japan and has been playing in NPB ever since. Corner infielder and former Royal Cheslor Cuthbert is returning to Team Nicaragua, and though he played in six big league seasons, he hasn’t appeared in the majors since logging one plate appearance for the White Sox in 2020.

Maybe Vientos and Downs can provide enough juice to get the Nicaraguans a dub this year. If not, I hope everyone has fun.

Uniforms Compared to 2023? Upgrade

Not a huge difference relative to the 2023 uniforms, but the swirly N on the hat nudges the 2026 uniforms into upgrade territory.

Secondary Anthem: “Who Are You” by The Who

I saved the most interesting detail about Nicaragua for the end. The team will be managed by living baseball legend Dusty Baker. There are roughly 1,000 Baker anecdotes I could have tied to a song, but I went with the story below, as told to The Athletic by former Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth.

He called me in one day and was like, “You like classic rock, don’t you?” I was like, “I can appreciate classic rock. I can get down with all genres.” Then he hands me this autographed picture of the lead singer of The Who and tells me, “You remind me of that dude. I want you to have that.”

Unfortunately, our photo service only has images of Roger Daltry from the 2010 Super Bowl Halftime Show press conference, but if you squint hard enough and consider The Who’s wild rock reputation, you can see what Baker was getting at. Either way, it helps that this song also poses the question that many viewers will be asking each time a new batter steps to plate for Nicaragua.