DR and Venezuela will clash for the sixth time in the World Baseball Classic: this has been the history between the two

SANTO DOMINGO.– The selections of Dominican Republic and Venezuela will face each other again in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, in what will be the sixth historical encounter between both countries in this tournament, a rivalry that in recent years has gained intensity within international baseball.

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The history of the contest heavily favors the Dominicans, who dominate the series with four wins to one loss against the Venezuelans. The first clashes date back to the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2006, when the Dominican Republic achieved two victories: 11-5 in the first round and 2-1 in the second phase. Subsequently, the Dominicans prevailed again 9-3 in 2013 and 3-0 in 2017, maintaining a clear dominance for more than a decade. However, the story changed in the 2023 edition, when Venezuela managed to break the Dominican streak with a 5-1 victory in the group stage, marking their first triumph against the Caribbean team in the World Baseball Classic. That result not only put an end to the Quisqueyan dominance, but also raised the intensity of the rivalry between both Latin baseball powers.

Dominican Domain in Statistics

In the face of this new confrontation, the Dominican Republic arrives with better collective numbers within the tournament. The Dominican team presents a 4-1 record, with an ERA of 2.86, a batting average of .272, an on-base percentage of .374, and seven home runs hit. Venezuela, for its part, registers a 1-4 mark, with an 4.93 ERA, an offensive average of .214, .321 OBP, .346 slugging and three home runs, in addition to 13 RBIs.

These numbers reflect the offensive power of the Dominican team, which also adds up to 24 RBIs, compared to the 13 of the Venezuelan team.

A new chapter

The clash between Dominicans and Venezuelans promises to write a new chapter in a rivalry that combines history, talent, and Caribbean passion.

Although history has mostly favored the Dominicans, Venezuela already proved in the last edition that it can change the script. And curiously, that historic triumph occurred exactly on March 11, the same date on which both teams face each other again in the World Baseball Classic.

Table with the historical matchups between the Dominican Republic and Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic

Año	Fecha	Ronda	Resultado	Ganador
2006	7 de marzo	Primera ronda	República Dominicana 11 – 5 Venezuela	República Dominicana
2006	14 de marzo	Segunda ronda	República Dominicana 2 – 1 Venezuela	República Dominicana
2013	7 de marzo	Primera ronda	República Dominicana 9 – 3 Venezuela	República Dominicana
2017	16 de marzo	Segunda ronda	República Dominicana 3 – 0 Venezuela	República Dominicana
2023	11 de marzo	Primera ronda	Venezuela 5 – 1 República Dominicana	Venezuela

Historical Balance in the World Baseball Classic:

• 🇩🇪🇩🇪 Dominican Republic: 4 wins
• 🇻🇪🇻🇪 Venezuela: 1 win