Orlando, Florida.- The manager of the Dominican team, Albert Pujols, and the general manager, Nelson Cruz, assured that the fans “will feel proud of the lineup and the roster” that will be announced in due course for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Both made these statements during a press conference within the framework of the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings, where they highlighted the level of motivation, commitment, and expectation surrounding the team heading to the next world tournament.
The leaders expressed that the future composition of the roster has generated an atmosphere of high expectation, with a fanbase closely following every move of the process and a sports environment attentive to the decisions that will be made in the coming months. They highlighted that this massive support raises the level of commitment of the management and the coaching staff in this key stage of planning towards the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
During that meeting with the press in the framework of the winter meetings of Major League Baseball, Pujols and Cruz also referred to the announcement of the two games that the Dominican team will play against the Detroit Tigers, on March 3 and 4 at the Quisqueya Juan Marichal Stadium, as part of the 2026 spring training schedule and described them as “historic”.
Both highlighted that it is a “dream come true” that will allow several players to wear the national team jersey for the first time and, at the same time, will give thousands of Dominican fans who cannot travel abroad, the opportunity to see their team face a Major League team at home, in the prelude to the World Baseball Classic.
Pujols highlighted that these games will have a special value for the Dominican public, by bringing the highest level baseball directly home. “We are happy and I believe it is an opportunity that is being given to the fans who cannot travel here to the United States, so they can see their favorite players and our team the Dominican Republic playing there,” said the manager.
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For his part, Nelson Cruz defined the event as the materialization of a personal and collective longing. “It’s a dream come true for many Dominicans. I had the pleasure of going and playing an exhibition game there, but it was always my dream to wear the Dominican uniform and be able to go to the Dominican Republic. And in the case of those people who unfortunately do not have a visa or who in one way or another do not have the resources to come to the United States and see the selection, having the pleasure of seeing it there in the Dominican Republic, is going to be something historic,” he stated.
Cruz indicated that the announcement has generated an immediate impact within professional baseball, raising expectations among players. “Since it was announced, the calls haven’t stopped. The players have shown great interest and the fans are also very excited,” he said.
Pujols and Cruz highlighted that the responsibility they assume for the 2026 World Baseball Classic is enormous, as they face the challenge of putting together the best possible team to represent the country and compete for the championship, a commitment that, they assured, is taken with complete seriousness within the coaching staff and management.
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It was pointed out that motivation is total from all fronts of the organization, from the team management, the technical staff, the advisors and the staff, to the Dominican Baseball Federation, the result of months of work, dedication and planning. He indicated that, as the month of March approaches, emotions continue to rise, as does the support of the fans.
The series against the Detroit Tigers will be part of the official Major League Baseball spring training schedule and will also have a special meaning as it will be played in memory of the victims of the April 8, 2025 tragedy at the Jet Set nightclub and will benefit the Dominican Red Cross.
In these Major League Baseball Winter Meetings, the Dominican delegation is made up of: the president of the Dominican Baseball Federation, Juan Núñez; the General Manager of the Dominican Republic National Team, Nelson Cruz; the manager of the Dominican team, Albert Pujols; his assistant Plácido Polanco; the Director of Operations of the Federation, Amaurys Nina; and the CEO of Grupo de Medios Panorama, Miguel Medina.
It is recalled that Grupo de Medios Panorama acquired the exclusive broadcasting rights for open television of the 2026 World Baseball Classic in the Dominican Republic, under an agreement with World Baseball Classic, Inc., an entity formed by Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). The broadcast network will be made up of VTV Canal 32, Teleantillas Canal 10 and Coral Canal 39, along with the stations Panorama FM 96.9, Expreso 89.1 FM (for Santiago and the entire Cibao) and Baní FM 97.5 (for Baní and the entire Southern region), as well as the website www.vtvcanal32.com.do.
