WBC Preview - Pool D

International baseball is a different beast, and the WBC provides a platform for the whole world to view and enjoy this wonderful game. The passion that comes through from the participating nations brings a different flavor to the National Pastime. Our own Brandon Tew (our international expert) will be digging into each of the four pools and providing in-depth previews for each team. He predicts each team's lineup and rotation while highlighting players to watch in the tournament. He also predicts who he thinks will come out of each pool at the bottom.

We hope you enjoy this series and all the action at the WBC!

Venezuela

WBSC World Rank: #5

WBC Appearances: 2/6

All Time WBC Record: 2-5 (has never advanced to knockout round)

Best Finish: 3rd place in Pool play (2017)

2023 Performance: 1-3 record eliminated in pool play (Win over Mexico, Losses to Canada, USA and Great Britain)

Ronald Acuna Jr. - (Photo Credit: batterpower.com)

Team Schedule

Date	Opponent	Time (ET)
March 6	Netherlands	12 p.m. ET
March 7	Israel	7 p.m. ET
March 9	Nicaragua	7 p.m. ET
March 11	Dominican Republic	8 p.m. ET

Starting Lineup

_1B -_Willson Contreras _/_Salvador Pérez _/_Luis Arráez

_2B -_Gleyber Torres __

_SS -_Andrés Giménez __

_3B -_Maikel Garcia

_C-_William Contreras

_LF -_Wilyer Abreu

_CF -_Jackson Chourio

_RF -_Ronald Acuña Jr.

_DH -_Eugenio Suárez

Rotation

LHP Ranger Suárez __

LHP Eduardo Rodriguez

RHP Keider Montero __

RHP Antonio Senzatela __

Other Top Arms

RHP Daniel Palencia __

RHP José Buttó __

RHP Eduard Bazardo __

LHP Angel Zerpa __

Preview

Venezuela is arguably a top-three team in this World Baseball Classic. With a lineup stacked with premier MLB talent and a pitching staff that has enough depth to navigate pool play, they have the type of roster that can beat anyone in a knockout game.

The pitching staff has some solid MLB talent in the rotation and enough bullpen firepower to make things interesting. Ranger Suárez looks like the ace and should get the ball in the opening game against the Netherlands. He diversified his pitch mix last season, throwing five pitches more frequently while dialing back his curveball usage against right-handed hitters. There’s a smaller batch of slower sliders off his cutter for lefties, while the changeup usage against right-handed hitters ticked up. When the mix is working, it allows his sinker to play and generate groundballs.

When he was healthy and pitching well, he produced, posting an ERA of 3.20 and a matching FIP of 3.21. Yes, the fastball is now in the low-90s, but he remains an efficient groundball pitcher who works quickly and keeps the ball on the ground. In this format, that style should help him navigate four or five innings and turn the game over to the bullpen.

El manager Omar López anunció que Ranger Suárez será el lanzador abridor en el primer juego de Venezuela en el #WorldBaseballClassic 2026 frente a Países Bajos. pic.twitter.com/U7OI809TBK

— MLB Español (@mlbespanol) March 2, 2026

Eduardo Rodríguez offers a similar visual look and arsenal from the left side. He mixes in a seldom-used curveball to left-handed hitters and leans heavily on his changeup against righties. The difference is execution. Rodríguez struggled to consistently land his secondary pitches last season, finishing with a 5.02 ERA and 4.57 FIP. Venezuela could deploy him in almost any pool game, though they may save him for a higher-leverage matchup like the finale against the Dominican Republic.

Credit: TJStatsCredit: TJStats

Keider Montero brings a slightly different look from the right side, with a roughly 40-degree arm slot as well, and a four-seam fastball that has some ride. He throws strikes at an above-average clip and attacks early in counts, which should translate well in a tournament environment where pitch efficiency matters.

Antonio Senzatela has a similar arm angle and frame to several of the other starters, with many of Venezuela’s rotation options hovering around 6’1 or 6’2. Senzatela’s mid-90s four-seam could play up a tick in Miami, making him one of the harder throwers among the starting options. His job will simply be to turn a lineup over twice, maybe three times, and keep the game close.

In the bullpen, Daniel Palencia has the stuff to close big games. His fastball sits a smidge under triple digits, and paired with a hard 88-90 mph slider and a splitter in a similar velocity band. The entire arsenal generates whiffs and gives Venezuela a legitimate strikeout pitcher late in games. Manager Omar López and the staff could deploy him aggressively, with Palencia facing the heart of opposing orders in the biggest spots in the game.

José Buttó throws a mid-90s cutty fastball alongside a sinker, using the four-seam up in the zone to induce whiffs. His slider, around 86 mph and slightly slower slurve, gives him two breaking balls, while the changeup is mainly used for opposite-handed hitters.

Eduard Bazardo brings a heavy mid-90s sinker and a big low-80s slurve, mixing in a four-seam and splitter for left-handed matchups. Meanwhile, Ángel Zerpa provides a left-handed option with a lower arm slot that adds some funk to the relief group.

There’s enough MLB talent here to piece together strong enough pitching performances to win a quarterfinal or even a semifinal game. But in a short tournament like this, Venezuela’s arms will have to execute. If they throw strikes and get a few swing-and-miss innings from the bullpen, this staff is capable of supporting one of the most dangerous lineups in the tournament. And adding some changeup wisdom in Johan Santana to go with these changeup pitchers is somewhat exciting from a picking up tips and tricks standpoint.

The lineup is tasty with a super-talented outfield that rivals anyone’s in the entire tournament. A left-to-right outfield of Ronald Acuña Jr., Jackson Chourio, and Wilyer Abreu hitting at the top of the lineup gives Venezuela an explosive start to games. Acuña is the most electric leadoff hitter in baseball with the ability to ambush the very first pitch of the game for a 450-foot bomb. He’s also looking healthy again and could run wild in the tournament if he’s getting on base consistently.

Chourio is a ridiculously talented young player and brings a righty bat combination of speed and power that, at times, can mirror Acuña’s impact. Both will play with flair in the outfield, and the celebrations if either one launches a homer should be entertaining. It’s two smooth right-handed swings with impact tools.

Abreu rounds out the group as an outstanding defensive right fielder. He posted 16 and 15 Defensive Runs Saved over the last two seasons and makes excellent reads with plus range and a strong arm. He also won a 2024 Fielding Bible Award and two Gold Gloves early in his career. Offensively, he’s no slouch either, posting a 116 OPS+ and providing some thump against right-handed pitching when teams try to neutralize Acuña and Chourio ahead of him.

First base may rotate throughout the tournament between Willson Contreras, Salvador Pérez, and Luis Arráez. Arráez feels like the most natural fit in many games, as his elite bat-to-ball skills and ability to spray the ball around the field pair well with Acuña hitting in front of him and creating chaos on the bases. Pérez is the team captain and a tone-setter, while Contreras gives them another dangerous bat who could appear in pinch-hit opportunities.

Gleyber Torres is coming off a strong season in Detroit and brings patience at the plate, rarely expanding the zone and taking his free passes. Andrés Giménez adds a smooth glove, with excellent range and defense, as he moves over to shortstop in this lineup.

Meanwhile, Maikel Garcia broke out in 2025 with a contact-heavy offensive approach and strong defense. With ABS arriving in 2026, his ability to shrink the zone and force pitchers into the strike area could become even more valuable.

Garcia is also part of a baseball family tree that includes the Acuñas and Escobars, most notably Alcides Escobar, and he shows flashes of the same athletic ability as his cousins.

Handing in the lineup card should be pretty straightforward for Team Venezuela, given the team is electric talent. One player who thrives in big moments is Acuña. They have enough pitching to compete deep into the tournament, but if they’re going to win it all, it will likely come through power baseball—hitting home runs and aggressively running the bases.

X-Factors

Ranger Suárez

Ranger Suárez missed the last WBC with a forearm injury, and he will be primed and ready to take the ball for Venezuela this time around for them to win in the Semifinals or Finals. Suárez will have to pitch well and keep them in the game against a powerhouse team.

Daniel Palencia

Could be getting the ball in the highest-leverage situations, and as the most talented reliever on the roster, I am not sure I want anyone else with the ball. His high-octane four-seam fastball, when on and in the zone, is a bullet that speeds past hitters.

The Outfield

**** Let’s just group the outfield trio. If Venezuela wins this tournament, it’s because this trio absolutely makes plays in the outfield, smashes the baseball, and puts so much pressure on defenses with their speed that other teams crumble. Ronald Acuña Jr. is one of the most talented players baseball has ever seen, and he might remind people of that when this WBC starts.

Dominican Republic

WBSC World Rank: #12

WBC Appearances: 6/6

All Time WBC Record: 20-9 (advanced to knockout round 4/5 tournaments)

Best Finish: Champions (2013)

2023 Performance: 2-2 record, did not advance to knockout round (Wins over Israel and Nicaragua, Losses to Venezuela and Puerto Rico)

Juan Soto (Photo Credit: dr1.com

Team Schedule

Date	Opponent	Time (ET)
March 6	Nicaragua	7 p.m. ET
March 8	Netherlands	12 p.m. ET
March 9	Israel	12 p.m. ET
March 11	Venezuela	8 p.m. ET

Starting Lineup

_1B -_Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

_2B -_Ketel Marte

_SS -_Geraldo Perdomo

_3B -_Manny Machado

_C-_Austin Wells

_LF -_Juan Soto

_CF -_Julio Rodríguez

_RF -_Fernando Tatis Jr.

_DH -_Junior Caminero

Rotation

LHP Cristopher Sánchez __

RHP Sandy Alcántara __

RHP Brayan Bello

RHP Luis Severino

Other Top Arms

RHP Huascar Brazobán __

RHP Seranthony Domínguez __

RHP Carlos Estévez __

LHP Gregory Soto __

RHP Camilo Doval __

RHP Abner Uribe __

Preview

Dominican baseball has such a rich history of talent, and this might be the best-assembled Dominican roster ever. The lineup is bursting with elite hitters like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ketel Marte, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Juan Soto. Few teams in the tournament can match that level of star power, and it gives the Dominican Republic arguably the most dangerous offensive group in the field.

As for the rotation, there is plenty of high-end talent there as well. Cristopher Sánchez is a lefty who carves up hitters with a sinker and changeup, consistently hitting his spots and using the changeup as a true swing-and-miss weapon. That pitch generated a 42 percent whiff rate last season. Sánchez has vaulted himself into the conversation as a potential yearly Cy Young candidate in my eyes. The question some ask is whether a pitcher can succeed with such a shallow arsenal in 2026? The answer is yes, if you command a mid-90s sinker, change speeds effectively, and pair it with a changeup that sits 8-10 mph off the fastball.

Sandy Alcántara has been working to rediscover his Cy Young form after injuries. You could tell he spent much of the early season trying to regain his feel for the baseball and sharpen his command following Tommy John surgery, which is usually the last thing to return fully.

From April through June, he posted a 6.98 ERA with a 4.74 FIP. From July to the end of the season, that improved to a 3.99 ERA and a 3.90 FIP while lowering his walk rate by roughly 3% and increasing his strikeout rate by a similar margin. The improvement suggested he was beginning to figure things out again with his arsenal: a four-seam fastball, sinker, power slider, and a hard depth breaker (in a death-ball shape). As the season progressed, it looked like he returned to mixing speeds and shapes with more balanced usage across the repertoire. If the old Sandy shows up in this tournament, that is a scary sight for the rest of the pool.

Brayan Bello pitched well for Boston in 2025, though he likely outperformed some of his peripherals. If he can consistently elevate the four-seam from his slightly lower slot and release height around 5.3-5.4 feet, it allows him to attack the bottom of the zone with his sinker while also running it inside to hitters as he did more frequently last season. From there, he can spin his gyro slider—he calls it a cutter—and a slurve off those fastballs, mixing in a changeup to left-handed hitters even though he lost some feel for that pitch last year.

I’ve always been a Luis Severino guy. He has a deep pitch mix with movement across the entire pitch plot, but the issue in recent seasons has been a lack of whiffs. His home ballpark also played like a launching pad in Sacramento, where he posted a 6.01 ERA compared to a 3.02 ERA on the road. In a tournament setting where he might only need to cover 50–80 pitches, though, Severino could absolutely be effective. With the number of arms available, there is little reason for him to face hitters more than twice through the order.

Credit: TJStats

The bullpen might be the real weapon here. Arms like Huascar Brazobán, Seranthony Domínguez, Carlos Estévez, Gregory Soto, Camilo Doval, Albert Abreu, and Abner Uribe give the Dominican Republic a collection of power arms capable of shortening games. The group leans heavily right-handed, with Soto and Wandy Peralta providing the left-handed looks.

It’s a bullpen built on velocity and pure stuff. The key question will be strike throwing, but the tournament format allows managers to play matchups, ride the hot hand, and deploy arms based on leverage. If this group finds the zone consistently, they can absolutely lock down the late innings. And with a lineup capable of scoring runs in bunches, that could be more than enough to carry this team to the Gold.

The Dominican Republic lineup is LOADED 🤩 pic.twitter.com/iBOruWKyrJ

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 3, 2026

The offense is absurd. Fernando Tatis Jr. brings the same explosive energy at the top of the lineup as Ronald Acuña Jr., pairing confidence with a beautiful right-handed swing. Manny Machado belongs in that same class of aesthetically pleasing right-handed swings, something you don’t always see from righties. This pool in Miami might feature five or six of the prettiest right-handed swings in the sport.

Then there’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr., whose swing is gorgeous in its own right. There’s a reason he once carried an 80-grade hit tool as a prospect for some. What he did in the 2025 postseason was gaudy, and now he’ll be hitting behind this generation’s best pure hitter in Juan Soto. Soto shuffles in the box, stares down pitchers, and punishes mistakes with the kind of authority that can flip a game instantly.

Ketel Marte has a strong case as the best second baseman in baseball, a switch-hitting force who can impact the game offensively from either side of the plate. His Arizona Diamondbacks teammate Geraldo Perdomo has also emerged as one of the better shortstops in the game. He still feels underrated nationally, but a switch-hitting shortstop who plays steady defense brings real value to any lineup, and especially one this deep.

Julio Rodríguez always seems to get off to slow starts for the Seattle Mariners, but he’s the kind of hitter who can take over a tournament if he finds a rhythm. Few players combine impact contact, speed, and defense the way he does.

Behind the plate, Austin Wells should provide a steady presence offensively and defensively, with power-hitting support from Agustín Ramírez as the backup option.

And then there’s Junior Caminero. He absolutely hammers the baseball and has the strength to drive it out both oppo and pullside. Yes, he can get a little ground-ball heavy at times, something Guerrero Jr. had to iron out earlier in his career, but the raw tools are undeniable. Caminero crushed 45 home runs last season, and when he squares one up, the ball doesn’t just leave the yard—it jumps off the bat.

Hi hello Junior Caminero pic.twitter.com/fqfK6nktxe

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) March 4, 2026

Junior Caminero with ANOTHER homer for the DR! 😱 pic.twitter.com/Xpde3eQTSA

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 4, 2026

X-Factors

Junior Caminero

Caminero is about to become a star, and this WBC could put him on the world stage. With a lineup as great as this. It’s hard to pick one particular player, but Caminero is the type of hitter to string together a hot stretch and have multi-HR games.

Sandy Alcántara

Sandy is a competitor, and he will want to prove he’s fully back to his 2022 Cy Young form, something we really haven’t seen from him, but he’s a super-efficient pitcher, and that’s something that might loom as a big factor in this tournament, able to eat innings on a short pitch count. Also, pitching in his home ballpark of Miami is a plus!

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Vladdy Jr. is a stud; we saw that in the MLB postseason with one of the greatest postseason performances of all time. Batting .397 with 8 home runs, 15 RBI, and a 1.289 OPS over 18 games. In a knockout format after pool play. Vladdy Jr. could put this Dominican team on his back and win them a championship.

Netherlands

WBSC World Rank: #9

WBC Appearances: 6/6

All Time WBC Record: 14-14 (advanced to knockout round in 3 of 5 tournaments)

Best Finish: Semi-Finals (2013, 2017)

2023 Performance: 2-2 eliminated in pool play (Wins over Cuba and Panama, Losses to Italy and Chinese Tapei)

Xander Bogaerts (Photo Credit: Associated Press)

Team Schedule

Date	Opponent	Time (ET)
March 6	Venezuela	12 p.m. ET
March 7	Nicaragua	12 p.m. ET
March 8	Dominican Republic	12 p.m. ET
March 10	Israel	7 p.m. ET

Starting Lineup

1B - Juremi Profar

_2B -_Ozzie Albies

_SS -_Xander Bogaerts

3B - Didi Gregorius

C- Chadwick Tromp

_LF -_Druw Jones

_CF -_Ceddanne Rafaela

RF - Dayson Croes

DH - Sharlon Schoop

Rotation

RHP Antwone Kelly

RHP Derek West

RHP Kevin Kelly

RHP Shairon Martis

Other Top Arms

RHP Kenley Jansen __

RHP Jaitoine Kelly

RHP Arij Fransen

LHP Jamdrick Cornelia

RHP Lars Huijer

LHP Ryjeteri Merite

Preview

While preparing for this pool preview, I looked through these teams, and this Netherlands club is a fun one. There’s a mix of young talent and veterans from the Dutch League and MLB who can play. If they weren’t placed in a pool with two top-four teams, you could argue they have enough talent to compete for a pool win elsewhere in the tournament.

The rotation is intriguing. Antwone Kelly is a pitcher I wrote up for the Top 20s earlier this offseason and graded as a fringy Top 100 prospect for me.

I’ll plant the flag again here: Kelly has all the ingredients to be a No. 4 starter. He may not be on a fast track to the majors, but Pittsburgh might have another legitimate starter developing in its pipeline.

Kelly’s fastball can touch triple digits, and in a shorter outing, he could really let it eat in the zone. An above-average to plus slider and a solid changeup round out the mix, and he has the athleticism in his delivery to potentially add to the arsenal if the Pirates keep him on a starter’s track. To me, this is a higher-floor arm with some upside who could be primed for a breakout moment in the WBC. He will get the ball in Game 1 against Venezuela, and its vaunted lineup.

Derek West could be next in line for a start. He pitched collegiately at Butler and Pittsburgh before the Astros selected him in the 14th round of the 2019 draft. More recently, he has pitched in Mexico and the Puerto Rican Winter League, showing the ability to hold mid-90s velocity with his fastball.

Kevin Kelly was lights out at the European Championships and also appeared in three games during the 2023 WBC. He currently pitches in the Dutch Major League and has played in the Nicaraguan Winter League and Mexico. Shairon Martis brings a wealth of experience as well, with time in the minors, independent ball, the Dutch League, and internationally in Taiwan’s CPBL. Also pitching in multiple WBC’s with success, even as an 18-year-old 2o years ago in 2006.

Shairon Martis is the starting pitcher for the Kingdom of the Netherlands tonight.

17 years ago, as an 18 year old, he threw the first, and only, no-hitter in WBC history.

pic.twitter.com/nebFrAnMk6

— Shawn Spradling (@Shawn_Spradling) March 9, 2023

Jaitoine Kelly, like his brother Antwone, has a high-powered arsenal and similar athleticism on the mound. At 18 years old, he’s actually more advanced than Antwone was at the same stage of his development. He joined the Diamondbacks organization in 2024.

Ryjeteri Merite is coming off a strong season in the DSL with the Reds. The lanky left-hander has a frame and arm action that are easy to dream on. He already works with low-to-mid-90s velocity and features two fastball looks along with a slider around 80 mph. It’s all limbs and a whippy delivery with a confident finish. He recently struck out Samuel Basallo and Ryan Mountcastle during a Spring Training appearance.

Arij Fransen is a push-sidearm righty with a funky look. His stuff won’t jump off the page, but he mixes a solid fastball, changeup, and breaking ball effectively. He profiles as the type of pitcher who can generate weak contact, bloopers, and groundballs as a useful option out of the bullpen.

Kenley Jansen has been one of the best closers of his generation. With his unique cutter and delivery, he continues to find success and land jobs late in his career. He posted a 2.59 ERA with the Angels and will now pitch in the Tigers' bullpen in 2026. Jansen is a baseball legend in the Netherlands, and the WBC offers him another opportunity to represent his country on the international stage. The WBC offers an opportunity to share one of my favorite WBC videos.

Before he became a lockdown closer, Kenley Jansen was showing off his arm as a catcher for Team Netherlands at the 2009 #WorldBaseballClassic.

Congrats on your 400th career save, @KenleyJansen74! pic.twitter.com/njNgzUdzvR

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) May 11, 2023

This lineup is decent, with a mix of MLB talent, MiLB prospects, and a handful of Dutch League and WBC veterans sprinkled throughout. Juremi Profar will likely handle first base, and he last had Minor League experience with Texas in 2019. Since then, he has played in independent ball and international competition, including the WBC. It’s hard to avoid the topic of his brother, Jurickson Profar, being popped for PED use again. He will miss not only the WBC but the entire 2026 season due to suspension, leaving a notable void in the middle of this lineup that Juremi and others will have to help fill.

Ozzie Albies is coming off a couple of down seasons in Atlanta, where inconsistency and injuries have slowed him at times. For this team to reach its ceiling, Albies needs to be one of its best players and a stabilizing presence at second base. Xander Bogaerts and Didi Gregorius bring MLB-caliber experience to round out the infield. Gregorius, however, has been playing in Mexico since his last stint in an MLB organization, which came in Triple-A with Seattle. He and Bogaerts will likely need to provide a timely hit or two if this offense is going to produce enough in pool play.

At catcher, Chadwick Tromp offers some limited MLB experience along with plenty of upper-minors time. He returned to Atlanta as a non-roster invitee after spending the 2025 season with the Orioles and Red Sox organizations, mostly bouncing between the two clubs’ Triple-A affiliates.

The outfield alignment will likely feature Druw Jones in left, Ceddanne Rafaela in center, and Dayson Croes in right. Jones, a former top draft pick, has dealt with multiple injuries, including a shoulder issue, which have slowed his development and tempered expectations somewhat. The talent is still there, though, and representing his father’s home country playing for his father as manager could provide a spark as he looks to build momentum heading into 2026.

Ray-Patrick Didder has had some experience with the Braves, Marlins, and Padres in the minors as a toolsy outfielder and could be in either corner over Jones or Croes.

Ceddanne Rafaela is already one of the best defensive center fielders in the game. While the hit tool currently projects a bit below average, he remains a valuable player even with something like a .710 OPS, thanks to his elite glove in Fenway for Boston. Much like Pete Crow-Armstrong, another elite defensive center fielder, he pairs that range with ball tracking. At the plate, it's also an ultra-aggressive swinging approach.

Croes is an intriguing bat after flying through four levels in his first professional season, jumping from the Complex League to High-A and eventually reaching Triple-A Sacramento. There, he held his own, slashing .349/.417/.465 in nearly 200 plate appearances.

His approach will be worth watching. He flashed a strong swing and chased frequently out of the zone, though he made strong in-zone contact. He also didn’t produce especially loud contact, but the bat-to-ball skills are impressive. He also has some versatility to play a corner infield spot as well.

Sharlon Schoop, the older brother of Jonathan Schoop, has spent most of his career in the Dutch League but brings plenty of international experience from time with the Orioles, Giants system, and the Dutch national team. He profiles as a DH option, though that spot could rotate depending on matchups.

As usual, the Kingdom of the Netherlands blends Caribbean talent with standouts from the Dutch League. There’s enough ability here to be competitive, but the roster will likely need a few breaks to fall its way if it hopes to finish higher than third in this pool.

X-Factors

Kenley Jansen

If the Netherlands is gonna advance from this pool, they need one of their better pitchers to shut the door late. Keneley Jansen’s still got it, and while a small sample size could mean anything. There aren’t many relievers I want to hand the ball to than him.

Ozzie Albies

Looking to bounce back after some disappointing seasons for the Braves. A way to get himself going is with a strong WBC and an impact in this pool as arguably the most talented offensive player on this roster.

Ceddanne Rafaela

Rafaela’s middle name is Chipper, and while his Mom named him after Chipper Jones, he will be managed by Hall-of-Fameer Andruw Jones and Chipper’s teammate all those years. Andruw Jones played the CF position defensively better than anyone else in the history of the sport (Willie Mays said so).

Rafaela is one of the best CF’s in the game, flying across the outfield to make spectacular plays. He will likely have to make a few big plays to keep this team in some games during the tournament.

Antwone Kelly

If the Dutch are to advance from this pool, they likely have to win their first game vs Venezuela, and the path to a win is a strong start from Antwone Kelly that keeps them in the game. He has big-league stuff but is rather unproven and will be tested against some of the game’s best.

Israel

WBSC World Rank: #21

WBC Appearances: 3/6

All Time WBC Record: 5-7 (advanced to knockout once in two tournaments

Best Finish: 2nd Round (2017)

2023 Performance: 1-3 failed to advance to second round (Win over Nicaragua, Losses to Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Dominican Republic)

Harrison Bader (Photo Credit: Fernando Rayo)

Team Schedule

Date	Opponent	Time (ET)
March 7	Venezuela	7 p.m. ET
March 8	Nicaragua	7 p.m. ET
March 9	Dominican Republic	12 p.m. ET
March 10	Netherlands	7 p.m. ET

Starting Lineup

_1B -_Matt Mervis

_2B -_Spencer Horwitz

_SS -_Cole Carrigg

_3B -_Jake Gelof

C- Garrett Stubbs

_LF -_Zach Levenson __

_CF -_Harrison Bader

_RF -_RJ Schreck

DH - Noah Mendlinger

Rotation

RHP Dean Kremer __

RHP Robert Stock __

RHP Jordan Geber

LHP Ryan Prager __

Other Top Arms

Tommy Kahnle (RHP)

Charlie Beilenson (RHP)

Harrison Cohen (RHP)

Daniel Federman (RHP)

Preview

Team Israel’s roster is largely composed of U.S.-born players with MLB or affiliated experience, mixing recognizable names with lower-end talent. Outfielder Assaf Lowengart is the one Israeli-born player, which is cool to see, and has Division II NCAA experience and played last season in Indy ball.

There’s enough ability here that they could push the Netherlands for positioning in the pool or at least give one of the tournament favorites a competitive game early before depth takes over.

Dean Kremer of the Orioles anchors the rotation. The right-hander works in the low 90s with his four-seam fastball and mixes a changeup, cutter, and sinker depending on handedness. He’ll lean on the sinker and cutter against righties, while the splitter plays more often versus left-handed hitters. There’s also a high-70s curveball he’ll drop in against lefties. Kremer isn’t overpowering, so the approach is built around command, attacking the zone, and locating a mix of pitches that generally show above-average zone rates.

Robert Stock is anything but a “stock” pitcher. He throws from an extreme seven-degree arm angle and releases the ball from roughly a 4.3–4.5 foot height. Stock will also manipulate that arm slot on his four-seam and knuckle curve as a surprise look kikcing it up. He logged 85 innings with Triple-A Worcester and pitched reasonably well there. His arsenal works east-west, leaning on a cutter he can zone while mixing shapes to create different looks throughout an outing.

Jordan Geber pitched briefly in Triple-A Syracuse last season, logging 12.1 innings. He features a seven-pitch mix that includes two offspeed variations: a splitter and a cambio. The cambio comes in a little firmer with more fade, and his pitch plot often forms a diagonal line down toward his sweeper. Many of his glove-side offerings tunnel along that same down-and-away path. Walks have been an issue at the Triple-A level, so throwing strikes will be key for him in this tournament.

Ryan Prager, best known for his time at Texas A&M, is a left-hander currently touching the low 90s with a quality changeup. His arm swing has a slight drop that creates deception, and the changeup can be particularly effective when he sells it with full arm speed. He only logged 4.1 innings in Low-A to close 2025, but there’s some intrigue here for a ninth-round Guardians pick who may have more in the tank.

Speaking of changeups, Tommy Kahnle essentially tests Alan Jaeger’s “infinite changeup theory” every time he pitches. He spams the pitch relentlessly, throwing it more than 83 percent of the time to hitters from both sides of the plate. Now with the Tigers for 2026, it will be interesting to see just how many he flips to the plate in the WBC as he continues to pound the zone with the pitch.

Charlie Beilenson, Harrison Cohen, and Daniel Federman round out the staff as minor league right-handers who add some younger depth to the group.

Matt Mervis will play first base with Spencer Horwitz to his left at second base. Both are currently seeing MLB time as bench or platoon pieces, though Horwitz could lock down the first base job in Pittsburgh in 2026. He put together a strong season with a 119 wRC+ across 108 games. Mervis is now in Washington after spending last season with Miami.

Jake Gelof is a prospect in the Dodgers system with some holes in his approach and a somewhat grooved swing that he relies on to access his power. The raw power flashes plus and occasionally double-plus, though finding more consistent contact while maintaining his patience at the plate would help unlock more of that game power and push his development forward.

Both Stubbs brothers, Garrett and CJ, are catching options for Team Israel, though Garrett should receive the bulk of the playing time. Garrett is a seven-year MLB veteran with experience handling pitching staffs, while CJ made a brief debut with Washington last season, appearing in one game. He has since signed a Minor League contract with Toronto for the upcoming season.

Cole Carrigg is a Rockies center field prospect with a cannon arm and the kind of speed that should help him carve out some kind of MLB role, whether in Colorado or elsewhere. The hit tool projects closer to the fringe, but as a switch-hitter, he does flash some pop. Carrigg has also been extremely versatile in the minors, seeing time at catcher, all three outfield spots, and even some shortstop. In 2025, he played mostly center field and is still refining his reads and jumps, particularly on balls hit over his head. For Israel, he could slot in at shortstop while also moving around depending on team needs.

The outfield trio of Zach Levenson, Harrison Bader, and RJ Schreck, from left to right, brings some intrigue. Bader remains a defender capable of tracking down anything in center field. Schreck, a former Vanderbilt standout now in the Toronto system after being part of the Justin Turner deal, could make his MLB debut sometime next season if his development continues on track. He profiles as a patient hitter who draws walks and looks to pull the ball in the air.

Levenson and Noah Mendlinger are a pair of Cardinals prospects rounding out the group. Mendlinger can be passive at the plate, but when he does swing, he tends to make contact, giving him a chance to function as a lineup-turning bat in a DH role. Levenson also shows good plate discipline and enough lift in his swing to project as a possible platoon option in St. Louis down the line.

X-Factors

Dean Kremer

Kremer is gonna have to shove when he gets the ball and set this team up in a good spot to use the rest of its staff. If his outing goes south, it will be hard to envision Israel hitting enough to win a high-scoring affair.

Harrison Bader

Can be an energy guy and a dude for this team, making diving plays in CF and being pesky at the plate. These are the cornerstones of why Bader is a solid MLB player, and he will need to perform well in this tournament.

Cole Carrigg

Going with Carrigg here to show off his wheels on the base paths and maybe unleash a ball across the diamond when needed. If he can get on base, that adds a dynamic that this Israel team is somewhat lacking in other spots in the lineup.

Nicaragua

WBSC World Rank: #16

WBC Appearances: 1/6

All Time WBC Record: 0-4

Best Finish: Last in Pool Play

2023 Performance: 0-4 Last in Pool play (Losses against Puerto Rico, Israel, Dominican Republic, Venezuela)

Mark Vientos (Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports

Team Schedule

Date	Opponent	Time (ET)
March 6	Dominican Republic	7 p.m. ET
March 7	Netherlands	12 p.m. ET
March 8	Israel	7 p.m. ET
March 10	Venezuela	7 p.m. ET

Starting Lineup

1B - Cheslor Cuthbert

_2B -_Jeter Downs

_SS -_Freddy Zamora

_3B -_Mark Vientos

C- Melvin Novoa

LF - Juan Montes

CF - Ismael Munguia

RF - Chase Dawson

DH - Brandon Leyton

Rotation

RHP Carlos Rodriguez __

RHP Erasmo Ramírez

RHP Ronald Medrano

LHP Dilmer Mejia

RHP Stiven Cruz __

Other Top Arms

RHP Osman Gutierrez

LHP Oscar Rayo

LHP Danilo Bermudez

RHP Bryan Torres __

Preview

You may look at Nicaragua’s lineup or pitching staff and think they don’t have much of a shot in this pool. Although they do have some familiar faces and talent, they will have to be clicking to pull off a couple of wins in this pool.

The head of the rotation should be Carlos Rodríguez and Erasmo Ramírez, smaller right-handers with MLB experience and decent stuff. Carlos has a fastball triangle with his sinker and four-seam in the low-90s, and he mixes in five of his six-pitch mix against right-handed hitters and a changeup he uses for left-handed hitters off basically his four-seam with an occasional curve. Ramirez has a tighter arsenal in his pitch movement and velocity. Mainly using his cutter and sinker to pepper the zone and try to keep hitters off the barrel in terms of squaring him up.

Ronald Medrano is a righty who has primarily pitched in the domestic winter league and in Mexico for most of his career, and he pitched 2 innings in the 2023 WBC. Dilmer Mejia has a little more Minor League experience, pitching for Atlanta and the Chicago White Sox from 2014-2021. With a stint in Serie A in Italy and multiple winter leagues since.

Stiven Cruz is a Brewers prospect who pitched in Double-A and High-A in 2025 with a quirky lift-and-kick fast-tempo delivery from the right side that should be fun to see and has touched the upper-90s. Oscar Rayo is a lefty in the Royals system who threw over 87 innings in Double-A with a 3.70 ERA and 4.33 FIP.

The lineup has a bit more substance than the pitching staff, particularly in terms of upper-minors and MLB experience. Mark Vientos at third base is the most talented hitter on the roster and represents the lineup’s best source of power. Vientos could factor into a platoon role with Brett Baty for the Mets in 2026, and his raw power gives Nicaragua at least one legitimate middle-of-the-order threat capable of changing a game with one swing.

Freddy Zamora spent 2025 in Triple-A Nashville and remains an intriguing piece. The Brewers prospect brings plus defense and plus speed, though the bat has yet to fully translate against upper-level pitching. Zamora posted a .701 OPS over 397 plate appearances last season, showing flashes but not quite enough consistency to force his way onto the big-league roster. Still, his athleticism gives Nicaragua value up the middle.

Jeter Downs will likely serve as Zamora’s double-play partner. Downs has spent the last few seasons in NPB with the SoftBank Hawks, putting together respectable production and rebuilding some confidence after his prospect shine faded in the States. Once a top prospect in the Red Sox system, Downs will look to carry that momentum into the upcoming NPB season while providing veteran stability for this infield.

Credit: Yakyu Cosmopolitan

Cheslor Cuthbert is expected to handle one of the corner infield spots. The former Royal and White Sox appeared in the majors as recently as 2020 and have since remained active in the Venezuelan and other winter leagues. Behind the plate, Melvin Novoa brings familiarity with the international stage after serving as Nicaragua’s primary catcher during both the 2022 WBC Qualifiers and the 2023 tournament. Novoa previously spent time in the Rangers’ farm system and should provide steady defense and game management.

Ismael Munguia profiles as a contact-oriented bat who spent 2025 in Triple-A with the Yankees organization. He aggressively attacks pitches in the strike zone and finished with a .653 OPS across 91 games while playing solid defense.

In the outfield, Juan Montes and Chase Dawson should flank Munguia, with Brandon Leyton potentially sliding into the DH role. Leyton brings the most Triple-A experience after time with Louisville, while Montes and Dawson arrive with a mix of independent ball and winter league experience.

Nicaragua will need several things to break their way to steal a game or two in this group. Still, the roster’s blend of MLB, upper-minors, and winter league experience at least gives them a baseline level of professionalism and familiarity with high-level competition. That could help keep them competitive, particularly early in games before the talent gap fully shows.

X-Factors

Carlos Rodriguez

Rodriguez has MLB experience and the best stuff on this staff. He and Erasmo Ramirez will have to pitch well for Nicaragua to really have much of a chance of handing it to their bullpen arms.

Mark Vientos

Mark Vientos has to have a tournament and then some as the most talented player on this roster, but someone will have to step up and help him shoulder some of the offensive load. Keeping the game close and making timely hits will be key factors for this group.

Jeter Downs

Jeter Downs is coming off a solid NPB season and a title with SoftBank to push for consistent playing time in Fukuoka. It would be nice to see Downs parlay his NPB success to some WBC success as an up-the-middle player.

Prediction

The Dominican Republic and Venezuela are head and shoulders above the other teams in this pool. Whether they both try to go all in on the last game of the pool as a showdown in Miami for the pool winner. Or try to secure a runner-up spot and a knockout stage matchup in the Quarterfinals by setting up their pitching staff and throwing some of their better pitchers early in pool play.

These are decisions that could have major impacts on the rest of the tournament outside of this pool. Israel and the Netherlands are talented and should fight for third place in this group, but to spring an upset, things will have to go completely right for both of them. While Nicaragua might be viewed as a bottom-tier team in this tournament, they shouldn’t be the type of team to just roll over in all four pool play games.

Pool Winner

Dominican Republic

Pool Runner-up

Venezuela

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