Juan Soto could provide the Dominican Republic with the power at the plate it needs to win games in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. He is expected to hit third in the batting order, while Fernando Tatis Jr. will take the leadoff spot.
The report comes from Moises Mejia on X (@moisesmejiah), who shared an initial lineup projection based on his sources detailing how the Dominican Republic could arrange its batting order. Between Tatis Jr. and Soto will be Ketel Marte, who is set to play second base in the WBC.
Following the top three hitters, Mejia’s report projects Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who posted a .292 batting average last season, to hit cleanup. He would be followed by Manny Machado and Junior Caminero, who is expected to serve as the team’s designated hitter in the tournament.
Projected batting order for the Dominican Republic
If Soto, Marte and Tatis Jr. perform well at the plate, the rest of their teammates could benefit from more run-producing opportunities. The first six hitters will be key to generating runs and hits, but it will also be important for Austin Wells and Geraldo Perdomo to contribute during the WBC.
- F. Tatis Jr., RF
- K. Marte, 2B
- J. Soto, LF
- V. Guerrero Jr., 1B
- M. Machado, 3B
- J. Caminero, DH
- J. Rodríguez, CF
- A. Wells, C
- G. Perdomo, SS
Wells posted a .219 batting average last season in what was his first year with the New York Yankees. That likely explains his spot toward the bottom of the order, although he did hit 21 home runs, a career high at the MLB level.
The Dominican Republic will compete in Pool D of the World Baseball Classic, where it is set to face Venezuela, the Netherlands, Israel and Nicaragua. Venezuela, in particular, could pose the biggest threat from the mound and potentially slow down Soto and his teammates.