MLB

Juan Soto, Manny Machado headline Dominican Republic’s preliminary 2026 WBC roster

Juan Soto is obviously one of the marquee stars that fans in the Dominican Republic want to see wearing the national team uniform, while Manny Machado would be one of the veteran options available for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Juan Soto plays against the Detroit Tigers.
© Getty ImagesJuan Soto plays against the Detroit Tigers.

Juan Soto is one of the players who said he would be available for the 2026 World Baseball Classic if the Dominican Republic national team needs him. Manny Machado could also be part of the roster, with both stars and several others awaiting the official roster announcement for the tournament.

Josafat Pérez detailed on X the players who have already given their approval to represent the Dominican team at the WBC. Pitchers who could be on the final roster include Bryan Bello, Seranthony Rodríguez, and Wandy Peralta, while Fernando Tatis Jr. highlights the outfield group.

Ketel Marte is another name that stands out among the infielders and is widely expected to suit up for his national team in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, along with veteran Carlos Santana, who was recently linked to a team that showed interest in him.

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Preliminary Dominican Republic roster

It’s clear that the pitchers who could make up the Dominican staff for the WBC bring plenty of experience, both within and outside of MLB, an important factor for an event like this, where pitching and mound defense will be key, especially considering they’ll be in Pool D alongside Nicaragua, the Netherlands, Israel, and Venezuela.

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Pitchers
Brayan Bello, Cristopher Sánchez, Sandy Alcántara, Seranthony Rodríguez, Carlos Estévez, Wandy Peralta, Gregory Soto, Camilo Doval, Dennis Santana, Luis Severino, Albert Abreu, Huascar Brazobán, Edwin Uceta, Elvis Alvarado, Abner Uribe.
Infielders
Geraldo Perdomo, Ketel Marte, Manny Machado, Junior Caminero, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Carlos Santana, Amed Rosario, Jeremy Peña.
Outfielders
Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Julio Rodríguez, Oneil Cruz.
Catchers
Yainer Díaz, Agustín Ramírez, Webster Rivas.
Preliminary roster by Josafat Pérez (@josafatperez)
Updated: Which players have been denied permission to play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic

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The infield, meanwhile, could be stacked with top-tier experience, not only because of Machado, but also due to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who would be a key option at first base if the manager chooses to deploy him there during the WBC.

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The official roster for the Dominican Republic will be announced on February 5 at 7:00 p.m. local time, but based on the preliminary list shared by Pérez, it’s likely that most of these names will appear in the final decision.

“The Dominican Republic team is still waiting for approval on two relievers, one outfielder, and one catcher to submit their World Baseball Classic roster tonight or tomorrow. All countries must submit rosters by tomorrow. Announcements on Thursday,” wrote ESPN’s Enrique Rojas on X.

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