The World Baseball Classic seemed little more than an afterthought in the United States in its first few editions, but for many baseball-loving countries, it has been welcomed with open arms. That is especially true for the Dominican Republic, and this year's team will be one of the favorites to come away with the championship.
The Dominicans will boast one of the strongest lineups, as an array of superstars will have a chance to batter many international pitching staffs, even without Jose Ramirez and after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. withdrew because of an injury. Juan Soto, Rafael Devers and Manny Machado represent a modern Murderers' Row that baseball fans may remember for multiple years.
The pitching staff will have to deal with a number of key dropouts, but this is still a roster that can win it all. The Dominican Republic won the World Baseball Classic in 2013.
Here's a look at the Dominican Republic roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Pitchers
Bryan Abreu
Sandy Alcantara
Ronel Blanco
Genesis Cabrera
Diego Castillo
Roansy Contreras
Johnny Cueto
Enyel De Los Santos
Camilo Doval
Carlos Estevez
Luis Garcia
Yimi Garcia
Cristian Javier
Rafael Montero
Hector Neris
Joey Payamps
Gregory Soto
Cesar Valdez
Catchers
Francisco Mejia
Gary Sanchez
Infielders
Willy Adames
Jeimer Candelario
Robinson Cano
Rafael Devers
Wander Franco
Manny Machado
Ketel Marte
Jeremy Pena
Jean Segura
Outfielders
Teoscar Hernandez
Eloy Jimenez
Julio Rodriguez
Juan Soto
Designated Hitter
Nelson Cruz
Who's not on the Dominican Republic World Baseball Classic roster?
This Dominican Republic roster is still loaded, but imagine what it would have looked like if there weren't actually any dropouts. There are several high-profile stars, both position players and pitchers, who will not be participating in the event.
This includes superstars Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Jose Ramirez. Guerrero was forced to pull out from the event due to a recent injury, though it doesn't appear to be too serious. But given the MLB season is coming up, there was no reason to risk things for the Toronto Blue Jays superstar.
As for Ramirez, it's unclear if he ever actually committed to play. But there were plenty of rumors that he would, only for him not to be on the final Dominican Republic roster.
On the mound, the Dominican Republic was set to have a pretty wicked rotation, but they lost two key starters to dropouts. That would be Framber Valdez and Luis Castillo. While neither pitcher is injured, they decided to sit out the tournament after consulting with their respective teams, the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners.
Then there's Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, who decided against pitching. He was named to the preliminary roster but ultimately wasn't on the final roster.
But wait, there's more! Jhoan Duran of the Minnesota Twins pulled out of the World Baseball Classic because of a hamstring injury. Duran decided to miss the tournament out of precaution.
So, that is quite the list of Dominican Republic stars who will not be playing in the World Baseball Classic. While this roster is still impressive on paper, it would have been a true juggernaut if all of the top players. We'll see how this club manages with so many key dropouts and if they can secure a WBC victory.
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