By ERIC NÚÑEZ
NEW YORK (AP) — If there is a team capable of avoiding a repeat of a Japan vs. the United States final in the World Classicthat is the one from the Dominican Republic.
In search of their first championship in the summit tournament of international baseball, after their only consecration in 2013, the Dominicans boast a squad that includes six players who appeared in the top 10 in the MVP vote last year: Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Julio Rodríguez, Junior Caminero, Jeremy Peña and Geraldo Perdomo.
The roster also includes Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ketel Marte and captain Manny Machado. The starting rotation features Sandy Alcántara – Cy Young winner in 2022 – and Cristopher Sánchez. Despite the absences of Jhoan Durán and Bryan Abreu, the bullpen has Carlos Estévez and Camilo Doval, who have accumulated more than 200 saves between them in the majors.
Maneuvering so much quality could stun any manager. Such is the challenge of Albert Pujols, the man with that responsibility.
“It can be a headache because you have so much talent. You want to be able to please everyone,” said Pujols, fourth on the all-time list of home runs in the Major Leagues and with a certain appointment to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2028. “The Dominican Republic has been blessed with so much talent.”
That talent came to a boil on Tuesday night in Santo Domingo when he unleashed a 19-hit offensive, with three home runs, beating the Detroit Tigers 12-4 in a scrimmage.
“They put on a show, and that’s what we want to do for the rest of the tournament,” Pujols said.
With the slogan of “Plátano Power”, the Dominicans were proclaimed champions of the 2013 edition, until now the only team that has been able to be crowned undefeated (8-0) in the history of the competition.
Recovering the nerve of that team is the objective in the tournament that will be held between March 5 and 17.
“It’s about representing the Dominican Republic,” Pujols said. “We have done it throughout our careers, but this time the whole world will be watching, especially our country. Our goal is to bring them that championship.”
The memory of Miami
The sixth edition of the Classic comes with the memory of the memorable Miami final three years ago, when Japanese star Shohei Ohtani took charge of the final act by striking out American slugger Mike Trout.
It was a movie ending that raised the profile and popularity of the Classic.
Ohtani returns to Japan, but will be limited to hitting. Trout did not enter the United States squad after not receiving a health insurance policy, something that was a cross for several other participants.
In theory, a new Japan-United States final in Miami would not surprise anyone.
The 20 participating countries have been distributed in two cities in the United States (Houston and Miami), in addition to Tokyo in Japan and San Juan in Puerto Rico, divided into four groups of five teams in the first round. The first two in each bracket will advance to the quarterfinals.
The duel between Australia and Taiwan will raise the curtain on Thursday at the Tokyo Dome, the scene of a group completed by South Korea, the Czech Republic and Japan. The two teams that overcome that sector will face the first two of the bracket that the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Israel and the Netherlands will cheer on in Miami.
The United States will play in Houston, with Mexico, Brazil, Great Britain and Italy as rivals. The best two will go against leaders of the San Juan group that will come from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Colombia, Panama and Canada).
Japanese supremacy
Japan aims for its fourth crown and to become the first team to repeat the throne after the consecrations of 2006 and 2009. The United States was crowned in 2017.
Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto They have some experience revalidating titles, as they were part of the Los Angeles Dodgers that last year managed to be the first to repeat the World Series championship since the three wins in a row by the New York Yankees in 1998, 1999 and 2000.
“Being champions again is the only goal we have,” said Yamamoto, MVP of the last Fall Classic.
Yamamoto will be Japan’s starter when it opens against Taiwan on Friday.
Los Angeles allowed him to represent Japan after a 2025 campaign in which he covered 211 innings, including the postseason.
“The Dodgers understand how big the Classic is in Japan,” Yamamoto said.
Luxury launchers in the US
The American aspirations are supported by a cast of pitchers led by the most recent Cy Young winners in both circuits: Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal. He also has reliever Mason Miller, and an offensive lineup that includes Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, Cal Raleigh, Kyle Schwarber and Bobby Witt Jr.
It will be the first Classic for Judge, who has just won the third MVP of his career as captain of the Yankees.
“I come to this tournament with the intention of becoming champion, but it’s not just for that reason,” Judge said. “I get to represent the United States, the greatest country in the world.”
Logan Webb will start for the United States in the debut against Brazil on Friday, followed by Skubal on Saturday against Great Britain and Skenes against Mexico on Monday.
Skubal, however, will make one start and then rejoin the Tigers for spring training.
Pitchers cannot exceed 65 pitches in the first round, 80 in the quarterfinals and 95 in a semifinal or final. If you go over 50 throws in one outing, you will not be able to compete for the next four days. If he throws more than 30, he will not be able to climb the mound the next day. And no one will be able to pitch on three successive days.
“These are the controls that must be taken into account in preparation for the opening day of the major league regular season,” said Mark DeRosa, the United States manager.
Insurance
The prelude to the Classic was marked by the noise of insurance that ruined the participation of Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa with Puerto Rico and José Altuve with Venezuela.
The tournament is co-owned by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association, and insurance is provided by National Financial Partners, which became more rigid after serious injuries suffered by Altuve and Puerto Rican Edwin Díaz in the previous edition.
When he learned that the lack of insurance prevented him from going to Venezuela, reliever José Alvarado expressed indignation when interviewed by the digital media El Extrabase.
“This is shit… I speak because of the hunger I had to compete again with the name of my country on my chest, because that is a dream that every child dreams,” he said. “This situation is a s— and the insurance is a s—.”
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