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Three years have passed since the World Baseball Classic last wrapped up, but the image of Shohei Ohtani facing Mike Trout still gets brought up whenever international baseball comes around. Japan won that championship game in front of a massive audience, with roughly 42% of Japanese households watching and about 5.2 million viewers tuning in across the United States. MLB players who participated in the tournament described the games as extremely intense and said it was a privilege to represent their country. That energy now rolls into 2026, and the New York Mets will once again be scattered across dugouts around the globe, trading orange and blue for national pride.<\/p>\n
Clay Holmes and Nolan McLean will represent Team USA, with both pitchers making their first appearance in the World Baseball Classic. It gives the New York Mets a pair of arms on one of the tournament\u2019s deepest staffs. Mets fans will be watching to see what they take away from sharing a clubhouse with names like Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal.<\/p>\n
Juan Soto heads back to the World Baseball Classic with the Dominican Republic, this time joined by first-timer Huascar Brazob\u00e1n. Soto slides into another star-packed lineup that looks built to crash the party and make sure a USA vs. Japan sequel never reaches the final inning.<\/p>\n
Mark Vientos will suit up for Nicaragua in his first World Baseball Classic appearance. With trade rumors floating around, some New York Mets fans might be watching a little closer, wondering if he\u2019ll still be wearing orange and blue by the time the tournament arrives.<\/p>\n
Robert Stock returns to the World Baseball Classic with Team Israel after pitching in 2023, this time joined by Jordan Geber, Ben Simon, and Josh Blum. For the newcomers, it\u2019s a chance to face major league hitters before continuing their climb through the New York Mets farm system.<\/p>\n
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Alex Carillo and Daniel Duarte will represent Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. Duarte enters the tournament riding a 24-inning scoreless run from the Mexican Winter League, while Carillo looks to make a strong case to the Mets front office as he pushes for a roster spot heading into 2026.<\/p>\n
Nick Morabito will suit up for Team Italy, looking to carry his strong Fall League showing into the World Baseball Classic. After earning a spot on the 40-man roster this winter, Morabito gets another chance to show the Mets made the right call.<\/p>\n
Jared Young will make his second World Baseball Classic appearance with Team Canada. With new outfield additions and prospects pushing for time, Young has a chance to make an early statement and show the Mets he still deserves a spot on the roster this season.<\/p>\n
Daviel Hurtado will make his World Baseball Classic debut for Team Cuba. He had a solid 2025 season split between Rookie ball and Single-A in the Mets system. The promising lefty gets an early chance to set the tone and carry some momentum into 2026.<\/p>\n
Jos\u00e9 Ramos will make his second World Baseball Classic appearance with Team Panama after joining the Mets this offseason on a minor league deal with a spring training invite. The former Dodgers farmhand gives the Mets an early look at their new addition on the international stage.<\/p>\n
Carlos Guzm\u00e1n will make his World Baseball Classic debut with Team Venezuela after a strong winter run. The right-hander allowed just two earned runs in 24.2 innings in the Venezuelan Winter League, giving him momentum heading into 2026 and a chance to keep that hot stretch going on a bigger stage.<\/p>\n
Jamdrick Cornelia will make his World Baseball Classic debut with Team Netherlands, giving the Mets lefty prospect an early spotlight. After spending the last three seasons in the Dominican Summer League, Cornelia gets a chance to kick off his 2026 campaign against stronger international competition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Three years have passed since the World Baseball Classic last wrapped up, but the image of Shohei Ohtani facing Mike Trout still gets brought up whenever international… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":150327,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-150326","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n