DR World Baseball Classic Roster: Breaking down the talent stacked team

The 2023 World Baseball Classic is set to start on March 8. As always, the Dominican Republic is set to field one of the best teams in the tournament.

The Dominican Republic will start their campaign in the 2023 World Baseball Classic against Venezuela on March 11 at the LoanDepot Stadium, home of the Miami Marlins. Let's take a look at some of the top players who are set to take center stage.

"The WBC Dominican Republic team is WILD feat. Felix Bautista" - @ OOSO

The top name for the Dominican Republic is Seattle Mariners rookie Julio Rodriguez. Rodriguez hails from Loma de Cabrera in the northwest portion of the country.

This year for the Seattle Mariners, Rodriguez hit 28 home runs, 75 RBIs while hitting .284/.345/.509 and was named the second Rookie of the Year Award winner for the Seattle Mariners in three years, after Kyle Lewis won it in 2020.

Another big name set to make his World Baseball Classic debut is Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who hit a league-leading 48 home runs in 2021. Born in Montreal, Guerrero is the son of Dominican baseball icon Vladimir Guerrero Sr., who was playing for the Allouettes when Guerrero Jr. was born.

Cleveland Guardians star Jose Ramirez had one of the best years of his career in 2022. The 30-year-old led the league in doubles with 44. Additionally, he hit a career-high number of RBIs with 126 of them, and led the league in intentional base on balls. Ramirez will be an absolute boon with his wealth of experience.

Manny Machado will also be returning to the team. He was born in Miami to Dominican parents and appeared for the DR in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. He finished second in the NL MVP voting this year on account of his 32 home runs and 102 RBIs.

"Manny Machado had some fun making his glove for the World Baseball Classic. What do you think of his glove? #TeamRawlings" - @ Rawlings Baseball

The top pitcher for the Dominican Republic in the upcoming World Baseball Classic is Sandy Alcantara, who was dominant on the mound for the Miami Marlins for the entirety of last season. The 27-year-old starter from the town of Azua in the Dominican Republic threw a league-best six complete games and posted an ERA of just 2.28 over a league-high 228.2 innings.

Team DR is one of the favorites in the 2023 World Baseball Classic

The team underwhelmed in the 2017 tournament, falling to the USA and Puerto Rico in the second round. However, they are poised to have some of the best talent in the MLB this year. Do not be surprised if the team ends up going very far indeed.