Why is Austin Barnes playing for Mexico in WBC? Tracing LA Dodgers catcher's affiliations to the country

Some of the Los Angeles Dodgers' biggest stars have shined during the World Baseball Classic, however, fans were surprised to see Austin Barnes in the lineup for Team Mexico.

The veteran catcher, along with his Dodgers teammate Julio Urias, has put Mexico in a position to advance to the second round of the international baseball tournament.

"Who would’ve thought that Austin Barnes is half Mexican?" - J-LOCO

Many fans were surprised to see Barnes in the Mexican squad, as not many are aware of his ties to the country.

Before the start of the tournament, Barnes spoke about his reasons behind playing for Mexico:

“My grandparents on my mom’s side were born in Mexico before they came over here. I grew up on that side of the Mexican culture, so it would be fun to represent them.”

The former World Series champion opened up to the idea of representing Mexico at the World Baseball Classic after conversations with Julio Urias, as well as several members of the Los Angeles Angels organization.

“I kind of was messing around with Julio a lot, and my uncle (Mike Gallego) is a coach with the Angels.”

"I feel bad for team Mexico’s PA announcer. He gets to announce all these beautiful Hispanic names with so much pizzaz then he’s like… “Number 15, Austin Barnes” - @baseballnic25

Barnes played an important role for the Mexican squad during their shocking 11-5 upset victory over the United States. The catcher went 1-for-4 with a run and a stolen base. He will continue to lead Mexico's catching core, which will also feature Angel Lopez and Alexis Wilson.

Mexico, who currently possess a 1-1 record in Pool C, will be looking to continue their momentum heading into a crucial matchup with Great Britain tonight at 10:00 pm ET. The game will be played at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"We are giving away two tickets to see Great Britain vs Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. Game is tomorrow night at 7:00 pm MST. Game is at Chase Field in Phoenix. Drop a comment down below and RT, if interested. Winner chosen in 8 hours. #baseball #WorldBaseballClassic #NFT" - @Wildsportsbets

A look at Austin Barnes' career in the MLB so far

After being drafted by the Miami Marlins in the ninth round of the 2011 MLB draft, Barnes has spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"The @Dodgers won their 7th World Series title when an Austin Barnes single sparked a 6th inning rally and chased Blake Snell from Game 6." - Dodgers Archive

Throughout his 486 MLB games, Austin Barnes has hit 32 home runs with 138 RBIs, while maintaining a career .225 batting average. He was also a member of the Dodgers' 2020 World Series-winning team.