Teams are beginning to make big announcements as we keep inching closer to the first games of the World Baseball Classic being played in March 2026. The Dominican Republic has named Albert Pujols their manager for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Pujols, 45, is mainly known for his career as a St. Louis Cardinal, having been drafted by them in the 13th round of the 1999 MLB Draft from Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods in Kansas City, Missouri.
Although he was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, his family immigrated to Washington Heights, New York, in 1996, but two months later, they moved to Independence, Missouri, to be closer to relatives.
His career in the MLB would span from 2001-2022 with the Cardinals, Angels, and Dodgers organizations. Pujols finished as an 11-time All-Star, a two-time World Series champion, three-time NL MVP, NL Rookie of the Year in 2001, and a two-time Gold Glove Award winner. The future Hall of Famer hit for a career .296 average, 3,384 hits, 703 home runs, driving in 2,218 RBIs.
Since his departure from the game, Pujols has stayed heavily involved and has turned to special advising, broadcasting and managing. In 2023, he joined the Angels as a special assistant, part of a 10-year personal services contract. He has also been an analyst on the MLB Network and was named an “official global ambassador” of Baseball United.
But Pujols got his first turn in the dugout this winter, managing the Leones del Escogido part of LIDOM. The Leones del Escogido finished fourth in LIDOM with a record of 24-25, but qualified for the Serie Semifinal. The team would advance to the Serie Final, playing the Tigres del Licey for a shot at the Caribbean Series. Pujols would win the Serie Final, as Escogido would win over Licey in seven games to advance.
Now, Pujols has a chance to manage what will be a very talented Dominican team on display. It will be intriguing to see who he recruits to join the team, along with his coaching staff. Rodney Linares managed the Dominicans in 2023, so it will be interesting to see if the D.R. will retain Linares on their coaching staff.
The Dominican Republic will be part of Pool D for the World Baseball Classic, along with Venezuela, the Netherlands, and Israel. The games will be played at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, from March 6 to 11, 2026.
