"Steve Cohen must love that" - Fans troll Juan Soto after confirming 2026 WBC spot

New York Mets superstar Juan Soto has confirmed his participation in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

The $765 million star - per Spotrac - will represent the Dominican Republic, unleashing a flurry of fan reactions across the Majors. While some fans were noticeably enthusiastic about Soto’s confirmation, others took advantage of the opportunity to poke fun at the situation.

Meanwhile, other fans expressed their encouragement at learning about the Mets star leading a stacked Dominican Republic team.

Juan Soto and the Dominican Republic will be looking to avenge a disappointing 2023 WBC in which they failed to make it out of the group stage.

The last time the Dominican Republic took the WBC title was in 2013, when the squad led by Tony Peña steamrolled the competition.

Cardinals legend to manage Juan Soto, Dominican Republic at the 2026 WBC

St. Louis Cardinals legend Albert Pujols will manage the 2026 Dominican Republic squad featuring Juan Soto per ESPN’s Enrique Rojas.

Rojas - who reported the news - highlighted how Pujols has successfully started his managerial career. In Pujols’s first season leading the Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League, the former Cardinal and Angels slugger led the Leones to the league championship.

Then, Albert Pujols’s squad took home the 2025 Caribbean Series title. The tourney, played in Mexicali, was Pujols’ first international managerial experience.

Based on Pujols’s early wins, he seems like a natural choice to lead a stacked Dominican Republic team that could be an early favorite to win next year’s WBC. With Juan Soto in the mix, the Dominican Republic looks to have the best bat in MLB, hitting in the middle of its order.

Final rosters have yet to be announced, but some estimates include big names such as Jose Ramirez, Manny Machado, Ketel Marte, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The pitching staff could include Sandy Alcántara, Framber Valdez, Luis Severino, and Luis Peralta, among others.

The 2026 WBC edition - which starts on Mar. 5, 2026 - is slated to convene in four cities: San Juan, Puerto Rico; Houston, Texas; Tokyo, Japan; and Miami, Florida.

About the author

Nestor is an NHL and MLB writer at Sportskeeda with over 10 years of experience. Growing up in Toronto, he became an avid Maple Leafs and Blue Jays fan, but also admires the New York Islanders and Los Angeles Dodgers for their dominance in the 80s. Holding an Economics and Education major, Nestor’s passion for writing and sporting events led him to take up reporting about the sport professionally.

Nestor credits the Leafs’ playoff runs in the early '90s as having a lasting impact on him. His favorite players are Doug Gilmour and Mike Bossy, as he feels they were tough, talented leaders, while Pat Burns is his favorite coach of all time for always preaching a fast-paced game.

Growing up in Canada, it was natural for Nestor to become interested in ice hockey and he played Minor Hockey as a teenager, which has given him a unique perspective on the sport. Nestor has mastered the art of how to best present facts and he also has a knack for knowing which sources can be trusted, and which can't for stories.

When he is not writing about Canada’s national passion, Nestor enjoys running and hiking.

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