Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reveals why he chose to represent Dominican Republic over Canada in 2026 WBC

With the 2026 WBC fast approaching, some of the best players in the game are gearing up to represent their countries. These include Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Ronald Acuna Jr.

The team they are set to represent is relatively straightforward. However, Guerrero has a choice of which nation to represent. He is eligible for two countries, Canada, where he was born, or the Dominican Republic, given his roots.

In an interview with TheScore insider Tom Ruminski on Tuesday, he talked about why he is planning to play for the Dominican Republic. He also revealed that his father had a significant role in it.

"I was born in Canada, but I grew up in the Dominican Republic," Guerrero said. "My dad never went to a World Baseball Classic. He told me as a kid that I should represent the Dominican if I ever got a chance to do it. I grew up with that. So, I think I will play with the Dominicans, but maybe if I'm not retired, I will play with Canada one day."

Tampa Bay Rays v Toronto Blue Jays - Game One - Source: Getty

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will represent the Dominican Republic alongside some top big league talent

The Dominican Republic is a hotbed for talented players who end up enjoying plenty of success in the major leagues. It's evident in their national team roster.

Seattle Mariners v Toronto Blue Jays - Source: Getty

Willy Adames, Juan Soto, Rafael Devers, Robinson Cano, Ketel Marte, Manny Machado, Jeremy Pena, Teoscar Hernandez and Julio Rodriguez have all suited up for the nation.

The addition of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will make it an even more formidable hitting lineup. If its pitching staff can perform decently, the Dominican Republic is arguably one of the favorites to go all the way in 2026.

About the author

Raghav Mehta is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda awaiting results for a Bachelor's in Journalism from Delhi University. He enjoys highlighting the key battles between players at different stages of the game and analyzing the decisive moments upon which they hinge.

One of Raghav's favorite moments, which underscores this, was the Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout clash in the 2023 WBC, where two of baseball's best players faced off against each other in the 9th inning. With the score 3-2 to Japan, Shohei eventually got the strikeout, which was absolute cinema.

Raghav is a Baltimore Orioles fan and is enjoying watching such an exciting young team compete at the top in a very competitive division.

Raghav has loved watching sports for as long as he can remember and realized he was pretty decent at writing his thoughts down at around the age of 14. Combining the two meant he had something he would enjoy doing every day, and he had identified that well before going to college.

Aside from work, Raghav enjoys playing sports, working out and watching movies.

Know More

Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez