"The 2026 tournament marks the second appearance for Smith, who made his Team USA debut in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Smith is coming off a career-best season with the Dodgers, posting a career-high .296 batting average with 17 homers and a .901 OPS. He finished in the top 20 in NL MVP voting. Moreover, Smith cemented his third World Series ring in November. Now, he is set to be behind the plate for Team USA in March."
"Smith isn't the only Dodger confirmed to be in the tournament as Shohei Ohtani announced last month that he would once again be representing Japan. Now, Smith and Ohtani will square off as rivals rather than teammates in the WBC. Other players that have made the preliminary rosters include outfielder Andy Pages for Team Cuba and right-hander Roki Sasaki for Team Japan."
Will Smith accepted an invitation to play catcher for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, confirming his second WBC appearance after debuting in 2023. He responded to the roster call with "What took you so long?" Smith finished a career-best season, batting .296 with 17 home runs and a .901 OPS, and placed in the top 20 of National League MVP voting. He also earned his third World Series ring in November. Team USA aims to return to WBC championship contention after losing 3-2 to Japan in 2023. Shohei Ohtani will represent Japan, and other preliminaries include Andy Pages and Roki Sasaki.
Read at Dodgers Nation
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