"Joey Meneses, on the heels of his electric 2022 MLB debut campaign where he posted a .930 OPS with 13 home runs in 56 games as a 30-year-old rookie, shocked the United States, hitting two home runs in a group stage victory for his native Mexico. "CabaJoey" was joined by Nationals teammates Erasmo Ramírez (Nicaragua) and Jeimer Candelario (Dominican Republic) as members of the 2023 team representing their countries in the Classic."
"The outfield mix figures to be crowded for the United States, with MVP right fielder Aaron Judge having already been named the captain for the team, but coming off a campaign where he hit 31 home runs with a 127 wRC+ in his first full Major League season, James Wood would almost certainly have a spot on Team USA's 30-man roster. The United States' outfield already looks like it might be drastically different than it was in 2023, when it featured Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, Kyle Tucker, and Cedric Mullins. "
The World Baseball Classic returns in March as a 20-team international tournament featuring players from the Majors, Minors, and international leagues. Nationals players have previously excelled on the global stage, including Joey Meneses, who hit two home runs for Mexico in 2023 after a .930 OPS and 13 homers in his 2022 MLB debut. Erasmo Ramírez and Jeimer Candelario also represented their countries in 2023. The 2026 WBC sees three Nationals with strong chances to participate, with James Wood viewed as almost certain for Team USA and Gore also likely to earn a roster spot if he commits.
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