World Baseball Classic: Team Nicaragua News, Notes, and Analysis
Back for a second World Baseball Classic, Nicaragua is looking for a better result after an 0-4 finish in 2023.
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When Dennis Martinez signed with the Orioles for $3,000, he couldn’t have known what a massive step forward he was taking for Nicaraguan baseball. The right-hander debuted in 1976, becoming the first player born in Nicaragua to appear in an MLB game.
Twenty-three years later, Martinez retired with 245 wins, 2149 strikeouts, and nearly 50 wins above replacement. He won a World Series with the Orioles in 1983 and pitched a perfect game with the Expos in 1991.
Fifty years after his debut, Martinez remains Nicaragua’s greatest ballplayer. But 15 more Nicaraguan natives have made it to the majors, including Vincente Padilla, Marvin Benard, and, most recently, the Brewers’ Carlos Rodriguez.
Nicaragua is a baseball country, and now, the rest of the world is starting to take notice.
After failing to qualify in 2013 or 2017, Nicaragua finally debuted in the World Baseball Classic in 2023. No one could have expected Team Nicaragua to beat Venezuela, Puerto Rico, or the Dominican Republic, but their 3-1 loss against Israel was a tough blow, especially since it meant they had to qualify all over again for the 2026 tournament.
Now, however, that 0-4 performance is in the past. Team Nicaragua has qualified again, and they’re headed to their second WBC with a team led by several major leaguers and made up almost entirely of players with experience in affiliated ball.
They’ll be playing in Pool D, against the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the Netherlands, and Israel. That’s three of the four teams they lost to in 2023, with the Netherlands swapped in for Puerto Rico. The DR and Venezuela are the favorites, with the Dutch team a dark horse to advance.
Needless to say, Team Nicaragua is an underdog, but this squad has enough talent to make things interesting. Their number one goal will be to guarantee themselves a spot in the next WBC, but you never know, a bigger upset is always possible.
Let’s take a closer look at the roster that could bring Nicaragua its first win in the World Baseball Classic.
World Baseball Classic: Team Nicaragua Roster
Position Players
Mark Vientos is the big name here. He’s Nicaraguan on his mother’s side, and he gives this team a true middle-of-the-order slugger. While he’s coming off a less-than-stellar 2025 season, his 2024 showed how often he can change a game with one swing of the bat.
The next-most recognizable name above is Jeter Downs, whose father was born in Nicaragua. The former top prospect is, unfortunately, best remembered as the player who was traded for Mookie Betts and failed to live up to expectations. The infielder only ended up playing 20 MLB games with the Red Sox and Nationals from 2022-23.
Yet, Downs might be finding himself in NPB. He appeared in 50 games for the Japan Series-winning Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks last year, hitting for a 123 wRC+ while splitting his time between second and third base.
Freddy Zamora is a shortstop in the Brewers organization. At 27, it’s hard to call him a prospect anymore, but he looked solid at Triple-A this past season (96 wRC+ in 104 games), so it wouldn’t be a shock to see him in the majors in 2026.
Outfielder Ismael Munguia is Nicaragua’s only other position player currently in an MLB organization. He signed with the Giants as an international free agent in 2015. After nearly a decade in the minors with San Francisco, he suited up for the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate last season. This winter, he joined the Blue Jays on a minor league contract.
One more name to know is Benjamin Alegria. The infielder was Nicaragua’s most important hitter in the 2023 tournament, finishing with a 1.167 OPS in 12 PA. He led the team with six hits and two extra-base hits. Alegria played some rookie ball in the Reds organization from 2015-16.
Pitching Staff
| Pitchers | Handedness |
|---|---|
| Erasmo Ramírez | RHP |
| Carlos Rodriguez | RHP |
| JC Ramírez | RHP |
| Danilo Bermudez | LHP |
| Kenword Burton | RHP |
| Stiven Cruz | RHP |
| Osman Gutierrez | RHP |
| Duque Hebbert | RHP |
| Ronald Medrano | RHP |
| Dilmer Mejia | LHP |
| Angel Obando | RHP |
| Oscar Rayo | LHP |
| Carlos Teller | LHP |
| Bryan Torres | RHP |
All three active Nicaraguan-born major leaguers are pitchers, and two of them – Erasmo Ramírez and Carlos Rodriguez – are on this roster. The other, Jonathan Loáisiga, pitched in the 2023 WBC, but after yet another injury-shortened season for the right-hander, it’s not surprising he’s staying in spring training with his new club (the Diamondbacks).
Ramírez, 35, is a 14-year MLB veteran. Most closely associated with the Mariners and Rays, he has also pitched in the majors for the Red Sox, Mets, Tigers, Nationals, and Twins. He is currently unsigned, but perhaps a strong performance in the classic will help him find his next team.
Rodriguez, on the other hand, has only just started his major league career. The 24-year-old has pitched a grand total of seven games for the Brewers so far. These two could very well be Team Nicaragua’s closer and number one starter, respectively.
JC Ramírez is the other major leaguer on this staff, though he hasn’t appeared in MLB since 2019. From 2013-19, he pitched 142 games for the Phillies, Diamondbacks, Mariners, Reds, and Angels. He was mostly a reliever, though he had some success as a starter with L.A. in 2017. The right-hander has continued playing professionally in the CPBL, the Mexican League, various winter leagues, and, most recently, the Atlantic League.
Three more pitchers on Team Nicaragua are currently employed by MLB organizations: Stivan Cruz (Brewers), Oscar Rayo (Royals), and Duque Hebbert (Tigers).
Designated Pitcher Pool
Pitchers in the DPP are eligible to be added to their team’s roster as replacements after the first round:
Coaching and Administrative Staff
| Role | Coach/Executive |
|---|---|
| General Manager | Marvin Benard |
| Manager | Dusty Baker |
| Bench Coach | Sandor Guido |
| Hitting Coach | Randall Simon |
| Pitching Coach | Lenin Picota |
| First Base Coach | Jorge Avellan |
| Third Base Coach | Gary Pettis |
| Bullpen Coach | Daniel Firova |
| Bullpen Coach | Jose Torrez |
| Bullpen Catcher | Rodolfo Bone |
| Outfield Coach | Jacque Jones |
| Quality Control Coach | Anibal Vega |
It’s not often that the manager is the biggest star on a team, but most managers aren’t Dusty Baker. The future Hall of Fame skipper accomplished just about everything he could accomplish in a three-decade managerial career, and now he’s giving the WBC a shot.
To be clear, Baker isn’t Nicaraguan, but he doesn’t have to be. Team Nicaragua’s general manager Marvin Benard played under Baker throughout almost all of his MLB career. Benard asked Baker to take the job. Baker said yes.
Three notable names on Baker’s staff are outfield coach Jacque Jones, hitting coach Randall Simon, and third base coach Gary Pettis.
Jones played for 10 years, from 1999 to 2008, primarily for the Twins. He started regularly at all three outfield positions. Simon, a first baseman, played eight seasons in the majors, suiting up for six different teams between 1997 and 2006. Both played under Baker when he managed the Cubs.
Pettis never played with or under Baker during his 11-season career from 1982 to 1992. However, the two worked together from 2020-23, when Baker managed the Astros and Pettis coached third base, baserunning, and the outfield.
World Baseball Classic: Team Nicaragua Schedule
Exhibition Games
| Date | Opponent | Start Time |
|---|---|---|
| March 3 | New York Mets | 1:10 pm ET |
| March 4 | St. Louis Cardinals | 1:05 pm ET |
Pool Play
| Date | Opponent | Start Time |
|---|---|---|
| March 6 | @ Dominican Republic  | 7:00 pm ET |
| March 7 | @ Netherlands  | 12:00 pm ET |
| March 8 | @ Israel  | 7:00 pm ET |
| March 9 | vs. Venezuela  | 7:00 pm ET |
Knockout Rounds
| Round | Date | Stadium | Start Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterfinal | Mar. 13 or 14, 2026 | loanDepot Park, Miami | TBA |
| Semifinal | Mar. 15 or 16, 2026 | loanDepot Park, Miami | 8:00 pm ET |
| Final | Mar. 17, 2026 | loanDepot Park, Miami | 8:00 pm ET |
Written by
Leo Morgenstern is one of the managing editors for Just Baseball. He is also the managing editor at Jays Centre. His writing has appeared all over…