Led by Sandy Alcantara, Marlins players ready to make mark in World Baseball Classic
Sandy Alcantara doesn’t take these opportunities for granted.
Nor should he.
The Miami Marlins’ ace knows he only has so many chances to represent his country, the Dominican Republic, on an international stage.
That’s why the World Baseball Classic has so much meaning for him and his fellow countrymen.
“It always feels great to represent my country and play for the Dominican Republic,” Alcantara said. “I think all the Latin players that play the sport, they feel grateful and thankful to represent their country be out there and show the people what you can do.”
Alcantara isn’t alone among Marlins players.
He’s one of eight members of Miami’s 40-man roster taking part in the tournament over the next two weeks. Catcher Agustin Ramirez joins Alcantara with the Dominican Republic. Shortstop Otto Lopez, catcher Liam Hicks and outfielder Owen Caissie are playing for Canada. Outfielder Jakob Marsee is representing Italy. Utility player Javier Sanoja is playing for Venezuela. And infielder Jared Serna is with Mexico.
A ninth in relief pitcher Michael Petersen was named to Great Britain’s initial roster but opted to stay at Marlins camp as he competes for a spot on Miami’s Opening Day roster.
Two Marlins prospects not in big-league camp — infielders Yiddi Cappe (Cuba) and Ian Lewis (Great Britain) — are also participating.
“It’s another dream come true,” said Sanoja, who became a regular for the Marlins last season and won a Gold Glove as a utility player in 2025.
While the tournament itself heightens the attention of the sport globally, it does present some challenges when it comes to the timing relative to MLB’s schedule. The World Baseball Classic runs through the heart of spring training. The final is on March 17, just over a week before Opening Day. Players who take part in the entirety of the tournament will be away from their MLB clubs for practically all of spring, which can pose challenges.
That said, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough is an endorser of the tournament despite the extra logistical hurdles that come with it.
“I like the World Baseball Classic,” McCullough said. “Certainly everyone probably has some trepidation to their players going off and playing and what may happen. I think it’s been a great thing for baseball, globally, how our game was able to grow with an event like this. You see the number of very recognizable names that are signing up to play. It shows the importance that they place on it. I think it’s a great opportunity to go play in a very competitive environment as well as create as much fanfare as we can and spread our game around the world.”
And Marlins players taking part are relishing the chance to represent their countries.
Some, such as Alcantara, Lopez and Caissie, are taking part in the tournament for a second time after doing so in 2023. Others are embracing their first international experience as big leaguers.
Hicks, for example, is viewing his chance to play for Canada as a sign of just how far his baseball career has come. The Marlins selected him in the Rule 5 Draft a year ago despite him never playing above the Double A level in the minor leagues. The left-handed-hitting catcher, a Toronto native who never represented his country at any level growing up, became one of Miami’s more consistent hitters as a rookie. He hit .247 with a .346 on-base percentage, 20 extra-base hits, 45 RBI and 37 runs scored across 119 games splitting time among catcher, first base and designated hitter.
“It’s an honor to be chosen,” Hicks said. “I wanted to play for Team Canada my whole life growing up. They have a junior national team, which I never got to play on for all the kids under 18. Now, getting better throughout the years, I’m really excited to finally get the opportunity.”
And, of course, there will be some friendly competition among teammates when their countries face off. The Dominican Republic and Venezuela are grouped together in Pool D along with the Netherlands, Nicaragua and Israel at Miami’s loanDepot park. They play each other on Wednesday (8 p.m., FS1) to close pool play, after which the top two teams from each of the four pools advance to the quarterfinals. Alcanatara will start for the DR in that game and potentially get to face Sanoja.
Mexico and Italy are part of Pool B, which will play its games in Houston and also includes the United States, Great Britain and Brazil. Mexico and Serna will play Marsee and Italy on Wednesday (7 p.m., Tubi).
Canada plays in Pool A, which is opening the tournament San Juan. Cuba, Panama and Colombia join Canada and Puerto Rico in that pool.
“It’s a good experience,” Ramirez said. “You’ve got the best players in that setting. It’s going to be a great experience for me, and that I can bring to this season. They gave me the call. I was very excited when I received it. They spoke about my personality and how I handle myself, and that’s something that I was very grateful for. So I’ll be there just representing my country and giving the best I’ve got.”
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