The World Baseball Classic is an exciting prelude to the Major League Baseball season. It’s not the Olympics, but it gives players the chance to represent their countries on a national stage and compete for supremacy.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic is set to begin on March 5 (March 4 in the United States), with the championship taking place on March 17. The tournament will conclude about a week before the New York Yankees take on the San Francisco Giants on the MLB’s Opening Night.
Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Brad Keller will notably represent Team USA. Aaron Nola (Italy), Taijuan Walker (Mexico), Edmundo Sosa (Panama), Garrett Stubbs (Israel) and Johan Rojas (Dominican Republic) will suit up for their respective countries.
Cristopher Sánchez set to pitch for Dominican Republic in 2026 WBC despite risks for Phillies
Initially there were doubts about whether Cristopher Sánchez would pitch in this year's World Baseball Classic, but he will join Rojas and pitch for Team Dominican Republic, per ESPN’s Enrique Rojas. NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Cole Weintraub noted that the Philadelphia Phillies gave Sánchez the green light to participate after the left-hander expressed interest in representing his country.
Cristopher Sánchez will pitch for Team Dominican Republic in the 2026 WBC.
— Cole Weintraub (@WeintraubCole) January 27, 2026
The southpaw had expressed interest and he got the green light from the Phillies.
There’s always risk involved when players participate in the World Baseball Classic or other leagues during the offseason. They’re one injury away from potentially derailing their own and their team’s upcoming season.
MLB teams often advise their players to sit out of a tournament like the World Baseball Classic to ensure their health for the season. Notably, Houston Astros All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve missed the first two months of the 2023 season after suffering a fractured thumb that required surgery, and former New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz suffered a season-ending knee injury the same year.
Players who are set to head into contract years or who don’t have enough guarantees in their contract often decide to sit out of the World Baseball Classic to focus on the upcoming season and stay healthy. Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo and closer Jhoan Duran won’t participate in this year’s tournament for those very reasons.
It’s risky for pitchers to participate in the World Baseball Classic, especially star pitchers, because they are so heavily relied on by their respective MLB clubs. Sánchez elevated into ace status in the Phillies’ starting rotation and is coming off a season where he logged a career-high 214 innings between the regular season and playoffs.
The extra innings pitched during the World Baseball Classic could impact Sánchez’s 2026 season with the Phillies. In the age of pitch counts and inning restrictions, the Phillies could be making a massive mistake by letting Sánchez pitch for Team Dominican Republic.
There’s already skepticism surrounding the Phillies’ 2026 starting rotation. Zack Wheeler is rehabbing from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery with an unknown timetable to return. Andrew Painter has never pitched in a big league game. Ranger Suárez signed a five-year deal with the Boston Red Sox this offseason. Luzardo is looking to be more consistent this year, and Nola is coming off the worst season of his career.
Sánchez is the key to the Phillies’ success as a starting rotation. The team is counting on the 2025 NL Cy Young runner-up to have another stellar season, but that could be ruined in the blink of an eye if he suffers an injury while pitching in the World Baseball Classic.
It’s safe to say that the Phillies and every Phillies fan will be edgily looking on when Sánchez takes the mound for Team Dominican Republic.