When he’s not actively swinging the bat or roaming center field for Team Dominican Republic, there’s a good chance you’ll find Julio Rodriguez with a camcorder in hand, diligently documenting every step of his national team’s quest for a World Baseball Classic title. Since the team gathered for the first time at the beginning of this month, Rodriguez’s handheld camera has practically become its own character on a squad teeming with high-profile personalities and all-world talent, a powerful combination that has been on full display as Team D.R. surged to a 3-0 start in pool play.  

Riding the wave of emotion garnered from playing a pair of exhibitions against the Detroit Tigers on their home soil, the Dominicans rolled into the tournament and promptly dispatched their first three opponents in dominant fashion: 12-3 over Nicaragua, 12-1 over Netherlands (in seven innings), and 10-1 over Israel. The spectacular pride and passion demonstrated at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in Santo Domingo carried over to loanDepot Park in Miami, as the team’s terrific on-field performance has been punctuated by electric celebrations and prop-related shenanigans that keep the dugout and crowd buzzing.

On Wednesday in Miami, Team D.R. faces its toughest task yet: a showdown with Venezuela, another Latin American baseball powerhouse radiating with pride and talent, to close out pool play. Although D.R. has one WBC title (2013) while Venezuela is seeking its first, the previous tournament’s results — D.R. losing to Venezuela and failing to escape the group stage — serve as the more relevant context. Wednesday’s game represents a chance at redemption for a Dominican team that knows its showing in 2023 was far below its capabilities. And while this time around, spots in the quarterfinals are already guaranteed for both squads, the stakes for the highly anticipated clash are significant: The winner will finish atop Pool D and face Korea in the quarterfinals on Friday, while the loser will finish runner-up and advance to a more daunting date with Japan on Saturday.

How the tournament unfolds from there remains to be seen, but Team D.R. is enjoying every second of the experience, embracing its role as one of the heavyweights and wielding its talent advantage, rather than feeling the pressure that comes with it. That’s a noticeable contrast to the likes of Japan and Team USA, who have at times struggled to dismantle their inferior opponents. Not the Dominican team. Since being down 3-2 through two innings in its opening contest against Nicaragua, Team D.R. has outscored its opponents 32-2, with a tournament-leading nine home runs.

The star power in the lineup is undeniable. Rodriguez, who finished sixth in AL MVP voting last season, batted seventh in D.R.’s first two games. Given the names ahead of him — Fernando Tatis Jr., Ketel Marte, Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado, Junior Caminero — it’s tough to argue with Rodriguez’s spot in manager Albert Pujols’ batting order. The pitching staff isn’t quite as loaded, but it has also been quite effective. In fact, its best pitcher, Cristopher Sanchez, accounts for three of the five total earned runs Team D.R. has allowed, while the bullpen has yet to be scored upon.

The talent on the roster speaks for itself. But it is also abundantly clear that the infectious chemistry among these superstars isn’t something that developed over the past week or so. It’s the result of much deeper relationships formed while growing up in a country with a passion for the sport of baseball. 

In MLB history, only the United States has produced more major leaguers than the Dominican Republic. A total of 936 Dominican-born players have reached the big leagues, and that doesn’t include stars with deep Dominican roots such as Guerrero Jr., who was born in Canada during his Hall of Fame father’s Expos tenure, or Machado, the captain of the team seeking its second WBC title. The vast majority have hailed from a select few locales, including the two most populous cities, the bustling capital of Santo Domingo and Santiago, situated about 100 miles north in the more mountainous region of the island. Beyond those more urban settings, pro ballplayers tend to come from a series of towns along the southern coastline, the most prominent being San Pedro de Macoris. This area is where nearly all of the academies owned and operated by MLB organizations are located and where the most well-developed and maintained playing fields are found.

Then there’s Rodriguez, the ultra-rare big leaguer born and raised in Loma De Cabrera, a small town nestled in the northwest corner of the island just a few miles from the Haitian border. Before Rodriguez rose to prominence, Loma De Cabrera’s roster of well-known figures was limited to two names: switch-hitting shortstop Rafael Furcal, the 2000 NL Rookie of the Year, and legendary merengue singer Fernando Villalona. Because of the town’s remote location and lack of landmarks, it’s not a part of the country that most native Dominicans ever have a reason to visit or pass through, let alone visitors from outside the island. 

But since making his mark in the major leagues, Rodriguez has made it a point to highlight his humble hometown at every turn — and has transformed it for the better along the way. Furcal, the first to make it to the majors from Loma De Cabrera, did the same throughout his career, and his return to celebrate with his community after winning the 2011 World Series with the Cardinals is a cherished memory from Rodriguez’s childhood. Furcal’s commitment to his roots is something Rodriguez has strived to replicate as he has made a name for himself. And since signing an enormous extension with Seattle during his rookie year that guaranteed him more than $200 million — along with the host of endorsements that come with being one of baseball’s brightest young talents — Rodriguez has devoted a portion of his resources to improving the lives of those in the community that raised him. 

It began after his rookie year with the donation of an ambulance to the town, plus toys and baseball equipment for the local youth. He helped rebuild and restore the home of a local woman and her grandson. He financed the renovation of the cultural center in the heart of the city, where residents often celebrate reunions and birthdays, including Rodriguez’s 17th, months after he signed his first professional contract with the Seattle Mariners.

Fourteen months ago, Rodriguez stood on the field where his baseball dreams were nurtured as a kid, a site that has since become a gathering place for his giving as an adult.

“That’s the field where I grew up playing,” he said. “First baseball experience, first tournament, first home run. I mean, pretty much everything.”

At the time — as it had been for years — the field was in poor condition, with limited functionality or features beyond the run-down diamond itself, a far cry from some of the well-maintained venues elsewhere on the island. But it was the biggest and best field Loma De Cabrera had to offer. Naturally, Rodriguez saw another opportunity to help his hometown.

“I said, ‘OK, what would be my next project here?’” he said. “And definitely turned to the field.”

Considering the field’s condition, this was by far Rodriguez’s most ambitious goal yet. Fortunately, he had the right man for the job in his inner circle. Brian Mejia, one of his representatives at his agency, Octagon, was directly involved in the development and construction of the Baltimore Orioles’ brand-new academy in Guerra. That experience instilled confidence that a field overhaul was doable for Mejia and his team, but it was still a lot to accomplish in time for Rodriguez to open the new venue the following offseason. Undaunted, Rodriguez made a personal investment of $1.3 million to ensure the project would be completed in time for his annual day of charity in Loma De Cabrera on Three Kings Day in early January.

“One thing just led to another, and we basically remodeled the whole field,” Rodriguez said. “We put turf, we added drainage, we painted it out, we remodeled the infrastructure. We added the lights, added a cage — we never had a cage before there. We cleaned up the whole area and turned it into a little stadium in my hometown.”

While he was busy helping the Mariners venture deeper into the postseason than ever last year, Rodriguez maintained communication with Mejia throughout the season regarding the progress of the project.

“He took the lead on telling us what he wanted, and we made it happen,” Mejia told Yahoo Sports of the renovation project. But for Rodriguez, delivering a brand-new ballfield was only the first step.

“Now, to get the whole WBC team there?” Mejia said. “That was all Julio.”

[Draft your Yahoo Fantasy Baseball team for the 2026 MLB Season]

As it turned out, to celebrate the occasion properly, Rodriguez needed help — and his soon-to-be tournament teammates were happy to lend a hand. Rodriguez organized a softball game to formalize the opening of the new field and invited several of his closest countrymen to elevate the event to a level unlike anything Loma De Cabrera had ever seen. Mejia might be exaggerating slightly when describing who made the trek to Rodriguez’s hometown to participate, but not by much. Soto, Guerrero and Tatis — the trio of Dominican megastars who have climbed to the top of the sport since signing as teenagers in 2015 — were all in attendance, as were Oneil Cruz and Team D.R.’s general manager, former slugger Nelson Cruz. Rodriguez’s Mariners teammates Victor Robles and Luis Castillo were there, too, along with several other pro ballplayers.

It’s not uncommon to see players gathering in the offseason to hang out, work out or support one another’s charitable efforts; Guerrero himself hosted an event at loanDepot Park a month prior, with similarly star-studded attendance. But it’s one thing to ask big leaguers to spend a few hours at a ballpark in a major metropolis. For Rodriguez to recruit members of this deep roster to spend a day in his remote hometown hundreds of miles away from the island’s major cities? That’s indicative of a special culture of community that is not lost on the Mariners’ star. 

“Really grateful for them for showing support and love,” Rodriguez said. “And it says a lot because where I’m from, it’s really like, the corner of the Dominican Republic, and there’s not really a whole lot going on. And for them to come up and go out of their way and show off for me — and not just for me, but for all those kids in the community … everybody was going crazy about it.”

“I would say 90% of those guys have never been to that part of the Dominican,” Mejia said. 

During the event, Rodriguez made it a point to not have security be too strict, trusting his community to treat the guests with respect under the rare circumstances: literal billions of dollars’ worth of major leaguers roaming in their midst. 

“I told them, ‘Hey, when you guys come over here,’” Rodriguez said of his invite to his fellow All-Stars, “‘you guys are gonna shake up this whole region. So be prepared.’”

Indeed, the scheduled game descended into beautiful chaos rather quickly, with only a few innings completed before the sparkling new playing surface became over-run with enthusiastic and star-struck locals. But regardless of how many at-bats the players logged before the crowd prevented any further play, their presence made a mark.

“I remember, growing up, it was a dream of mine to just meet, like, really good MLB players,” said Rodriguez, now a star in both MLB and the WBC. “Because I was just either watching on TV or playing on the PlayStation with them. 

“And I know it was a huge impact for my community, for all the kids that have dreams to become professional baseball players.”

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Giants fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The 2026 MLB season is about to start, and the San Francisco Giants have high hopes of returning to the postseason for the first time since 2021. But it won’t be easy, as the National League West projects as one of the more challenging divisions in baseball.

There’s a clear hierarchy in the NL West. At the top sits the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, who boast an embarrassment of riches. At the bottom sits the Colorado Rockies, who are just a standard embarrassment. And in the middle are the Giants, San Diego Padres, and Arizona Diamondbacks, who are jockeying for position in the division, with sights set on a playoff berth.

It’s no guarantee where anyone will end up. No one thought the Giants had a chance of catching the Dodgers in 2021, but catch them they did. Still, it seems overwhelmingly likely that they end up in either second, third, or fourth place in the division. So what’s your pick?

There were no postgame interviews today as the Colorado Rockies beat the Seattle Mariners 11-7.

(Taco’s anyone?)

However, please enjoy seven minutes of game highlights. (Spoiler: There’s a lot to see.)

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

I’m going to throw some numbers at you and let you decide whether or not I’m completely making them up.

Matt McLain, the resident 2B of the Cincinnati Reds and likely #2 hitter in the lineup everyday, is 17 for 28 so far in Cactus League play in 2026. Seventeen for twenty-eight, or a .607 batting average.

He is Joey Votto now, roughly – he has walked 5 times so far in spring games while only owning a pair (2!) strikeouts across 10 games played.

He’s hit 5 dingers. He has 3 more home runs than he has strikeouts.

He is slugging 1.179. Over the final 11 seasons of Barry Bonds’ career, his OPS was 1.173.

Matt McLain, after homering again on Wednesday afternoon against the Milwaukee Brewers as part of a 3 for 3 day (that featured a pair of runs scored and a stolen base), is now hitting .607/.667/1.179, numbers that are so ridiculous they quite frankly ruin the triple-slash format because they’re so good.

He has a 1.846 OPS at the moment. That’s the best in all of spring training baseball across MLB right now.

In fact, he’s atop the spring MLB leaderboard in runs, hits, home runs, RBI, average, OBP, and SLG. He leads every Major League Baseball player in all of those.

Here’s the leaderboard. You can look at it yourself. You can look at it yourself, but you cannot unsee Matt McLain, because he’s literally the first name listed on pretty much any category you choose to sort.

He does not lead all of Major League Baseball in height, but that doesn’t matter.

None of these spring stats really matter, either, and they’ll all reset to .000 the moment the regular season begins in two weeks. The hope is, though, that McLain has fully turned the corner from his shoulder troubles and struggles from a year ago, and that the ridiculous dude we’ve had the chance to follow this spring is the guy who’s capable of being a really, really good big leaguer showing out in the best manner possible.

My brain typically ignores spring stats the moment spring training ends, and I honestly don’t recall anyone doing anything of note – bad or good – this side of Dave Sappelt. This McLain spring, though, may just be so ridiculous that I have a hard time forgetting it.

MESA, Arizona — Matt Halbach doubled in Scott Kingery with one out in the ninth and the Cubs had a walk-off 9-8 win over the Royals on a beautiful afternoon at Sloan Park.

Those guys, of course, aren’t likely going to be playing for the Cubs this year, though Kingery might wind up at Triple-A Iowa as infield insurance.

Before that happened, the teams combined for seven home runs and the Cubs wound up batting in very weird sequences in the seventh and eighth innings. I’ll get to the latter, but let’s begin at the beginning.

Colin Rea allowed a run in the first inning on a triple and an error by Nico Hoerner, and then the Cubs got to work in the second. With two out, Carson Kelly and Dylan Carlson singled and Matt Shaw was hit by a pitch.

Pedro Ramirez cleared ‘em with this grand slam [VIDEO].

Gotta tell you, I am really impressed with Ramirez. He turns 22 on April 1, plays solid infield defense and has hit well this spring. Granted, spring, granted, small sample size but this is a player to keep an eye on.

Nico was next and sort of made up for his error by homering [VIDEO].

So it’s 5-1 Cubs, but Rea gave that all back by allowing three home runs in the third and fourth innings. The 5-5 tie stuck until the seventh, with Caleb Thielbar and Hunter Harvey throwing efficient scoreless innings, then Hoby Milner gave up a homer to give KC a 6-5 lead in the top of the seventh.

The Cubs scored a pair in the bottom of the inning and I swear to you, they batted out of order. Now, that doesn’t really matter in Spring Training but take a look at this part of the boxscore:

What happened here was this: Rojas had replaced Hoerner in the top of the seventh and should have led off the inning. Instead, Moisés Ballesteros led off and singled. Then he was replaced by Joan Delgado as a pinch-runner. THEN Rojas batted, and struck out.

Don’t ask me why. That’s what I saw. It broke Gameday for quite some time, eventually the above is what they went with. Th Cubs scored two runs, one on an RBI single by Brett Bateman, one on an RBI single by Kingery. The Cubs led 7-6 going to the eighth.

Jacob Webb gave up an unearned run thanks to an infield popup that was dropped by Halbach. In fairness, there was a bit of wind that blew the ball near the mound. That tied the game. A homer off Gavin Hollwell in the ninth gave KC the lead, then the Cubs won the game in the ninth. Justin Dean challenged a pitch that was called strike three, and it was overturned. Given another chance, Dean doubled. He scored the tying run on Kingery’s single and then Halbach won it with his double.

This might have been a meaningless spring result, but right there you can see how an ABS challenge can help change the result of the game. You can be sure the Cubs are filing that info away for future reference.

Attendance watch: 12,026 attended this Wednesday afternoon affair at Sloan Park. That makes the season total for 11 dates 132,824, or 12,076 per date.

The Cubs will host the Seattle Mariners at Sloan Park Thursday afternoon. Edward Cabrera will start for the Cubs and Emerson Hancock will go for Seattle. Game time is 3:05 p.m. CT. No TV Thursday, but the Mariners flagship station Seattle Sports 710 AM will have a radio broadcast.