As the World Baseball Classic gets closer, we find out which players on the Arizona Diamondbacks are participating. Victor Boccone G. of PlayBeisbol.com, reports that Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez will pitch for Team Venezuela.
Rodríguez, 32, will pitch in his second WBC for Venezuela. In 2023, they lost to Team USA in the quarterfinals. He appeared in one game during pool play before Venezuela advanced to the knockout stage.
At the time, he was pitching for the Detroit Tigers. He later joined the Diamondbacks on a four-year deal the following December.
Eduardo Rodriguez Joins Deep Pool of Diamondbacks in WBC
Rodríguez becomes the fourth Diamondback whose appearance in the 2026 World Baseball Classic has been confirmed.
- USA: OF Corbin Carroll
- Dominican Republic: SS Geraldo Perdomo, 2B Ketel Marte
- Venezuela: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez
It’s no surprise that the Diamondbacks’ best three players are participating in the World Baseball Classic. All three are expected to anchor the top third of Arizona’s lineup, especially with Marte’s trade situation more or less resolved.
Utility infielder Ildemaro Vargas, who returned to Arizona on a minor league deal this offseason, could also join him for Team Venezuela. Vargas was on the 2023 roster as well. However, his spot on the team might be less clear as he’s battling for a spot on the Opening Day roster as a reserve infielder.
Catcher Gabriel Moreno has also requested to participate in the WBC, according to this feature from Momento Deportivo RD, going as far as contacting manager Omar López. Salvador Perez, the Kansas City Royals‘ long-time catcher, is expected to play. So it’s unclear if Moreno will be included on Venezuela’s roster when they’re announced on February 3.
Another Diamondback that could also join the tournament is pitching prospect Jacob Steinmetz. The former third rounder out of the 2021 draft appeared for Team Israel in 2023. One of the more notable highlights was the 19-year-old Steinmetz punching out Manny Machado and retiring Marte on a groundout.
There are no reports confirming Steinmetz’s participation in the tournament at the moment, although he expressed a willingness to pitch for Israel again. Steinmetz is the first Orthodox Jew to be drafted and is hoping to be their first major leaguer.
When Will the 2026 WBC Begin?
The World Baseball Classic begins with Pool Play from March 6-11. The 20 teams participating in the WBC were separated into four pools of five teams.
Here are the four pools in this year’s tournament.
- Pool A (Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, PR): Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico
- Pool B (Daikin Park, Houston, USA): Brazil, Great Britain, Italy, Mexico, USA
- Pool C (Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan): Australia, Chinese Taipei, Czechia, Japan, Korea
- Pool D (loanDepot Park, Miami, USA): Dominican Republic, Israel, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Venezuela
The top two teams of each pool will advance to an eight-team, single-elimination tournament from March 13-17. Six of the seven matches in knockout play will be hosted in Miami.
Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodriguez to Pitch for Venezuela in 2026 World Baseball Classic