In a historic first, the Detroit Tigers will face the Dominican Republic National Team in a two-game exhibition series at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in Santo Domingo next march. The series, announced Monday during the Winter Meetings, serves as both a key tune-up for the Dominican squad ahead of the 2026 World Baseball Classic and a tribute to the victims of the April 2025 nightclub tragedy. The event will include a donation to the Dominican Red Cross, reflecting baseball’s deep ties to the country and its commitment to the community.
ORLANDO – The Dominican Republic National Team will face the Detroit Tigers in a two-game exhibition series as part of the 2026 Spring Training schedule, World Baseball Classic, Inc. announced Monday. The games will be played on March 3 and 4 at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in Santo Domingo, serving as a key tune-up before the start of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
The announcement came during the first day of the Winter Meetings, with a press conference featuring Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr.; Nelson Cruz, a seven-time All-Star and General Manager of the Dominican Republic team, as well as MLB Special Advisor for Baseball Operations; and Albert Pujols, an 11-time All-Star, three-time MVP, and manager of the Dominican squad. The series originated from an idea presented by Cruz to Commissioner Manfred and Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader, with Pujols and others quickly voicing their full support.
This marks the first time in history the Dominican national team will host a Major League club for exhibition games in the country. The games will be played in memory of the victims of the April 8, 2025 tragedy at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo. MLB and UEPA will make a donation to the Dominican Red Cross as part of the event, honoring the memory of those lost.
“The tragedy in the Dominican Republic took the lives of over 200 people and impacted countless others, including many members of the baseball family,” said Commissioner Manfred. “Playing these two games gives us an opportunity to honor the lives of those tragically lost last April and raise funds for the Dominican Red Cross in their memory. We appreciate the efforts of President Luis Abinader and the leadership of Nelson Cruz, who was instrumental in this initiative. We also want to thank the Detroit Tigers, who will share the field with the Dominican team in front of their home fans as they prepare for the most anticipated World Baseball Classic to date.”
Nelson Cruz, the Dominican team’s General Manager for the 2026 World Baseball Classic and MLB Special Advisor for Baseball Operations, commented: “I thank Major League Baseball and President Abinader for working together to celebrate the Dominican team with our great fans in a series against the Detroit Tigers. We will use the platform our game provides to remember the lives we lost last April and honor their legacies through our donation to the Dominican Red Cross. We are proud to showcase what baseball means to our country, how it unites us, and all the good it can achieve.”
Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader stated: “Baseball is a passion for our country. We are thrilled for our citizens that Major League Baseball is returning in March, as our national team faces the Detroit Tigers in preparation for the World Baseball Classic. These games will be even more meaningful due to our commitment to the Dominican Red Cross and the opportunity to pay tribute to all the victims of last April’s tragedy. We appreciate the support of Major League Baseball and the great players who consider the Dominican Republic their home.”
Detroit Tigers President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris said: “All of us at the Tigers are honored to compete against the Dominican Republic National Team on their home soil. It’s a unique and meaningful opportunity to play on a global stage in memory of those who lost their lives in a horrific tragedy nearly a year ago. We thank Major League Baseball, President Luis Abinader, Nelson Cruz, and everyone involved for organizing the series and inviting us to be a part of it. We hope these games bring a sense of joy and happiness to the community while raising funds for the Red Cross in support of an important cause.”
The 2026 series follows a pair of Spring Training games between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, also at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal, in 2024. Major League clubs have a long history of visiting the Dominican Republic, dating back to a trip by the Cincinnati Reds in 1936, followed by visits from the Brooklyn Dodgers (1948), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1967), the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets (1977), and the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals (1978). Prior to the Red Sox-Rays series in 2024, MLB last held an event in the Dominican Republic in 2000, when Boston, led by then-Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martínez, played against All-Star Moisés Alou and the Houston Astros, a series preceded by the Mets facing manager Felipe Alou, Vladimir Guerrero, and the Montreal Expos in 1999.
The Dominican Republic team will begin its 2026 World Baseball Classic schedule against Nicaragua in Group D action on Friday, March 6 at loanDepot park in Miami. The Dominican squad, which won the 2013 World Baseball Classic with a perfect 8-0 record, is one of only three countries to have won one of the first five editions of the global tournament, alongside Japan (three-time champions; 2006, 2009 and 2023) and the United States (2017 champions).
The Dominican Republic has consistently produced the highest number of Major League players on Opening Day rosters outside of the United States since at least 1995, when this data began to be formally published. A total of 100 players born in the Dominican Republic were on the 2025 Opening Day rosters.
