Which Blue Jays Are Playing in the World Baseball Classic?

Ernie Clement is no stranger to the big stage.

Blue Jays fans have known how talented Clement is for a while, but the rest of baseball took notice this postseason. With an MLB record 30 hits, hitting over .400, he was firmly in the World Series MVP conversation for much of the series.

By the end of the regular season, he had accumulated 3.2 fWAR, which ranked him as one of the top 30 position players in the American League last season. Pair that with a 10.4% strikeout rate and an elite ability to square up the baseball (both in the 97th percentile), and it's clear he’s developed into a complete baseball player.

Mark DeRosa and Team USA took notice, too. 

Blue Jays Confirmed for the WBC

• 1B - Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Dominican Republic
• C - Alejandro Kirk, Mexico
• LHP - Adam Macko, Canada
• INF - Ernie Clement, USA

Guerrero was born in Montreal but committed early on to play for the Dominican Republic in the tournament. It will be his first appearance after backing out of the 2023 WBC due to right knee discomfort.

Kirk will also be making his debut in the tournament. He missed the 2023 competition due to the birth of his child, and he’ll be the number one catcher for the team.

Macko, a left-handed pitcher in the Blue Jays organization, was born in Slovakia but grew up in Canada, and Shi Davidi reported that he will pitch for Team Canada.

Still Unsure, but Likely To Play

• SS - Andrés Giménez, Venezuela
• OF - Anthony Santander, Venezuela
• 3B - Kazuma Okamoto, Japan
• SP - José Berríos, Puerto Rico
• RHP - Yariel Rodríguez - Cuba
• SS - Leo Jiménez - Panama

Team Venezuela has been delayed in naming their roster, but some names have started being announced. Both Giménez and Santander played on the 2023 team, with Santander hitting two home runs and posting a 1.332 OPS in the tournament. There is a chance Santander chooses to remain in Blue Jays camp, but if he’s fully healthy (which John Schneider says he is), then he’s a name to keep an eye on.

Okamoto stated in his introductory press conference that he wants to play for Japan, and after his heroics in the last tournament, it seems likely he’ll be back. It's a similar case for Berríos, who pitched in 2023 and wants to return, and Yariel Rodriguez, who pitched for Team Cuba in the past and, after being outrighted off the 40-man roster, may use the WBC as another stage to showcase his skills.

Jiménez has major league experience and has been approached by the Panamanian Baseball Federation to play; he’s just awaiting Blue Jays approval, which he’ll likely get.

Up in the Air

• RHP - Yimi García, Dominican Republic
• RHP - Dylan Cease, USA
• RHP - Kevin Gausman, USA
• RHP Cody Ponce, Mexico
• C - Brandon Valenzuela, Mexico
• RHP - Lazaro Estrada, Cuba

García played on the 2023 team, but after coming off elbow surgery, he may not want to pitch in the tournament. Cease and Gausman are certainly good enough to pitch for Team USA, but their starting rotation already seems set.

Ponce stated on the Foul Territory podcast in December that he wants to play in the tournament, but he “will have to talk to the Jays and see what they want him to do.” Valenzuela is eligible for Mexico, with Kirk being the team's number one option behind the dish. Valenzuela could be under consideration.

Cuba passed on Estrada in the 2023 tournament, but he does have MLB experience and could be an option.

Will Not Play

• George Springer - Puerto Rico

Springer had originally committed to playing but has since dropped out to recover from injury, as he was dealing with several ailments towards the end of the 2025 season.

Fans will not only get to watch current Blue Jays players compete in the tournament, but many of the teams will also feature prominent Blue Jays players of the past. Here are some other notable names who are likely to represent their country in the tournament:

• RHP - Aaron Sanchez, Mexico
• INF - Bo Bichette, Brazil
• SS - Otto Lopez, Canada
• RHP - Paolo Espino, Panama
• LHP - Matthew Boyd, USA
• RHP - Taijuan Walker, Mexico
• RHP - Liam Hendriks, Australia

Some more names – Yusei Kikuchi for Japan, Hyun Jin Ryu and Mitch White for Korea, and Rowdy Tellez and Anthony Banda for Team Mexico – are all eligible and may be on their respective countries' teams, but none of those names are confirmed yet.

Pitchers and catchers are set to report to camp on February 11, and the World Baseball Classic will get underway on March 5. With talent, star power, and some of the best players from countries all around the world, the tournament is set up to be one of the best ones yet.

For Ernie Clement, it will be a chance to build on his breakout season and showcase his versatility alongside some of baseball's brightest stars, and he, like the rest of his teammates, will prove he belongs on the game's greatest stage.