(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen)
  Roster Netherlands Team announced for World Baseball Classic
Nederlands
 SECAUCUS, New Jersey (USA) -
On Thursday-evening (February 5), in the live Major League-broadcast The Roster Reveal Show, the 30-man rosters of all twenty participating countries in the sixth edition of the World Baseball Classic were officially released.
The Classic will be played in March.
In the First Round of the Classic, the twenty teams are divided into four Pools of five each.
Pool A (March 6-11) is comprised of Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Panama and Puerto Rico.
Games will be played in Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan (Puerto Rico).
Playing in Pool B (March 6-11) are Brazil, Great Britain, Italy, Mexico and the USA.
The games in this Pool will be played in Daikin Park, the home of Major League-team Houston Astros in Houston, Texas (USA).
Playing in Pool C (March 5-10) are Australia, Chinese Taipei, Czechia, Japan (reigning champion) and South Korea in the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo (Japan), the home of NPB-team Yomiuri Giants.
The Dominican Republic, Israel, the Netherlands, Nicaragua and Venezuela play in Pool D (March 6-11) in LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, the home of Major League-team Miami Marlins.
Brazil, Chinese Taipei, Colombia and Nicaragua qualified for via the two 2026 WBC Qualifying Tournaments, which were played in early 2025.
A year ago, in February, in Taipei (Taiwan), Nicaragua and Chinese Taipei finished ahead of Spain and South Africa.
In March, in Tucson, Arizona (USA), Colombia and Brazil secured their spot ahead of Germany and China.
The other 16 teams qualified by finishing in the top four of their respective Pools in the 2023 Classic.
...Andruw Jones will be the Netherlands Team Manager...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
After completion of the First Round, the two best teams of each Pool advance to the Knockout Stage.
First, the Quarter Finals will be played on March 13 and 14 in Houston and Miami.
Next, on March 15 and 16, the Semi-Finals will be played in Miami.
The two winners then will meet in the Final on March 17 in Miami.
In 2013 and 2017, the Netherlands advanced to the Semi-Final, but then was eliminated by respectively Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
In 2023, the Orange Team failed to advance to the Second Round.
In Taiwan, the Netherlands finished in third place in the First Round behind Cuba and Italy.
In the upcoming Classic, Team Kingdom of the Netherlands will be led for the first time by Manager Andruw Jones.
A few weeks ago, the former outfielder became the first Major League-player from Curaçao to be elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 2006 and 2013, Andruw Jones played for the Netherlands Team in the World Baseball Classic.
He also played for the Orange-squad in 2015 during the Premier12.
In 2017 and 2023, Jones was the Bench Coach of the Orange Team in the staff of Manager Hensley Meulens during the World Baseball Classic.
In 2016, he was the Orange Hitting Coach during the European Championship.
Before the start of the tournament, all teams will play two exhibition-games.
The Netherlands Team will play two games in Florida.
First against Baltimore Orioles on March 3 in Sarasota, then against Tampa Bay Rays on March 4 in Port Charlotte.
The Netherlands Team plays its first game on March 6 against Venezuela.
In the following days, the team meets Nicaragua (March 7), the Dominican Republic (March 8) and Israel (March 10).
The first three games begin at noon local time (6 PM Dutch time), the fourth game begins at 7 PM local time (1 AM Dutch time on March 11).
The 30-man roster of the Netherlands Team looks as follows:
Pitchers (17):
Jamdrick Cornelia (LHP), Jaydenn Estanista (RHP), Wendell Floranus (RHP), Arij Fransen (RHP), Lars Huijer (RHP), Kenley Jansen (RHP), Antwone Kelly (RHP), Jaitoine Kelly (RHP), Kevin Kelly (RHP), Shairon Martis (RHP), Eric Mendez (RHP), Ryjeteri Merite (LHP), Justin Morales (RHP), Shawndrick Oduber (RHP), JC Sulbaran (RHP), Derek West (RHP), Dylan Wilson (RHP).
Catchers (2):
Hendrik Clementina, Chadwick Tromp.
...Shairon Martis...
...fifth World Baseball Classic...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Infielders (5):
Ozzie Albies, Xander Bogaerts, Didi Gregorius, Juremi Profar, Sharlon Schoop.
Outfielders (6):
Dayson Croes, Ray-Patrick Didder, Druw Jones, Jurickson Profar, Ceddanne Rafaela, Delano Selassa.
Coaching Staff:
Andruw Jones (Manager) - Evert-Jan 't Hoen (Bench Coach) - Hainley Statia (Bench Coach) - Randolph Oduber (1B Coach) - Ben Thijssen (3B Coach) - Sharnol Adriana (Hitting Coach) - Bart Hanegraaff (Hitting Coach) - Nick Stuifbergen (Pitching Coach) - Jair Jurrjens (Bullpen Coach) - Michael Duursma (Coach) - Sem Kuijper (Bullpen Catcher) - Dashenko Ricardo (Bullpen Catcher).
Only four players from this 30-man roster play in the Dutch big league, being Lars Huijer, Delano Selassa (both Amsterdam Pirates), Shairon Martis and JC Sulbaran (both (Curaçao Neptunus).
18 players have participated in a Classic before; Shairon Martis will participate in his fifth Classic; Xander Bogaerts, Kenley Jansen, Jurickson Profar, Sharlon Schoop and JC Sulbaran (RHP) will play in their fourth Classic; Didi Gregorius, Lars Huijer (RHP) and Chadwick Tromp will play in their third Classic.
Six players play in the Major League: Ozzie Albies, Jurickson Profar, Chadwick Tromp (all Atlanta Braves), Xander Bogaerts (San Diego Padres), Kenley Jansen (Detroit Tigers) and Ceddanne Rafaela (Boston Red Sox); Didi Gregorius and Shairon Martis are former Major Leaguers.
Eight players will make their debut in the Netherlands Team, including Ozzie Albies, Druw Jones and Ceddanne Rafaela.
Jones is the son of Manager Andruw Jones.
(February 5)
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