WBC Team Preview: Mexico

The Mexican team is back in the World Baseball Classic and brings a star-studded outfield to Pool B in Houston, Texas. Led by the duo of Jarren Duran and Randy Arozarena in the outfield and Alejandro Kirk behind the dish, the Mexicans have a rather top-heavy lineup that is still more than capable of doing legitimate damage. On the mound, they will deploy three Major League starters in Javier Assad, Taijuan Walker, and Taj Bradley. Their bullpen is no slouch either, with the dominating Andrés Muñoz set to be their closer, and two reliable set-up men in front of him: Victor Vodnik and Brennan Bernardino. 

In one of the easier pools in the entire tournament, they’ll be more than capable of advancing to the quarterfinals, whether as champions of Pool B or as the runner-up. The Mexicans figure to be the second-best team in Pool B behind the United States, but Pool B’s showdown with Pool A in the quarterfinals gives them a decent chance to move on to the semi-finals of the tournament. 

Notable Players

The entire expected starting lineup for Team Mexico is comprised of MLB regulars, with the aforementioned trio of Durán, Arozarena, and Kirk expected to be major pieces to their puzzle. Rowdy Tellez figures to be the DH for this team and get regular reps in the top half of the lineup. Jonathan Aranda will start at first base, with Luis Urías, Ramón Urias, and Joey Ortiz comprising the rest of the infield. Along with Duran and Arozarena, Alek Thomas figures to start in center with his incredible glove and speed. Off the bench on the infield would be the likes of Nacho Alvarez Jr., Jared Serna, Nick Gonzales, and former Met minor leaguer Joey Meneses. As for the outfield, Alejandro Osuna and Julian Ornelas are the reserves. 

The Mexican pitching staff has tons of options for this tournament, including a few Mets ties. Current Met Alex Carrillo will be available out of their bullpen and will be one of their better available relievers. Mets minor league offseason signee Daniel Duarte is in the pen too. If their starting pitching can deliver them straight to the trio of Vodnik, Bernadino, and Muñoz, the Mexicans might have a relatively easy path to victory. The bulk of the Mexican bullpen is not made up of Major League pitchers, which could present a major issue for their chances to advance out of pool play. If their starters falter, the Mexicans could find themselves in a position where they are relying on their unproven arms to bridge them to their MLB-caliber back-end. If teams can exploit this weakness, it could be a quick exit. 

Notable Coaches

Like many teams in the WBC, the Mexican team has multiple coaches at a few positions. They are managed by former Angels’ infield coach Benji Gil, who has been at the helm of the Mexican team since 2020, for both the Olympics and the WBC. Current and former professional coaches, both in major and minor league ball, litter their staff.  Bench coach Vinny Castilla managed this team in the 2009 tournament and has managed throughout the Caribbean and Mexico in his career.

Hitting coach Bobby Magallanes has been a longtime coach, serving now as an assistant hitting coach with the Mariners. Pitching Coach Horacio Ramirez has coached in both the majors and minors, and hitting coach Jacob Cruz currently serves as a minor league coach for the Brewers. Former Mets reliever Elmer Dessens is the team’s other pitching coach. First base coach and former Marlin has managed in the minors, winning Minor League Manager of the Year in 2023. Lastly, Tony Perezchica currently serves as the third base coach for the Houston Astros and will have the same role for the Mexican team. 

WBC History

Team Mexico is now six-for-six in qualifying for the WBC, but their 2023 finish was easily the best in the program’s history. The Mexican team finished third in 2023, right ahead of the Cuban team that the Americans beat en route to the final. Team Mexico lost to the Japanese by just one run, while the Cubans were routed by the Americans 14-2. Prior to 2023, the Mexican team had never made it out of the second round and had not advanced out of pool play in the prior two tournaments. Considering the teams in Pool A and Pool B, this could be their best chance yet to reach the WBC Finals. 

Pool

Speaking of pool play, the Mexicans are a clear second-best team in Pool B. They’ll face a severely uphill battle against the United States, but are much better, on paper at least, than the Brazilian team, the British team, and the Italian team. Team Italy has far more talent than they usually do, but still severely lacks pitching, especially if Aaron Nola pitches to the level he did in 2025. As for the other two squads, it would be a major upset if they were to knock off the Mexicans. Team Mexico holds a clear advantage over Great Britain, mainly due to their lack of pitching and lineup depth, and the Brazilians, who were able to qualify for the tournament but figure to be the worst team in this pool. 

The Mexican team should be considered the favorite to be the second team out of Pool B, which sets them up for a showdown with the winner of Pool A, which is widely considered to be a balanced pool that is severely lacking its usual star power this year. 

 

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