Report: Pujols to manage Dominican Republic at WBC
Published
Albert Pujols is set for the next step in his managerial career.
ESPN's Enrique Rojas reports the legendary slugger will be the skipper for the Dominican Republic's entry at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
The 45-year-old Pujols, who retired after the 2022 season, recently led Leones del Escogido to the Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM) title last month, as well as the Caribbean Series title.
When approached for comment, DR general manager Nelson Cruz would only say that a managerial decision is close.
"We are in the middle of the process, but we will soon reveal who was chosen," Cruz told ESPN.
A native of Santo Domingo, Pujols appeared in 3,080 games over 22 years in the majors with the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers. He finished his career with a .296 average, 3,384 hits (10th-most all-time), 703 home runs (fourth-most in history), 2,218 runs batted in (second-most all-time) and an OPS of .916. His 101.4 WAR is 29th all-time.
During his time in the majors, Pujols won three National League Most Valuable Player honours, was the 2001 NL Rookie of the Year and an 11-time All-Star. Pujols was a member of two Cardinals World Series-winning teams.
The 2026 WBC is set to get underway on Mar. 5, 2026. Japan are defending champions.