Juan Soto: “We showed who the best baseball team is”
Miami. Despite the defeat in the semifinals of the 2026 World Baseball Classic, the outstanding outfielder Juan Soto emphasized that the Dominican Republic Baseball Team displayed its true level during the tournament. The Dominican team fell 2-1 to the United States in a close match at loanDepot Park in Miami, a match that culminated in a controversial umpiring decision in the last inning. After the game, the Dominican players left the clubhouse with a sense of unity, music, and the certainty of having shown their potential throughout the championship.The end of the game generated controversy after the umpire’s decision to call a strike on a full count to shortstop Geraldo Perdomo against American closer Mason Miller, on a pitch that many considered outside the strike zone. Perdomo did not hide his frustration after the result of the match. “I knew 100% that it was a ball,” said the Dominican infielder, who had a seven-pitch at-bat before the umpire’s decision ended the game. The match was an intense duel between two of the most talented teams in the tournament. The Dominican Republic took the lead early with a home run by third baseman Junior Caminero against American starter Paul Skenes, setting a new home run record for a team in an edition of the Classic. The United States responded with home runs from Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony, before the American relief pitching managed to contain the Dominican offense in the final innings. Despite the result, the Dominican team’s performance generated great enthusiasm among the fans present in the stadium, where more than 36 thousand spectators witnessed one of the most intense matches of the tournament. From the team management, Nelson Cruz also valued the impact of the event on the growth of international baseball, highlighting the high competitive level and the passion that the Classic awakens among players and fans.“We showed the world who the best baseball team is,” Soto declared after the game, highlighting the collective performance of the Dominican team.
Juan Soto
