When Team USA faces off against the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic semifinals on Sunday night, Yankees slugger Aaron Judge will be up at the plate against.... Yankees catcher Austin Wells.
Hold up. Why exactly is Wells playing for the DR?
Wells is probably one of the more surprising names on the Dominican Republic’s stacked roster, which features big bats like Juan Soto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and he could prove to be a key difference-maker in Sunday’s win-or-go-home tilt against an equally star-studded American side.
Here’s why the American-born Wells, who is playing in his first-ever World Baseball Classic, is suiting up for the DR.
Why Austin Wells is playing for Dominican Republic at 2026 World Baseball Classic
Wells was born in Scottsdale, Arizona, but his mother, Michelle Fernandez, is of Dominican descent. Under the WBC’s eligibility rules, Wells is allowed to compete for DR due to his mom’s direct Dominican heritage:
The player has at least one parent who is, or if deceased was, a citizen of the Federation Team’s country or territory, as evidenced by a passport or other documentation satisfactory to WBCI, or the player has at least one parent who was born in the Federation Team’s country or territory, as evidenced by a birth certificate or its equivalent
Other ways a player can compete for a certain nation at the WBC include citizenship, permanent residency or legal eligibility.
Technically, Wells could also represent the United States, but he most likely wouldn’t have made the roster facing stiff competition from Team USA catchers Cal Raleigh and Will Smith.
Following the Dominican Republic’s mercy-rule win over Korea on Friday night, Wells dropped a very funny line: “I feel more Dominican every day,” he said during a postgame presser. The vibes for the DR sure look like they’re off the charts this spring.
“The experience has been incredible. It’s been an unbelievable honor being able to represent my family and the country of the Dominican,” said Wells. “It’s something that I’m never going to forget and hopefully I’ll have the opportunity again.”
What other notable MLB players are playing for Dominican Republic?
Most of the players on the Dominican Republic’s roster were born in the Caribbean nation. These include Mets’ Juan Soto, Mariners’ Julio Rodríguez, Padres’ Fernando Tatís Jr., Rays’ Junior Caminero and Athletics’ Luis Severino.
A few exceptions are Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was born in Montreal, Canada, as well as Manny Machado who was born in Miami, Fla.
Guerrero, whose father played for the Montreal Expos, was raised in the DR by his Dominican mother and holds dual citizenship in Canada and the Dominican Republic. Machado’s parents are both Dominican.
How Austin Wells is performing so far at the 2026 WBC
In the 2026 WBC, Wells has been quietly proving himself as one of the DR’s most dependable stars in his tournament debut. The Yankees catcher homered in a 12-1 victory over the Netherlands during pool play. In Friday’s quarterfinal win over Korea, Wells hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning that ended the game under the tournament’s mercy rules; the DR advanced to the semis with a 10-0 win. Wells’s homer marked the 14th for the Dominicans so far, tying the WBC record set by Mexico in 2009.
It’s been a thrilling WBC so far for the Dominican Republic, who are in the semifinals for the first time since 2013. That year, the DR defeated Puerto Rico in the championship game to become the first World Baseball Classic champion from the Western Hemisphere.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Austin Wells Is Playing for Dominican Republic at World Baseball Classic .
