Overview
- Major League Baseball announced on social media that Dusty Baker will lead Team Nicaragua in the World Baseball Classic set for March 2026.
- Baker, 76, retired from MLB managing in 2023 and joined the San Francisco Giants as a special adviser in 2024 before accepting the Nicaragua role after being approached by GM George Santiago and ex-manager Marvin Bernard.
- He is finalizing a coaching staff drawn from former major leaguers, including Gary Pettis, Jacque Jones, Dan Firova, Marvin Bernard and Randall Simon.
- Team Nicaragua will compete in Pool D at loanDepot Park in Miami against Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands and Israel.
- Nicaragua aims to build on its 2023 debut as Baker leverages his Hall of Fame–caliber legacy to elevate baseball’s profile in Central America.