Dominican Republic Announces Tatis Jr. as Lead-off Hitter, Pujols Emphasizes "Fighting for the Name on the Front"

The Dominican Republic national team is set to start official warm-up matches for the World Baseball Classic. Manager Albert Pujols stated in an interview that Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. will be the lead-off hitter. He also reminded the players to temporarily forget the names on their backs and fight wholeheartedly for the name on the front.

The Dominican Republic will play its first official warm-up game against the Detroit Tigers on March 4th. Pujols revealed that tomorrow's starting lineup will be the same as the one for the first group stage game against Nicaragua. "You will see our lineup for Saturday tomorrow. Yes, Tatis will bat first. We've been practicing the lineup these days, and I believe it will be an excellent one that represents us well."

This time, the Dominican Republic has several MLB stars on its roster, including Juan Soto, Manny Machado, and Tatis Jr. Pujols believes the coaching staff doesn't need to teach the players how to play—they are professionals who know their jobs. However, he emphasized: "I did ask them to give their full effort, respect me and the coaching staff, and maintain a professional attitude. Because this is a short tournament, any team can surprise you. We've learned from past Classics that any opponent can cause an upset."

Pujols repeatedly stressed to the players that being selected for the national team means representing the name on the front (Dominican Republic) and fighting for the country with full dedication, temporarily setting aside personal recognition during these two weeks.