Cristopher Sánchez to play in World Baseball Classic for Dominican Republic

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sánchez will play for the Dominican Republic national team at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

From Cy Young Finalist to International Debut

Sánchez will be making his debut in the WBC after his breakout 2025 campaign, where he finished second in the National League Cy Young award race behind Pittsburgh's Paul Skenes.

Replacing the Void: Sánchez's Rise in Wheeler's Absence

The 28-year-old left-hander had a tremendous season, going 13-5 with a 2.50 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 212 strikeouts across 202 innings, making 32 starts. He became the ace of the Phillies rotation after Zack Wheeler went down with a blood clot and underwent thoracic outlet surgery to remove a rib. There is a chance Wheeler is back sometime early in the season, with the original timeline stating that it would be 6-8 months.

He had a solid 2024 season, going 11-9 with a 3.32 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 153 strikeouts in 181 2/3 innings.

Full List of Phillies Confirmed for the Tournament

Sánchez becomes the 10th member of the 2026 Phillies roster to announce they would be playing in this year's WBC. It was announced last week that veteran Aaron Nola would be pitching for Italy in the WBC.