Former Braves Star Andruw Jones Responds After Baseball Career Move

“It’s a tremendous honor to manage the team kingdom of the Netherlands in the WBC," Jones, a native of Curacao, wrote via an instagram post announcing the hire. "I’ve worn the uniform as a player and coach, and now being trusted to manage the team is a great honor. Can’t wait to put a great team together with my coaching staff.”

A five-time MLB All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner, Jones was the bench coach for Hensley "Bam Bam" Meulens and the Netherlands in the 2017 and '23 editions of the World Baseball Classic. He also played for the Netherlands in the inaugural WBC in 2006, and led the Dutch to a fourth-place finish in 2013. 

One of 20 teams in the 2026 WBC field, the Netherlands will compete in Pool D against Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Israel, and Nicaragua. All Pool D games are scheduled to be played at Loan Depot Park in Miami from March 6-11. The top two teams from each of the four pools will advance to the quarterfinals. 

Led by a handful of major leaguers including Xander Bogaerts and Jurickson Profar, the Kingdom of the Netherlands failed to advance out of Pool play in the 2023 WBC. 

Jones will be managing a Netherlands squad that ended 2024 ranked seventh in the WBSC (World Baseball Softball Confederation) World Rankings.