Netherlands Seeking World Baseball Classic Glory

This tournament will be special for Jones and his 22-year-old son, Druw, an Arizona Diamondbacks prospect. Druw was named to the Netherlands team as an outfielder, making the Joneses the first father-son duo to serve as manager and player in WBC history. (Although Druw Jones was born in the United States, he's eligible to play for the Netherlands because of his father's citizenship.)

"It's an honor to be able to play for the kingdom," Druw Jones said. "And everything is just a blessing in its own and being able to represent him, too, while playing is an honor."

In this year's WBC, the Netherlands faces a difficult group of opponents in Miami, where they will play the Dominican Republic, Israel, Venezuela and Nicaragua. The Dominican and Venezuelan rosters are teeming with major league talent. Only two of the five teams will advance to the single-elimination quarterfinals. Despite the tough competition, Druw Jones said his team is confident.

"It's just guys in uniforms at the end of the day," Druw Jones said. "We're just gonna go out and play our game to the best of our ability, and we're gonna crush it at the end of the day. So being able to do that and just play our game and just execute all the little things."

When asked about the level of competition his team will face in Miami, Andruw Jones turned the attention back to his squad.

"I'm not even looking at the other teams," Andruw Jones said. "I'm trying to control our team, put them in good spots so they can go out there and succeed. I know all the teams got a lot of great baseball players. They got a lot of Major League Baseball players, but we've still got to go out there and perform the way we need to perform. I tell these guys, you know, I believe in them. The coaching staff believes in them."

Netherlands pitcher Shairon Martis, a Curaçao native, boasts an indelible place in WBC history. He's competing for the fifth time this year, having played in 2006, 2013, 2017 and 2023. He only missed the 2009 tournament because he was in camp with the Washington Nationals trying to earn a roster spot.

Martis also famously pitched the first no-hitter in WBC competition with a seven-inning, 10-0 win over Panama in 2006. He boasts a 3-0 record and 1.80 ERA in nine career WBC appearances. Now he gets to play for his former teammate and longtime friend in Andruw Jones.

"Playing for your idol, it means a lot," said the 38-year-old Martis. "Knowing him, playing against him, playing with him, and now he's the manager. It's a pleasure to have him as a manager."

San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts, an Aruba native, is competing in his fourth WBC tournament. He recalls being in awe of the competition as a minor leaguer in 2013, and he also went on to play in the 2017 and 2023 tournaments. He called the 2017 tournament, in which the Netherlands advanced out of the Tokyo group, his WBC highlight. Like Martis, he looked up to Andruw Jones during his prime with the Braves.

"Andruw Jones is one of the guys that I obviously grew up idolizing," the 33-year-old Bogaerts said. "But with me, I went a little bit further. I mean, I used to score his games. … Until this day, when I'm in the outfield shagging [fly balls], I still do it as if I'm Andruw Jones — not Ken Griffey, not Mike Trout — Andruw Jones, you know, just how elite he was out there."

If Tuesday's 8-5 exhibition victory over the Orioles was any indication, the Netherlands is primed and ready to compete.

Aruba's Ray-Patrick Didder led off the game with a home run to left field off Orioles left-hander Trevor Rogers. Rafaela put the Netherlands ahead 4-2 in the second inning with a three-run blast to center off Rogers. Later in the same inning, Albies hit a solo homer to right-center off Orioles reliever Tyson Neighbors. Didder went 3-for-5 and scored three runs, and Rafaela went 2-for-4 with five RBIs. Former Braves farmhand Hendrik Clementina added three hits, and Netherlands starter Ryjeteri Merite earned the victory.

Netherlands hitters also got an extended look at Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer, a member of Israel's WBC team whom they might face in pool play. Kremer allowed two hits, struck out two and walked one in four innings of relief work.

Orioles manager Craig Albernaz praised the skill and experience of the Netherlands lineup.

"They have some really good players," Albernaz said. "You know, they got [Jurickson] Profar, [Ozzie] Albies, [Xander] Bogaerts, Chadwick Tromp. They have some really good players. … It's always good to play different competition, but also, when they're getting ready to go play for the World Baseball Classic and play for their country, it kind of adds a little different intensity for them."

After an exhibition game against the Tampa Bay Rays in Port Charlotte, Florida, on Wednesday, the Netherlands will open WBC play Friday at noon ET in loanDepot Park against Venezuela (broadcast on Tubi TV). The Netherlands will then oppose Nicaragua on Saturday, the Dominican Republic on Sunday and Israel on Tuesday.