World Baseball Classic: Team Netherlands News, Notes, and Analysis

Here’s what the Dutch lineup could look like:

1. Ozzie Albies (IF) – S/R

Albies has been a prototypical leadoff hitter since the moment he entered the big leagues. While he has had a few down years recently, his highs are impossible to ignore.

A three-time All-Star in Atlanta, Albies is sure to bring strong on-base skills and solid speed while also providing some pop at the top of the lineup.

2. Jurickson Profar (OF) – S/R

Once one of the top prospects in baseball and a LLWS hero, Profar has had a roller coaster of a career. But in the past two seasons, he has flashed some major skills with the bat. While some of that is in doubt following his PED suspension in 2025, Profar has nonetheless produced a 130 OPS+ over the past two seasons. Expect him to be a force at the top of the Netherlands’ lineup.

3. Xander Bogaerts (IF) – R/R

Perhaps the most decorated player on this roster (excluding the coaches), Bogaerts easily slots into the heart of the Netherlands’ order. While he hasn’t been able to replicate his peak seasons since he signed in San Diego, the bat is still undoubtedly strong. Look for Bogaerts to show out in the WBC once again.

4. Ceddanne Rafaela (OF) – R/R

Rafaela’s place in the lineup is perhaps the hardest to predict. The Curaçao native flashed a 4.7 bWAR last season, but this was largely carried by defense, with him posting a 91 wRC+.

Although Rafaela is a hot-and-cold hitter, he was a top-10 hitter in the majors by clutch (i.e., how much better he was in high-leverage scenarios), a factor that could prove vital with so many do-or-die games in the WBC.

5. Didi Gregorius (IF) – L/R

The former Yankees stalwart is back for another WBC. MLB fans haven’t seen Gregorius since his 2022 season with the Phillies, but he’s been keeping busy with the Algodoneros de Union Laguna of the Mexican League. While his current batting skills are a far cry from what they once were, there should still be some productive WBC PAs left in Gregorius’s bat.

6. Druw Jones (OF) – R/R

Jones is perhaps the most intriguing player on the Netherlands’ roster. He was drafted second overall in 2022, but he’s had an up-and-down journey through the minor leagues.

In three minor league seasons, Jones has produced an OPS above .700 just once, in Single-A Visalia in 2024. On the international stage, he is a true wild card with a sky-high ceiling should all of the pieces come together.

7. Chadwick Tromp (C) – R/R

Tromp has been a third catching option on major league depth charts for six seasons now, spending most of his time in Triple-A. As a result, it’s hard to draw much about his offensive production from a 67-game MLB sample. When it comes to the WBC, however, Tromp excelled in 2023, homering and driving in three runs in four games.

8. Juremi Profar (1B/DH) – R/R

Profar is one of three players in this lineup without WBC experience, instead having a six-year minor league career. He has flashed solid power in independent and foreign leagues, though, with 14 homers in 93 Frontier League games in 2023. He won’t be the premier threat in this lineup, but he won’t be an easy out at the bottom of the order, either.

9. Sharlon Schoop (1B/DH) – R/R

Just a few months away from his 39th birthday, Schoop is part of the old guard on this roster. Back for his third consecutive WBC, the 13-year minor league veteran is set to be the guy to turn over the Dutch lineup.

Schoop has been a contact-first hitter throughout his career and has flashed better and better OBP numbers in foreign leagues over the past few seasons.

Pitching Staff

The lineup is certainly the more decorated group for the Netherlands, but their pitching staff still has some stars.

It’s impossible to talk about Netherlands pitching and not bring up Kenley Jansen. One of the all-time great closers in MLB history, Jansen is playing in his fifth WBC, and his fourth as a pitcher. That’s right, Jansen has been playing in WBCs for so long that he was a catcher back in 2009.

The only other reliever on this staff with MLB experience is Shairon Martis, who pitched 20 games for the Nationals from 2008-09 and six more for the Twins in 2013.

On the starting pitching front, Lars Huijer began pitching in Honkbal Hoofdklasse (the Dutch major league) at 16 years old. 16 years (and a brief stint in the Mariners’ minor league system) later, and he’s back home. While it’s easy to overlook foreign league starters, Huijer has been lights out for years, posting a 1.59 ERA over 928.2 innings in the Netherlands.

The other veteran starter for the Netherlands is Curaçao’s Juan Carlos Sulbaran. A former 30th-round draft pick, Sulbaran has seen a long career in the minors, foreign leagues and three prior WBCs. Known for striking out Iván Rodriguez as a 19-year-old in the 2009 WBC, Sulbaran can provide innings and leadership for an aging Dutch team.

Antwone Kelly is another young international signing working his way through the minors. After a promotion to Double-A at just 21 years old last season, he is a threat to reach the major leagues in the next few years. The concern is the pitching limits enforced on minor leaguers that saw him average just over four innings per start last season.

Finally, Jaitoine Kelly is a complete wild card. He’s 18 years old and spent 2025 in rookie ball before making one start in Single-A. There’s a clear lack of experience, but the WBC is a tournament all about surprises. Maybe this year will be Jaitoine Kelly’s coming-out party.

Coaching Staff

A few of these names will likely sound familiar to baseball fans, starting with the obvious, Andruw Jones. The Netherlands manager will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer, making him Curaçao’s first inductee. Jones remains one of the greatest defensive center fielders of all time with an excellent bat to boot.

Jair Jurrjens is another name that might sound familiar to some fans. That’s because he was an MLB All-Star back in 2011 with the Atlanta Braves and pitched a total of eight seasons between the Braves, Tigers, Orioles, and Rockies. He even made an appearance in an independent league as recently as 2025 at the age of 39.

World Baseball Classic: Team Netherlands Schedule

Exhibitions

Pool D Play

Knockout Rounds