New York Mets’ Francisco Lindor to be captain for Team Puerto Rico for World Baseball Classic 2026

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Apr 17, 2025, 08:00 IST

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Francisco Lindor will captain Team Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, aiming to lead them further after a quarterfinal appearance in 2023. Meanwhile, Aaron Judge has been named captain for Team USA, marking his debut in the tournament. Both announcements highlight the star power committed to the upcoming international competition.

New York Mets’ Francisco Lindor to be captain for Team Puerto Rico for World Baseball Classic 2026 (Image Source: Instagram)

The New York Mets’ shortstop, Francisco Lindor was one of the star players for Team Puerto Rico in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. With outstanding performance on his scorecard, and being able to secure hits almost half the time he batted, where he was at .450 average and being able to bring in five runs (RBIs), now, Lindor has another opportunity, of leading the Puerto Rico team in 2026 World Baseball Classics.

Francisco Lindor shares the news with his fans

Now, the New York Mets’ ace Francisco Lindor announced that he will be the team captain for Puerto Rico, again when the tournament comes back in 2026, from March 5 to 17. He shared the news with his fans in a post on Instagram.

Francisco Lindor said:

“Honored to be captain of Team Puerto Rico for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Vamos mi borinquén!” ("Let's go, my Borinquen!")

Back when Lindor was heading the Puerto Rico team, the team made it to the quarterfinals, however, the team lost to Mexico.
In 2026, Puerto Rico will be hosting Pool A games in San Juan, where they will be playing against Cuba, Canada, Panama, and Colombia.
Lindor is a well known name in the baseball world. He is one of baseball’s top players as he was runner-up for the 2024 NL MVP and is a four-time All-Star with multiple awards.
In 2023, Lindor showed strategic and terrific skills after he led a strong Puerto Rico team with players like Edwin Díaz and Jose Berríos. Lindor also played in 2017 when Puerto Rico made it to the final. He was named MVP of Pool D after hitting two home runs against Mexico.

Yankees’ Aaron Judge will be heading Team USA for World Baseball Classic

Meanwhile, for Team USA, the New York Yankees’ captain Aaron Judge has been named as the captain for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The announcement was made on Monday, by team manager Mark DeRosa on MLB Network.
Aaron Judge is the first player to commit to representing Team USA in the 2026 Classic. This will be his WBC debut.
Regarding the new opportunity, Judge said:
“It’s something special, getting a chance to represent our country, I’m just thinking about all the brave men and women that have fought for this country and laid their lives down for us to get a chance to go out here and play a game. It’s a pretty humbling experience.”
Also Read: “It’s About Basic Humanity”- Francisco Lindor’s Wife Katia Lindor Speaks Out On Policing And Disability

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TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

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