World Baseball Classic: Netherlands look to upset juggernaut Venezuela

[p]This will be the sixth game of the tournament and the second meeting between the two teams in the World Baseball Classic. It will take place on Friday, March 6th, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (New York).[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/venezuela/AVsaRYCE/"]Venezuela[/a] came out on top 3-1 when both teams clashed in the second round of the 2009 WBC. Now, the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/netherlands/S4VCKAKf/"]Netherlands[/a] has a chance for some revenge. [/p][p]So let's check out how they stack up in this rematch. [/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/world-baseball-classic-2026-australia-and-chinese-taipei-ready-to-start-with-a-bang/f56jhFNM/"]Australia vs Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) preview[/a][/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/world-baseball-classic-cuba-and-panama-game-preview/vB99TJFL/"]Cuba vs. Panama preview[/a][/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/world-baseball-classic-czech-minnows-face-tough-test-against-south-korea/hMPQIRCN/"]Czech Republic vs. South Korea preview[/a][/b][/p][h2]Netherlands (+10000)[/h2][p]Even though the Netherlands are boasting some big names from Major League Baseball, they are still the heavy underdogs in this matchup against a Venezuela team considered to be in the Big 5 of the tournament along with the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/usa/dSweSEc8/"]USA[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/japan/vuZGJUZ0/"]Japan[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dominican-republic/tAGs4ije/"]Dominican Republic[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mexico/ptt8Lj5l/"]Mexico[/a].[/p][p]But, they've proven in 2013 and 2017, finishing fourth in both, to not count them out by any means. [/p][p]Their infield is the major bright spot with guys like [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/albies-ozzie/4Y95MeKQ/"]Ozzie Albies[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/atlanta-braves/0UPxbDYA/"]Atlanta Braves[/a]) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bogaerts-xander/dvVz3xj0/"]Xander Bogaerts[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/san-diego-padres/8poQN9Ud/"]San Diego Padres[/a]). The two combined for 27 home runs, 127 RBI, and 34 stolen bases last season with a solid combined batting average of .251. As for accolades, Albies and Bogaerts alone combine for seven MLB All-Star selections, seven Silver Slugger Awards, and three World Series titles. [/p][p]Also in the infield is [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schoop-sharlon/Std2Gpt2/"]Sharlon Schoop[/a] (36), the older brother of former Netherlands infielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schoop-jonathan/tddrVVUn/"]Jonathan Schoop[/a] (34), who played in the past three WBC's and spent 11 seasons in MLB. However, Sharlon hasn't played any ball since the 2023-2024 season in the Caribbean Series.[/p][embed guid="0fb489a5-e026-469a-83bc-902abcf8091a" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj0ILjTysF0" social-type="youtube" /][p]Another big name on the Netherlands [i]was [/i]outfielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/profar-jurickson/zZuZJ9hL/"]Jurickson Profar[/a], Albies' teammate on the Braves. The 2024 All-Star and Silver Slugger Award winner is coming off a 14 home run, 43 RBI season while hitting .245 in just 80 games - the reason why his numbers were down from 2024 despite being on the same All-Star projectory. [/p][p]However, [a href="https://x.com/JonHeyman/status/2028885135131648067?s=20" target="_blank"]he failed another performance-enhancing drug test on Tuesday[/a] and could be suspended for the entire 2026 MLB season, making him immediately ineligible for the World Baseball Classic. His replacement hasn't been named yet. But his brother, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/profar-juremi/Khrri5Ys/"]Juremi[/a], is part of the infield squad.[/p][p]So another name, though a lesser name and a new face, is [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/croes-dayson/lElpBUW8/"]Dayson Croes[/a]. The 26-year-old skyrocketed his way through the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/san-francisco-giants/bRZ9b6xj/"]San Francisco Giants[/a]' minor league system in 2025, finishing in Triple-A with a stellar .300 combined batting average across all leagues. [/p][embed guid="f9245d77-c528-47b9-9721-f6218966e162" url="https://x.com/GoSquirrels/status/1956136765137543208?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]As for the pitchers, the major standout is closer [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jansen-kenley/2R6yIYXF/"]Kenley Jansen[/a] from the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/detroit-tigers-futures/lzFOjTsB/"]Detroit Tigers[/a]. The 38-year-old is fourth on the MLB all-time saves list (456), a four-time All-Star, and a 2020 World Series Champion. He will be the anchor of the Netherlands bullpen. [/p][p]Another is starting pitcher [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kelly-antwone/INapTAa7/"]Antwone Kelly[/a] - a rising prospect in the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/pittsburgh-pirates/tr9K2SqG/"]Pittsburgh Pirates[/a] minor league system with a ferocious fastball that clocks in around 101 mph. [/p][p]In 25 starts last season across High-A ball and Double-A, Kelly tossed a 3.19 ERA, racking up 116 strikeouts across 1071.1 innings, allowing just 81 hits in that time. [/p][embed guid="e0a5b61c-1078-4be7-929e-4f0a3a385332" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xttJ2GAoCXw" social-type="youtube" /][p]The team will be managed by recent MLB Hall of Fame inductee [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jones-andruw/b9MU7Qd7/"]Andruw Jones[/a], one of the most dominant players of his era, whose son, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jones-druw/hvovdSAg/"]Druw Jones[/a], will be in the outfield for the Netherlands as well. [/p][p]Druw was the No. 2 overall selection by the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arizona-diamondbacks/8bP2bXmH/"]Arizona Diamondbacks[/a] in the 2022 MLB Draft and brings the Netherlands legit speed on the basepaths, stealing 21 and 28 bases in the minor leagues the past two seasons, respectively. [/p][p]The Netherlands will see 14 new faces in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, with 16 players returning from the 2023 team.[/p][h2]Venezuela (+900)[/h2][p]Venezuela is one of the Power Five in the WBC and for good reason, as they boast one of the most intimidating lineups, despite having 21 new players and just nine returning this tournament compared to their 2023 roster.[/p][p]However, that could largely be in part due to the insurance issues many squads endured prior to this tournament, barring a lot of stars for teams like Venezuela (read more here). [/p][p]Starting in the infield, Venezuela has arguably the best contact hitter in all of baseball in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arraez-luis/z18CGfi2/"]Luis Arraez[/a] (San Francisco Giants), who led the National League in hits and is the owner of three batting titles. Joining him in the infield are [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/contreras-willson/nwyMfTpS/"]Willson Contreras[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/boston-red-sox/zaXTinF3/"]Boston Red Sox[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/torres-gleyber/QNdyAu0l/"]Gleyber Torres[/a] (Detroit Tigers), and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/suarez-eugenio/dCCTgAg1/"]Eugenio Suarez[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cincinnati-reds/EkWXj6U9/"]Cincinnati Reds[/a]).[/p][p]Between those last three alone, they combine for eight All-Star selections. Suarez is coming off the best season of his career, in which he blasted 49 home runs and 118 RBI. [/p][p]Torres was a 2025 All-Star, finishing the season with a .256 batting average with 16 home runs and 74 RBi, while Contreras is coming off a 20-home-run, 80-RBI season himself. [/p][embed guid="261f6452-830c-4fd7-ade8-e1a1ebe28ed1" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT_zXHPzn-Q" social-type="youtube" /][p]The infield gets even more ridiculous with the catches in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/contreras-william/GneBtljC/"]William Contreras[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/milwaukee-brewers/CGzqC60o/"]Milwaukee Brewers[/a]), Willson's brother, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/perez-salvador/jmsXgvzh/"]Salvador Perez[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kansas-city-royals/IL2QbgJ4/"]Kansas City Royals[/a]), a future Hall of Famer and one of the greatest catchers of the modern era. [/p][p]Contreras, 27, is a two-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner who is coming off a 17 home run and 76 RBI 2025 season - and that's considered a down year for him. [/p][p]Meanwhile, Perez is a nine-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove Award winner, five-time Silver Slugger, and World Series MVP who is widely known for his power numbers. Even at 35 years old, Perez blasted 30 home runs last year with 100 RBI. [/p][embed guid="9472ae7e-2c21-491a-8592-ba01590069a6" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT_NTpUPUc4" social-type="youtube" /][p]In the outfield, Venezuela is rolling with four - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/acuna-jr-ronald/l4fMjWuo/"]Ronald Acuna[/a] Jr. (Atlanta Braves), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chourio-jackson/rPDNY6eI/"]Jackson Chourio[/a] (Milwaukee Brewers), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/abreu-wilyer/dhRCYg2C/"]Wilyer Abreu[/a] (Boston Red Sox), and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sanoja-javier/EwqJTq02/"]Javier Sanoja[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/miami-marlins/ddxzWOqT/"]Miami Marlins[/a]). [/p][p]Acuna, 28, is widely regarded as one of the best pure players in the entire league, some arguing he's top three behind [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ohtani-shohei/QoeWGRko/"]Shohei Ohtani[/a] (Japan) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/judge-aaron/WSFM7DfK/"]Aaron Judge[/a] (USA). [/p][p]In his first game back from injury last season, Acuna hit a home run to make a statement of his anticipated return. In 95 games, he finished the season still hitting a great .290 batting average with 21 home runs and 42 RBI. The former 2023 MVP, five-time All-Star, and three-time Silver Slugger will be the center of this Venezuela team. [/p][embed guid="b0b7cd3c-cd4f-42e8-aabe-0b4dff2ae488" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNmhYSiUEQo" social-type="youtube" /][p]Chourio, 21, is one of the best young players in all of Major League Baseball. In just two MLB seasons, he's hit 21 home runs in each with 79 and 78 RBI, respectively, along with 22 and 21 stolen bases, hitting above .270 in both seasons as well. [/p][p]While Sanoja, 23, doesn't have the bat like the others, he's still coming off a season with the Miami Marlins, where he finished as a Gold Glove Award winner. Abreu, 26, is the same way as he's a two-time Gold Glove Award winner. [/p][p]As for the pitchers, 2024 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/suarez-ranger/K0G0XXQ2/"]Ranger Suarez[/a] (Boston Red Sox) will be the team's ace starting pitcher after he's coming off a career year. Suarez, 30, tossed a career-best 3.20 ERA with a career-high 151 strikeouts in 157.1 innings. [/p][p]However, the Venezuela bullpen is their strength over their starting rotation - boasting guys like [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/palencia-daniel/ADhiWNhe/"]Daniel Palencia[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chicago-cubs/j7ZnBQFi/"]Chicago Cubs[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bazardo-eduard/pU82K3oe/"]Eduard Bazardo[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/seattle-mariners/txYPhSac/"]Seattle Mariners[/a]), and (Philadelphia Phillies). [/p][embed guid="ed8309f2-2f2f-4f74-b3de-c29377c6f25c" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5Ro3QgCMFY" social-type="youtube" /]