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For years, the Puerto Rico national team chased Nolan Arenado and came up empty. The St. Louis Cardinals star chose to wear “USA” across his chest in the last two World Baseball Classics, stacking gold gloves and silver medals while Puerto Rican fans wondered what might have been. Now, with the 2026 WBC headed to San Juan, the script has flipped: Arenado is the one calling Puerto Rico.
According to Team Puerto Rico general manager Carlos Beltrán, Arenado personally picked up the phone to express his desire to represent the Island in the next Classic, motivated by his family roots and a promise to honor his mother and grandmother.
That interest is no longer just a feel-good headline. Puerto Rico’s federation has now included Arenado on its refined list of 35 candidates for the 2026 roster, along with fellow star George Springer, as they move through MLB’s formal eligibility and permissions process.
From Team USA Cornerstone to ‘Team Rubio’ Game-Changer
Arenado is as “Team USA” as it gets on paper. He represented the United States in both the 2017 and 2023 Classics, playing a key role on rosters loaded with MVPs and All-Stars. When Puerto Rico tried to recruit him in past cycles, he listened, flirted… and then stuck with the American roster.
This time, the emotional calculus feels different. Arenado’s father is Cuban, but his mother Millie is Puerto Rican, and he’s spoken publicly about how his parents instilled Caribbean culture and pride at home. Beltrán has said what moved him most wasn’t just the talent on the other end of the line, but the reason: Arenado wants to do this for his mom and his abuela. That’s Marcus Stroman vibes all over again—another American-born star who switched allegiances to honor his Puerto Rican family, then became a WBC legend in 2017.
On the field, the fit is almost unfair. Puerto Rico already expects to roll into 2026 with Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, Javier Báez and Heliot Ramos as headline names. Drop Arenado into that infield mix and suddenly Yadier Molina has the flexibility to use him at third base, first base or even as a middle-of-the-order designated hitter, depending on how the rest of the roster shakes out.
We’re talking about a future Hall of Famer with 10 Gold Gloves, five Silver Sluggers, multiple Platinum Gloves and an NL MVP runner-up on his résumé. You don’t just “add” that to a national team. You build a tournament game plan around it.
Puerto Rico Gets a Star—And a Story—On Home Soil
The timing of Arenado’s interest makes this even more powerful. Pool A of the 2026 WBC will be played at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan from March 6–11, with Puerto Rico hosting Cuba, Canada, Panama and Colombia. For a country that has already reached two WBC finals but never lifted the trophy, having one of MLB’s greatest third basemen suit up for Puerto Rico on Puerto Rican soil is the kind of storyline that can define a tournament.
And Arenado is not alone. Springer, who has Puerto Rican roots through his mother from Utuado, is also on that 35-man list, though he hasn’t committed yet. Prospects and young stars like Riley Greene and Mark Vientos have been discussed as possibilities as well, all of them eligible through Puerto Rican family ties.
If even half of those dual-national names say yes, Puerto Rico becomes more than just a dangerous host. It becomes the tournament’s emotional center: an island trying once again to break through after heartbreaking runner-up finishes, now led by a superstar who turned down the United States to finally embrace the jersey he’s been circling for almost a decade.
That’s bigger than depth charts and matchups. That’s culture, family and identity converging on one dugout.
If Team Rubio eventually announces Nolan Arenado as part of its final roster, it won’t just be a talent upgrade. It’ll be a statement that Puerto Rico isn’t content with being the Classic’s best almost-champion anymore—especially not at home.
Alvin Garcia Born in Puerto Rico, Alvin Garcia is a sports writer for Heavy.com who focuses on MLB. His work has appeared on FanSided, LWOS, NewsBreak, Athlon Sports, and Yardbarker, covering mostly MLB. More about Alvin Garcia
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