Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic Baseball
The United States of America left baseball and has since left the Dominican Republic as one of the most popular sports. Baseball is also the most popular sport in the Dominican Republic because of the impact it has had. Many popular players have come to represent the Dominican Republic in the MLB like Juan Soto and Red Sox Hall of Famer David Ortiz. A lot of popularity started from Cuba which later transferred to the Dominican Republic. Many people had to escape the Dominican Republic for a chance at the MLB and a better life. Today, the Dominican Republic is one of the best countries in baseball and scoring very well in the WBC, World Baseball Classic. Baseball is the National sport of the Dominican Republic.
Juan Soto is a current, 26-year-old baseball player who has recently signed the biggest contract in sports history with another baseball player, Shohei Ohtani, behind him. He got signed to a 15-year, 700 million-dollar contract with the New York Mets. Juan Soto is known for being a strong and tough prospect. Soto has been getting a lot of hate for " lying" about his age, something common for Dominican players, but no evidence says so. Last year, Soto was with the New York Yankees, losing to Ohtani and the Dodgers. The reason Soto left the Yankees and his former teams like the Nationals and Padres, is mainly becuase of how much he was worth. Another reason was the death of the Padres GM.
WBC
David Ortiz, also nicknamed Big Papi, is a 49-year-old baseball player. David Ortiz is a 3-time World Series champion with the Red Sox, where he spent most of his career. Before he played for the Minnesota Twins. Ortiz is known for his power-hitting and his clutch performance. He became very popular in ‘04 for his comeback in the playoffs against the New York Yankees. Ortiz has won many rewards like 7 silver sluggers and 10 all-stars. Ortiz has made a huge impact on baseball and will always be known as a legend.
Elly de la Cruz 23-year-old baseball player who has already made a mark in the league. He has only played two seasons with the Cittiantti Reds. He is one of the fastest and most intimidating players in baseball. In his 15th game, he hit for the cycle which is one of the hardest accomplishments in baseball. A cycle is hitting a single, double, triple, and a home run in one game. Since then he has carried the Reds to 3rd in their division with a record of 82-80 in 2023.