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Aaron Judge drops Dominican Republic praise ahead of World Baseball Classic semifinal
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- Aaron Judge drops Dominican Republic praise ahead of World Baseball Classic semifinal
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Team USA captain Aaron Judge has closely followed the Dominican Republic's dominant run during the 2026 World Baseball Classic as the highly anticipated semifinal matchup approaches in Miami .
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The United States will face the Dominican Republic at loanDepot Park in one of the tournament's biggest matchups. The Dominican squad enters the semifinal undefeated at 5–0 with an impressive 51–10 run differential through its first five games.
In an article written by USA Today's Bob Nightengale on Saturday, he shared the following remarks from the Yankees superstar, who expressed admiration for the Dominican Republic's energy and performance during the 2026 tournament.
"It's exciting to see what the DR is doing," Judge said. "It's been fun watching those games and seeing what's going on. I think everybody in that room is excited to get there and be a part of it."
The Dominican Republic lineup has powered through the bracket with a .312 team batting average, a 1.090 OPS, and 14 home runs, tying the World Baseball Classic single-tournament record for a team. Their offensive surge was on full display in the quarterfinals when they defeated Korea 10–0 via mercy rule in Miami.
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Team USA has taken a longer, more challenging path to reach this point. Mark DeRosa's team advanced with a 4–1 record after defeating Canada 5–3 in Houston . The Americans jumped out to a 5–0 lead before Canada mounted a late rally. Logan Webb handled the start, while Mason Miller struck out the side in the ninth inning to secure the win.
Pitching will once again be a key factor as the teams prepare to meet in South Beach. Skenes takes the mound for the United States after delivering four scoreless innings vs. Mexico earlier in the tournament. The right-hander struck out seven in that outing and will likely work under a 75–80 pitch limit in the semifinal.
The clash between Team USA and the Dominican Republic is set for Sunday night in Miami, with both teams aiming to move one step closer to the WBC championship game.
Related: Logan Webb not leaving Team USA despite making last WBC start
Related: Puerto Rico removes starter in 1st inning after Italy's scoring outburst
