WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL D - NETHERLANDS VS DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

March 8, 2026

Juan Soto

Vladimir Guerrero

LoanDepot Park

Team Dominican Republic

Postgame Press Conference

Dominican Republic 12, Netherlands 1

Q. Junior Caminero just left the room. You as a veteran in the team with a World Series ring, this guy is 23, 24 years old, 22 years old. What he is doing, and his performance is like a veteran's. How do you evaluate Caminero?

JUAN SOTO: He's a great player, a great human being. He is focused on his goals. He's making a great effort. I think he has a bright future if he continues like that. You never know. The sky's the limit. But I'm impressed by his performance and behavior on and off the field.

Q. Your first homer, Juan, in a WBC. It was a very special moment because it was the end of the game. Where would you put this game in your career?

JUAN SOTO: It's a beautiful experience. The homer sealed the game today. But we have a long way to go yet. I have to thank God for these skills, but I'm very happy I was able to execute.

But yes, it is definitely one of the most important and beautiful times in my career.

Q. A few minutes ago, maybe a couple minutes ago, Pujols said that he wanted to talk to you, to take you off the game, and you said no. Look, you hit the homer and won. Tell us about that moment. What do you think about that? He wanted to remove you from the game, and you said that you wanted to continue.

JUAN SOTO: I was paying attention to the game, and I knew that I would bat in the next inning. I wanted to help the guys in the bullpen. He wanted to take me out, and I said, no, let's continue, let me here. And I hit the homer.

Q. You have a great flow, Vlady. Don't feel bad about that. This is a message to Japan, right? It says Nakamoto on your tee shirt. On the first home run by Caminero, you told him something before he hit, and after that, after the homer, I saw you on the screen with a face like, I told you. And to Soto, what's the difference between this Classic and the previous one, because you participated in 2023, as well.

VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR.: First of all, no, it has nothing to do with Japan, what I have on my tee shirt. I just bought this tee shirt, and who knows what this means.

Anyway, regarding Caminero, I told him go out and enjoy. He was hit by a ball before, and I told the guy next to me, I believe that he's going to hit a homer, and he did.

JUAN SOTO: I would say the vibes. That's the main difference between both Classics. We have a lot of talent, as in the previous Classic, but the vibes make the difference this team.

Q. Soto, what do you think about your teammates? They believe that you were like the good cop in the team, and they highlight your leadership. And Vladimir, the spark that we saw you in the World Series is the same that you have today. How do you communicate with the hitters, with your teammates, to help them?

VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR.: Obviously we all know each other. We have played in different teams. We know the talent of everyone, and I just tell them who they are. If you see the lineup, we don't think about ourselves, we think about our teammates. When you see that kind of a lineup, it's very difficult not to win.

Q. Vlady, I just wanted to ask, is it true that the Dominican styled home run jacket was your idea? And if so, can you tell me about the symbolism behind it? I saw you curling the dumbbell, too.

VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR.: I'm not going to say it's my idea because when I got here, it was here already. But to me, it's like we do that in Toronto, and to have that here is amazing. Like I always say, we're trying to find something to celebrate with a home run, and I think the jacket is unique for us. If you see the back they've got all the names. So to me it's like all together with the jacket.

Q. I saw everybody's names are on it, as well. Do you mind me asking who made the jacket?

VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR.: I have no idea.

Q. Question for both. In two matches, seven homers, over 20 runs. We know that the offense is very unique for the Dominican Republic. How would you define the offense of the Dominican Republic?

VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR.: We are talking about the offense only, but we have a great bullpen. I mean, everyone is doing our job. We are contributing. We are helping the team as a whole, and we have to give credit to the pitchers as well.