MLB Announces Major Yadier Molina News on Wednesday
St. Louis Cardinals legend Yadier Molina will return as manager of Team Puerto Rico in the upcoming 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC).
MLB announced the decision along with Team Puerto Rico on Wednesday morning, marking 2026 as Molina's second trip to the WBC as a manager.
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The 10-time MLB All Star led the team to the quarterfinals in 2023 before being eliminated by Mexico.
The 2026 WBC will be Molina's sixth with Puerto Rico. He participated in the first four (2006, 2009, 2013, 2017) as a player for the team, serving as team captain in 2013 and 2017, when the team finished second in back-to-back tournaments.
Team Puerto Rico manager Yadier Molina prepares for the team's matchup against Mexico during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Along with the announcement of Molina's return, the team revealed that New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor will return as team captain - the same role he held during the 2023 WBC.
Following his 2022 retirement, Molina, a two-time World Series Champion, jumped right into the managerial world, taking on the role for the Navegantes del Magallanes in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. In 2023, Molina managed the Criollos de Caguas of the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League to a title in Puerto Rico and again at the 2024 Caribbean Series.
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The 2026 WBC will begin on March 5. Molina's No.9-ranked team will start pool play the next day with a matchup against Team Canada. The two teams will be grouped with Colombia, Cuba and Panama in Pool A. All round-robin games among Pool A's members will take place at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Related: Nolan Arenado the Center of Interest in Cardinals Trade Deadline Prediction
Related: Cardinals' Donovan off to Surprisingly Slow Start in All-Star Voting
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
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