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Why Austin Wells is playing for Dominican Republic in the WBC originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Dominican Republic has a high-quality catcher on its roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
It's just now who you might first think. It's New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells.
Wells doesn't come across as a Dominican player, and he's not from the D.R.
But thanks to his heritage, he's able to take part in the WBC for one of the tournament's powerhouses.
MORE: This Mets phenom ate 900 raw eggs in a month to develop his 100 MPH fastball
Why is Austin Wells playing for the Dominican Republic?
Wells can suit up for the Dominican Republic because his mother is Dominican.
His mother Michelle's parents are both from the Dominican Republic.
Because of that, the WBC eligibility rules allow Wells to suit up for Team D.R. at the tournament.
Michelle and Wells' father, Greg, met at the University of Arizona, where Michelle was a gymnast and Greg was a baseball player.
Is Austin Wells Dominican?
Austin Wells isn't from the Dominican Republic.
Wells was born in Scottsdale, Arizona and he attended high school at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas before playing collegiately at the University of Arizona.
His Dominican heritage, though, is enough for him to be eligible by WBC rules, and so he's taking the chance to represent his familial roots.
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