Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic square off on Friday, March 6, in Pool D's second game of the day.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on FS2.
Find our World Baseball Classic preview, Nicaragua vs Dominican Republic predictions, and WBC pick below.
Nicaragua vs Dominican Republic predictions
- Nicaragua vs Dominican Republic Pick: Dominican Republic ML
My Nicaragua vs Dominican Republic best bet is on the Dominican Republic to win their WBC opener. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Nicaragua vs Dominican Republic Kalshi Odds
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Nicaragua vs Dominican Republic Picks for Today's World Baseball Classic
The Dominican Republic is not only the clear favorite to prevail in this game against Nicaragua, but also a strong candidate to win its second World Baseball Classic, having taken home the trophy in 2013.
With Phillies ace Christopher Sanchez on the mound in this first game, the Dominican Republic has Kalshi traders pricing their victory at 92 cents, which translates to an 87% winning probability tonight at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida.
Sanchez already showed nasty stuff, especially his changeup, as he reported to Spring Training last month. He had a stellar 2025 season, where he was the most notable snub of the All-Star game, and finished with a 2.50 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, a 13-5 record, and 212 strikeouts.
Although he will be limited to a 65-pitch count early per WBC rules in this initial outing, he should prove too much to handle for the Nicaraguan bats, and so will the rest of the Dominican Republic bullpen.
Ronald Medrano, a 30-year old former Cardinals prospect, will take the mound for Nicaragua. He knows the Dominican Republic very well after playing in their winter league with Gigantes, and also has experience in Mexico, Spain, and his home country.
Dusty Baker is Nicaragua's manager, but there's only so much he can do by motivating and pushing a team that lost all four games in its debut WBC appearance four years ago.
He's counting on the Twins' Erasmo Ramirez as his captain, and a lineup that will feature the Mets' Mark Vientos and the Blue Jays' Ismael Munguia.
Even if one baseball game can prove anyone wrong, this should be no problem for a Dominican lineup with Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado, Julio Rodriguez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jeremy Pena, and Junior Caminero, among many other star players.
