Showalter had previously expressed trepidation about his players participating in the tournament, mostly because he was worried about them ramping up too quickly for the regular season. He doubled down on this midway through the 2023 season, his last with the Mets, blaming a lot of the club’s troubles on the aftereffects of the tournament.

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor will once again captain Team Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, he announced Wednesday. Lindor served as team captain in the 2023 WBC, when Puerto Rico was eliminated by Mexico in the quarterfinals.