Ramirez ready to lead Brazil to baseball prominence in Classic

Wearing father Manny's No. 24, outfielder Lucas Ramirez aims to show Brazil can make noise in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Mar. 3, 2026 at 11:19pm

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Outfielder Lucas Ramirez, son of former MLB star Manny Ramirez, will represent Brazil in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Ramirez, who was born in Florida but whose mother is from Brazil, is excited to showcase his abilities and represent the country. Brazil is making its second appearance in the WBC, and while they are underdogs in a strong Pool B, Ramirez believes they have the power and strength to surprise some teams.

Why it matters

Baseball is growing in popularity in Brazil, a country traditionally dominated by soccer. Ramirez's participation in the WBC, along with Brazil's recent success at the Pan American Games, is part of a baseball boom in the country. MLB has also invested in a state-of-the-art baseball academy in Brazil to help develop local talent.

The details

Ramirez, who was drafted by the Angels in 2024, will wear his father Manny's No. 24 jersey for Brazil. Manny Ramirez was Ramirez's hitting coach throughout his childhood and specifically taught him to bat left-handed, even though Ramirez is naturally right-handed. Beyond Ramirez, Brazil's roster features other players with MLB connections, including infielder Dante Bichette Jr. and pitcher Joseph Contreras.

  • Brazil will make its second appearance in the World Baseball Classic in 2026.
  • Brazil won a silver medal at the 2023 Pan American Games.
  • MLB launched the Yakult Baseball Training Center in Ibiúna, São Paulo in recent years.

The players

Lucas Ramirez

A 20-year-old outfielder who was drafted by the Angels in 2024 and will represent Brazil in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Manny Ramirez

Lucas Ramirez's father, a former MLB star who was considered one of the best right-handed hitters of his era and served as Lucas' hitting coach throughout his childhood.

Dante Bichette Jr.

An infielder on Brazil's 2026 World Baseball Classic roster, and the brother of Bo Bichette and son of former MLB outfielder Dante Bichette Sr.

Joseph Contreras

A right-handed pitcher on Brazil's 2026 World Baseball Classic roster, and the son of longtime MLB pitcher José Contreras.

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What they’re saying

“Baseball is definitely growing in Brazil, and a lot of other countries as well. I'm glad to see that baseball is going into countries that are mainly like soccer countries or more into other sports. There's a lot of good baseball that's coming from Brazil.”

— Lucas Ramirez

“It means a lot. I get to showcase my abilities for Team Brazil and represent her. I'm not only representing Brazil in baseball. I'm representing the whole country and showing love to the culture.”

— Lucas Ramirez

“We're underrated. A lot of people think [teams] are just going to walk all over us, but nah. We've got some power. We've got strength. We're going to fight.”

— Lucas Ramirez

What’s next

Brazil will open play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic on Friday, March 8 at 8 p.m. ET against host nation Team USA at Daikin Park in Houston.

The takeaway

Lucas Ramirez's participation in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, along with Brazil's recent success and MLB's investment in baseball development in the country, highlights the growing popularity of the sport in a nation traditionally dominated by soccer. Ramirez and his teammates are determined to prove they can compete with the best teams in the tournament.