Jarren Duran joins Mexico for the 2026 World Baseball Classic as Long Beach State alumni take the international stage
Jarren duran has been added to the Mexico national baseball team roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, a move that places a Long Beach State alumnus into Pool B as the tournament opens this week and pool play runs from March 5 through March 17 (ET) across four host sites.
What Jarren Duran’s roster addition means for Mexico and Pool B
The 2026 World Baseball Classic opens Wednesday, March 4, with pool play beginning March 5 and running through March 17 (ET) across four host sites: Miami, Houston, San Juan and Tokyo. In Pool B, two former Long Beach State baseball alumni are set to compete for their respective national teams, with Jarren duran on Mexico’s roster and Vance Worley on Great Britain’s roster.
Mexico’s schedule, opponents, and game times were not detailed in the provided materials, but the pre-tournament ramp-up includes an exhibition game: Team Mexico will play the Los Angeles Dodgers before tournament action begins. For Long Beach State, the development is framed as a continuation of a program tradition—alumni representing countries on an international stage as the event begins this week.
How Jarren Duran is eligible to play for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic
Eligibility details included in the provided context center on family heritage. Jarren duran’s eligibility to play for Mexico is tied to his father, Octavio, who was born in Mexico. The context also notes that his mother, Dena, has Puerto Rican roots, meaning he had multiple options for World Baseball Classic participation.
The same context states that he suited up for Team USA as a younger player, but that by the 2023 World Baseball Classic he had chosen to play for Mexico, and he is following that path again for the 2026 tournament. No additional documentation, federation rules, or eligibility criteria beyond the family details described above were included in the provided material.
Long Beach State’s wider World Baseball Classic footprint: Worley named, Long withdraws
Long Beach State’s presence in the 2026 World Baseball Classic extends beyond Mexico’s roster. Vance Worley (2006–08) has been named to Great Britain’s national baseball team roster for the second consecutive World Baseball Classic, after also competing in 2023. Great Britain will tune up with an exhibition matchup against the San Diego Padres prior to pool play.
On the professional and collegiate record side, the provided context lists Worley’s MLB track record during three seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies: an 18–13 record with a 3. 50 ERA across 53 appearances (46 starts), totaling 277. 2 innings pitched with 238 strikeouts and a 1. 351 WHIP. It also summarizes his Long Beach State performance: 230. 2 innings in 47 appearances, 12 wins, and 145 strikeouts with a 3. 98 ERA, before being selected in the third round of the 2008 MLB Draft.
The same Long Beach State update includes a roster change affecting another alumnus: Chicago Cubs infield prospect Jonathon Long (2021–23) withdrew from participating for Chinese Taipei in the 2026 World Baseball Classic due to a left elbow injury. The context identifies Long as 23 years old, a 2023 ninth-round draft pick, and notes he was named the Cubs’ Minor League Player of the Year following a strong 2025 campaign. The championship game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic is scheduled for March 17 in Miami (ET).
Separately, the Long Beach State summary also highlights Duran’s collegiate record and career path: he ranks fourth in stolen bases, eighth in triples, and ninth in starts in school history; he was a two-time All-Big West selection; and he was drafted in the seventh round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox, later developing into what the context describes as a dynamic presence at the professional level.
