NC Dinos home run king Matt Davidson will don the Canadian flag and compete in the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
MLB Network on the 6th (Korea time) released the rosters for all 20 countries participating in the WBC. Canada, placed in Pool A with Puerto Rico, Cuba, Panama and Colombia, also announced its roster that day, and a familiar name was revealed. It was NC Dinos' home run king Matt Davidson.
It was not a surprise selection. Discussions between Davidson and the NC club about his participation on Canada's WBC team had been ongoing since the end of last year, and NC planned not to block Davidson's call-up. In the end, Davidson was able to wear the Canadian uniform and play in the international tournament. Davidson's selection to Canada's roster can be seen as filling the void left by superstar Freddie Freeman (Los Angeles Dodgers) not participating. Freeman has a career record of 2,179 games, a .300 batting average, 2,431 hits, 367 home runs, 1,322 RBIs and an OPS of .897. He holds both a National League MVP and a World Series MVP, and has nine All-Star selections, one Gold Glove and three Silver Slugger awards. He is a big-league representative star and Canada's superstar who has won the World Series three times.
Freeman himself was born in California, but both of his parents are from Canada. Thinking of his mother, who died when he was 10, Freeman represented Canada in the WBC.
Davidson is similar. Davidson was also born in California but wanted to play for his mother's country, Canada, and this time he realized that wish. Davidson said through NC, "I am truly happy to have first been selected to the national team and to be able to compete in a big tournament like the WBC. I have always wanted to have a good relationship with my mother's country Canada, and I sincerely wanted to join the national team."
He added, "If the day comes when we face Korea in the WBC, that alone would be a really meaningful moment. If that moment comes, I think I could approach the game with an excited heart. I hope we can meet in the later rounds," and said, "My Dinos teammates Joo-won and Young-gyu are truly outstanding players, and I would name them as the players Korea should be most wary of." However, Canada in Pool A and Korea in Pool C can meet only if both reach the semifinals or beyond.
He also added, "I am happy to be able to play on the same Canadian team as Logan, who was my former teammate and friend." Left-handed pitcher Logan Allen, who played for NC last year, also made Canada's roster.
Davidson joined the KBO League in 2024 and in his debut season posted a .306 batting average (154 hits in 504 at-bats) with 46 home runs, 119 RBIs and an OPS of 1.003 in 131 games. He claimed the home run king title.
In 2025 he suffered from a rib injury but still produced a .293 batting average (113 hits in 386 at-bats) with 36 home runs, 97 RBIs and an OPS of .965 in 112 games. He missed a number of games but showcased prodigious power and finished second in the home run rankings. At the time of last year's re-signing he agreed to a 1+1 year multi-year deal worth up to $3.2 million. The guaranteed salary that could have been received under the club option of the multi-year contract was $1.7 million. But NC instead proposed a $1.3 million contract rather than exercising the option, and Davidson accepted, confirming their third year together.
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