How a WBC Roster Could Impact the A's Third Base Competition

Aug 5, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Athletics third base Darell Hernaiz (2) celebrates after hitting a two run home run against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The A's are pretty locked up at most of their positions around the diamond, but the one that is a question mark for the club entering camp will be third base. Granted, they just added Andy Ibáñez, who figures to get a decent amount of work at the hot corner with his impressive glove, but he's more of a utility player on this roster, replacing Max Schuemann.

The main battle at third was expected to be between former first rounder Max Muncy and Darell Hernaiz, who impressed the A's coaches and the front office down the stretch of the 2025 season with the progress he'd made with his game.

The assumption here is that Muncy has a slight edge entering camp, given that his ceiling is a little higher, but what happens this spring could be a big indicator for who will end up winning the battle.

And that's where things get tricky for Hernaiz.

The pros and cons of playing in the WBC

Sep 21, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Athletics third baseman Darell Hernaiz (2) stands for the playing of God Bless America during the seventh inning stretch against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The obvious pro here for Hernaiz is that he's on the Puerto Rican roster for the World Baseball Classic, and that is an awesome opportunity for him. It's hard to see any player turning down the chance to represent their country on a grand scale, like the WBC.

On the one hand, this is a great chance for the A's to see a little more of every player in the mix for the third base job, as both Muncy and Hernaiz could see legitimate playing time on the same day, just on different rosters.

At the same time, with Nolan Arenado also on the Puerto Rico roster, it's tough to see Hernaiz getting a lot of playing time at the position he's trying to win a role at with the A's. That could work in one of two ways. The first is that the A's focus on his bat, knowing that he has the glove to make it work. If Hernaiz is hitting, and driving the ball most importantly, then that could work in his favor.

Then again, if he's not playing, then he's not necessarily going to have a chance to get those prove-it at-bats either.

More complications

Let's say that Hernaiz gets the playing time that he would have received while playing spring games with the A's, only on a larger platform where the pitchers are all throwing like the regular season has already begun. If Hernaiz struggles more than Muncy, who is facing Double-A pitching at times, how does that work out in the calculus for whom the A's pick for opening day?

Say Muncy hits .350 while facing a mixture of minor-league arms and some fringe big leaguers, while Hernaiz hits .240 while facing some of the best competition in the world. Who would you say is ahead in that race? Obviously batting average isn't the best indicator, but we're just using it as an example to try to get a thought process across.

Unless one of these guys really stands out and pulls away from the pack, the answer for who ends up winning the opening day nod could be Muncy, based mostly on the fact that he has been around his team and coaches all spring. If it's a close battle, that could be the determining factor.

To a lesser degree

Jul 25, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Cade Marlowe (18) celebrates his solo home run against the Minnesota Twins in the fifth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Hernaiz's teammate both in the big leagues and in the WBC, Carlos Cortes, could be in a similar position. Cortes had a solid rookie season with the A's last season, going 29-for-94 (.309) as an extra outfielder off the bench. He was always ready for his pinch-hit spots and prepared for each game and every scenario he could potentially face.

The expectation this spring is that he'll be in a similar role for the A's out of the gate in 2026. That said, the club also signed former Seattle Mariners outfielder Cade Marlowe, another left-handed outfield bat that could find himself in the roster mix at some point this season.

Following the same reasoning, if Cortes struggles in limited action in the WBC while Marlowe shows that he's not only healthy, but productive, could there be a surprise roster swap when the season begins?

It's not likely, but it's something to keep an eye on.