Mets minor league manager to coach alongside Albert Pujols in WBC

New York Mets minor league manager Gilbert Gomez is gearing up to coach alongside former Mets killer Albert Pujols in the World Baseball Classic.

Oct 8, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Albert Pujols (5) is congratulated in the dugout following his single in the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during game two of the Wild Card series for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Busch Stadium. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The New York Mets will be without long-tenured minor league coach Gilbert Gomez for a stint next year as he will join the coaching staff of Albert Pujols and the Dominican Republic for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

The Dominican Republic was granted an automatic bid into the tournament, and Pujols, the former Mets killer during his historic career, is set to serve as the team's manager. Per Mike Mayer of Metsmerized, Gomez will serve alongside Pujols as the team's assistant manager.

Mets minor league manager Gilbert Gómez will work alongside Albert Pujols as the assistant manager for the Dominican Republic in the 2026 WBC.

Gómez enters his 8th season coaching in the Mets system and his 2nd straight managing the Brooklyn Cyclones.

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) March 6, 2025

Gomez will enter his eighth season with the Mets organization, and 2025 will be his second as manager of the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones. He led the team to a 65-67 record in 2024 while holding a 36-30 record at Maimonides Park.

Gomez, who will celebrate his 33rd birthday on March 8, became the youngest manager to win the championship in LIDOM history this past winter at the helm of the Tigres del Licey. He is only the first manager since Edgardo Alfonzo (2017-2019) to return for consecutive seasons as manager of the Cyclones.

Read more: Former New York Mets first rounder falls out of latest prospect rankings

Gomez spent seven seasons of his playing career in the Mets' farm system, reaching as high as Double-A Binghamton. In that time, he batted .229/.336/.327 across 537 games while serving as an outfielder.

The coach comes from a family of sports lifers. Two of his brothers, Dariel and Jose, are deeply entrenched in baseball. Dariel spent time in the Mets farm system in 2023, while Jose is a scout for the Tampa Bay Rays. His third brother, Hector, is a top sports journalist in the Dominican Republic.

Gomez will be joined by fellow Tigres del Licey coach Hector Borg on Pujols' coaching staff for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

¡GLORIOSOS CON LA PATRIA! 🇩🇴🙌🏼

Felicitamos a Gilbert Gómez y Héctor Borg por unirse al staff de coaches del equipo dominicano de cara al Clásico Mundial de Béisbol 2026.

¡EXITOS! 🥂#LiceyFamily 💙 #ElGlorioso pic.twitter.com/Lg6hrYwmPF

— Tigres del Licey (@TigresdelLicey) March 6, 2025

Fraternizing with the enemy

There is no question that Albert Pujols will one day be in the Hall of Fame. He was feared by all opposing teams and pitchers throughout his career, and that is certainly no different for the New York Mets.

Pujols batted .304/.387/.601 with 23 home runs, 68 RBI, and a 114 OPS+ across 349 plate appearances in 79 games against the Mets. The .988 OPS Pujols tallied against New York ranks as the ninth-highest across his career among teams in which he accrued 300 or more plate appearances.