2026 World Baseball Classic Predictions
USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale and Steve Gardner predict who will take home the WBC trophy in 2026.
Mark Teixeira, a switch hitter who hit 409 home runs in his career in the major leagues, got his first important win from right field.
Teixeira, a first baseman for the New York Yankees who won his most recent championship in 2009, won a landslide victory in the Texas 21st Congressional District primary on March 3, winning 60.9% of the vote in the deep red district and almost guaranteeing his election to Congress in the November general election.
Teixeira, 45, ran as a MAGA-affiliated outsider in the race to replace Chip Roy, who had represented the district since 2018 but instead ran for Texas attorney general. Despite having 11 candidates, Teixeira easily passed the 50% mark needed to avoid a runoff and will face Democrat Christine Hook in the general election.
“I’ve been on many great teams,” Teixeira said in his first campaign ad. “I want to join President Trump’s team to secure the border and crush cartels.”
Teixeira had the support of both President Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott. His platform calls for “border security and enforcement” to be a top priority, followed by “expanding DOGE to cut wasteful and insane spending,” and “ending radical woke indoctrination, defending parental rights, eradicating DEI, and restoring patriotic education rooted in American and Texas values.”
Teixeira, the fifth overall pick in the 2001 draft, was a three-time All-Star and Silver Slugger. He earned a salary of $213 million over his 14-year career.
