Andruw Jones looks like a natural choice to manage a team someday.
Jones is making a return to baseball—not as a player, though at 48 he might still have some power left—but as the new manager of Team Netherlands for next year’s World Baseball Classic.
A reasonable first reaction to the news might be, “Wait, is Jones from the Netherlands?” The answer is: kind of. He hails from Curaçao, an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Jones previously played for the Netherlands in the 2006 and 2013 World Baseball Classics, and now he’s stepping into a leadership role—perhaps hinting at a future in MLB management.
Team Netherlands isn’t just throwing a familiar name into the dugout for publicity, either. With stars like Xander Bogaerts, Jurickson Profar, and Kenley Jansen on the roster, and a current No. 7 ranking in the WBSC standings, they’re aiming to seriously contend with the likes of the U.S. and Japan.
In the 2023 WBC, the team went 2-2 in pool play—falling short of the knockout round but doing enough to earn a spot in next year’s tournament.
Andruw Jones seems poised for MLB managerial career
Braves fans might already be losing patience with Brian Snitker, so who knows—maybe a managerial seat could open up for Jones sooner than expected. Just kidding… mostly.
That said, Andruw Jones has been steadily dipping his toes into coaching roles, including serving as the hitting coach for the National League Futures Team during this summer’s All-Star festivities in Atlanta.
While being a great player doesn’t necessarily translate to being a great manager, Jones appears to be charting a serious path toward a future in the dugout. His upcoming role leading Team Netherlands in the 2026 World Baseball Classic could be an important first step.
