A little more than a month before the new edition of the World Baseball Classic (WBC)manager Germán Mesa is confident that the team he will lead in that tournament can repeat the performance of the previous version, when it took fourth place.
In statements to the press, reported by the Efe agency, the Havana helmsman assured that this result could be obtained regardless of whether or not the roster includes players who currently work in the Major Leagues (MLB).
We have always been up to par
The team manager #Cuba of #baseball He shared with the press details of the preparation and the new additions to the preselection. #CubanBaseball #CubanSport https://t.co/9H8cacwiyz pic.twitter.com/OWHoadNwQw
— JIT Cuban Sport (@jit_digital) January 29, 2026
“It is not a problem of names,” but of “those who want to be there,” said the former player, who in the previous version accompanied strategist Armando Johnson in the management group, as coach of banking.
“I am of the opinion that in these short events the best does not always win, the one who plays the best wins. We are preparing to play a game as best as possible. Who can say that we cannot win?” he said, while several of the eligible players were developing a training session at the Latin American Stadium in Havana.
Drop of casualties
The Cuban team will attend the Americas Series to be held at the beginning of February in Venezuela with a part of its reelection, and then will hold a friendly series of four challenges against its counterpart from Nicaragua.
By then, the roster that will attend the Classic should already be outlined, and how many MLB players will be able to represent the island in the contest.
In the last edition Cuba had the services of infielders Andy Ibáñez (recently hired by the Los Angeles Dodgers), Yoan Moncada (recently extended his bond with the Los Angeles Angels) and outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (traded from the Chicago White Sox to the New York Mets last week).
Cubans in MLB: Luis Robert Jr. moves to New York to play for the Mets
It was an unprecedented situation until then and those players, plus others with past experiences in MLB and the Minor Leagues, were key pieces in advancing to the decisive stage, the most outstanding performance since the second place achieved in the initial version of the tournament.
For this occasion, Luis Robert rejected the possibility of repeating the experience and, as it has emerged, Ibáñez recently declined his inclusion in the group, in order to accelerate his preparation for the upcoming campaign.
Another who was in the initial plans of the high command and announced that he would not join the group was Dodgers outfielder Andy Pagés, who once again won the World Series after a remarkable season.
Regarding the change of mind of the man from Pinar del Río, who had initially assured that he would be in the Classic, the Cuban manager attributed it to a “personal” decision that he did not consider, according to Eph.
Warming up engines
The group of 18 eligible players, including several who work in various professional circuits, began preparation for the Classic.
One of his references is the turn-down pitcher Liván Minelo, who declared to the media that beyond the possibility of having MLB players, the important thing is to “play good ball.”
Cuba begins to adjust its machinery towards the World Baseball Classic
“I think that until now the main thing is to go and improve that fourth place, which I think left a good taste,” said the Most Valuable Player of last season of the Pacific division in the Japanese Professional Baseball League (NPB) and champion of the tournament with the SoftBank Falcons.
“I think it is possible to be among the top three and I think so, with the guys there (it can be achieved). It’s all about working with the mentality you have to have to win,” he added.
He infielder Santiago Yoel Yanqui, who played this year in Nicaragua and has experience in Triple A of the MLB, shared a similar vision.
“I say that if everyone goes out to give their best, I believe it can be repeated. This is a collective sport. This is not individual,” he stressed.
The Cuban team has set its debut in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where it will compete with the teams from Canada, Panama, Colombia and the host country.
In addition to the Puerto Rican capital, the VI World Classic will have preliminary groups in Japan and the United States. For the next round, the actions will be concentrated in the American cities of Houston and Miami, the latter also chosen to host the final.
