Everything indicates that the team that will represent Cuba in the VI World Baseball Classic (WBC) will begin its preparation during the next Americas Series, which after so many uncertainties, has set February 5 as the start date in Venezuela.
If their presence in the competition is confirmed, the cast under the orders of Germán Mesa would appear in the fair with a good part of the 35 players declared eligible to participate in the Classic, which for the island will begin in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
#AmericasSeries || The Series of the Americas, Gran Caracas 2026 will be launched on February 5 with the participation of 7 countries.
The event will have a 25-game qualifying round (Round Robin) from February 5 to 11.
The semi-finals will be held on the 12th of… pic.twitter.com/KyG5l6v4Jq
— BeisbolGPO (@beisbolgpo) January 15, 2026
However, in that segment of the preparation there would not be the main players who play in teams of different levels. Major Leagues (MLB, for its acronym in English), who usually join the group dynamics a few days before if they receive the approval of their respective franchises.
In any case, the visit to Venezuela, which assumed the organization of the Americas Series after being withdrawn from the Caribbean Series, will be a good opportunity to calibrate the Cuban team’s options.
In the continental competition, in addition to the hosts and Cubans, teams from Panama, Colombia, Nicaragua, Curacao and Argentina will participate.
Some of these nations have assured their presence in the Classic, but the composition of the teams that will represent them in the Americas call has not been defined.
After the rehearsal in Venezuelan lands, the same group of Cuban players will develop another phase of training for 10 days in Nicaragua, where they plan to face that nation’s national team four times.
Cuba will play preparation games in Nicaragua towards the World Baseball Classic
At the end of that journey, specialists and fans were able to have a more exact idea of how the formation of the team would end, which will have the complex goal of at least equaling the previous performance, which ended with a creditable fourth place.
Sensitive low in the box
Baseball authorities in Cuba recently received news that disrupts their plans for the formation of the team that will represent the island in the WBC.
According to the information published by journalist Francys Romero, pitcher Rafael Sánchez, who would be on the list of 35 delivered by Cuba to the organizers, would have declined the invitation to join the group of preselected players, to prioritize his preparation for the next season.
The Holguin native linked to the Toronto Blue Jays and with experience in the Minor Leagues, accepted the franchise’s suggestion of completing a period of physical strengthening to help him overcome an ailment that he has been carrying since last season.
Sánchez, 26, aims to appear in optimal condition in the Canadian franchise’s spring training, but it is very likely that he will begin his 2026 appearances at the Triple-A level.
The specialized site Swing Completo highlights that during the last four seasons at the lower level of the Major Leagues, the Cuban has a balance of 16-22, with an earned run average of 4.23.
In that period Sanchéz saw action in 370 innings, in which he recorded 357 strikeouts.
