MIAMI, United States. — The Cuban baseball team will debut this tuesday against the Netherlands in the fifth edition of the World Baseball Classic, which will be played until March 21 in various cities in Asia and America.
The clash between the Caribbean and the Europeans will open the actions of Group A, which will be based in Taichung, Taiwan.
The right-hander Yariel Rodríguez (Dragones de Chunichi) was announced for the Cubans, with an excellent performance in the preparation games, while the also right-hander will do it for the Netherlands
Cuba could present a line up based on Roel Santos/Yoelquis Guibert (RF), Yoán Moncada (3B), Luis Robert (CF), Alfredo Despaigne (BD), Yoennis Céspedes (LF), Yadir Drake (1B), Andy Ibáñez (2B), Lorenzo Quintana (C) and Erisbel Arruebarruena (SS).
The Europeans, on the other hand, will have their great star, infielder Xander Bogaerts, from the Boston Red Sox, and players of proven level, such as Andrelton A. Simmons, from the Minnesota Twins.
The selection of the island arrives with good filming after winning 6-0 their last preparation clash, played against the CTBC Brothers, current champion of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (Taiwan). It was only the second game in which the Antillean squad featured all the players who are active in Major League Baseball, with Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert at the helm.
The Netherlands has been the main executioner of Cuba in the last two editions of the World Classic (2013 and 2017). In both contests it was the European team that eliminated the Caribbean.
It should be noted that Cuba has almost always won the first game in the World Classics, with the exception of 2017, when they lost to Japan with a score of 11 runs to six.
In addition to Cuba and the Netherlands, the teams from Taiwan, Italy and Panama make up Group A of the Clásico.
