World Baseball Classic: Puerto Rico ready to clash with underdog Colombia

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/puerto-rico/v7R43VK7/"]Puerto Rico[/a] are one of three countries ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/japan/vuZGJUZ0/"]Japan[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/usa/dSweSEc8/"]United States[/a]) during this year's WBC that will have home field advantage to start off the Pool stage. This will be the first-ever meeting between both teams since [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/colombia/z5A5Ioq8/"]Colombia[/a] clinched their first WBC spot in 2017 and will take place on Friday, March 6th, at 6:00 p.m. Eastern time (New York).[/p][p]However, Puerto Rico are the overwhelming favourites and for good reason, despite many of their star players being denied to play in the WBC due to insurance reasons ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/drama-and-intrigue-expected-as-2026-world-baseball-classic-approaches/zseTDLV7/"]read more here[/a]). [/p][p]Both squads are in the Pool A group along with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/8dIZ5DLr/"]Canada[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/panama/0GS04B51/"]Panama[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cuba/2JHw5Xzk/"]Cuba[/a]. Now, let's get into how both teams stack up in their first matchup of the 2026 WBC. [/p][embed guid="afcc69ae-6520-44f6-9ca8-d3e074ec7581" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6_SPTWVwc0" social-type="youtube" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/world-baseball-classic-mexico-vs-great-britain-start-things-off-for-pool-b/xb3hETzo/"]Mexico vs. Great Britain preview[/a][/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/world-baseball-classic-2026-australia-and-chinese-taipei-ready-to-start-with-a-bang/f56jhFNM/"]Australia vs Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) preview[/a][/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/world-baseball-classic-cuba-and-panama-game-preview/vB99TJFL/"]Cuba vs. Panama preview[/a][/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/world-baseball-classic-czech-minnows-face-tough-test-against-south-korea/hMPQIRCN/"]Czech Republic vs. South Korea preview[/a][/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/world-baseball-classic-2026-netherlands-look-to-upset-juggernaut-venezuela/KjWICnPa/"]Netherlands vs. Venezuela preview[/a][/b][/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/puerto-rico/v7R43VK7/"]Puerto Rico[/a] (+2000)[/h2][p]Team Puerto Rico are currently fifth in the favorites to win the tournament behind the USA (-110), Japan (+350), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dominican-republic/tAGs4ije/"]Dominican Republic[/a] (+400), and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/venezuela/AVsaRYCE/"]Venezuela[/a] (+900). [/p][p]However, they'll be without some big-time stars this year, missing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lindor-francisco/GUrxZX1r/"]Francisco Lindor[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-mets/I5wWW4UM/"]New York Mets[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/berrios-jose/zLzfvERo/"]Jose Berrios[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/toronto-blue-jays/zcDLaZ3b/"]Toronto Blue Jays[/a]), and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/correa-carlos/xhgTaVkJ/"]Carlos Correa[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/houston-astros/lfZXonNq/"]Houston Astros[/a]). [/p][p]Team Puerto Rico will see 20 new players on their 30-man roster, just one less than Venezuela's 21. [/p][p]One of the standouts is third baseman [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arenado-nolan/lA3NHbnk/"]Nolan Arenado[/a] (St. Louis Cardinals). The 34-year-old has more Platinum Glove Awards (six) than the entire USA squad. He's an eight-time All-Star, 10x Gold Glove winner, and five-time Silver Slugger.[/p][p]Although his hitting numbers have dipped with age, he's still a formidable bat in their lineup. [/p][embed guid="d504ea70-a481-4664-84a8-74841be569ee" url="https://x.com/WBCBaseball/status/2028972218831499554?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The other big name is pitcher [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diaz-edwin/OEvYedeF/"]Edwin Diaz[/a] - the reigning 2025 Reliever of the Year. Diaz ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-dodgers/nwPDBpVc/"]Los Angeles Dodgers[/a]) tossed a stellar 1.63 ERA in 62 games (28 saves) with 98 strikeouts in 66.1 innings of work. [/p][p]As a three-time All-Star, Diaz will be the one the team relies on in all the close games this tournament. As for the ace of the team, it goes to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lugo-seth/rXM9T4M0/"]Seth Lugo[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kansas-city-royals/IL2QbgJ4/"]Kansas City Royals[/a]). [/p][p]The 2024 All-Star, who finished runner-up in Cy Young voting that year, had a down season in 2025, but is still a solid starter atop their rotation with the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-yankees/SrC4LDIT/"]New York Yankees[/a] top prospect, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rodriguez-elmer/xl28kay9/"]Elmer Rodriguez[/a], who finished his 2025 minor league season with a 2.56 ERA and 176 strikeouts in 150 innings, close behind him. [/p][embed guid="f5d30d3b-77d6-4a8b-ae5e-605a21eda29b" url="https://x.com/MLBPipeline/status/2028996170714960299?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Other guys worth taking note of in the infield are [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hernaiz-darell/zm8F1LFA/"]Darell Hernaiz[/a], 24, and Edwin [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arroyo-michael/fRo8qH4B/"]Arroyo[/a], 22. Hernaiz played in just 51 games for the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/athletics/xIYDcQid/"]Athletics[/a] last season, spending the majority of the year in Triple-A, where he hit a consistent .300 batting average with 12 stolen bases. [/p][p]And the same goes for Arroyo. Part of the Reds minor league system, Arroyo hit .284 last year while in Double-A ball, racking up 12 stolen bases as well in 121 games.[/p][p]The two of them will also be joined by veteran MLB player [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rivera-emmanuel/v3b9RjHe/"]Emmanuel Rivera[/a], who hit a solid .250 in 42 games with the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/baltimore-orioles/EcZwBi3N/"]Baltimore Orioles[/a] last season. He hit the walk-off against the Los Angeles Dodgers in what looked to be a complete-game no-hitter for the boys in blue.[/p][p]Rivera is the only infielder returning from the 2023 team, where he hit .278 with five RBI in five games. [/p][embed guid="da8312a6-2058-433e-ab6c-214f3b7ba802" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrSApBs8VLw&t=1s" social-type="youtube" /][p]The big names in the Puerto Rico outfield are [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ramos-heliot/dzkVbpLF/"]Heliot Ramos[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/san-francisco-giants/bRZ9b6xj/"]San Francisco Giants[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/castro-willi/WUCHeE7R/"]Willi Castro[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/colorado-rockies/naYhNOaA/"]Colorado Rockies[/a]), and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cortes-carlos/hQbBAJR1/"]Carlos Cortes[/a] (Athletics). [/p][p]Ramos, 26, is their power bat. The former All-Star hit 21 home runs and 69 RBI with a .256 batting average last season, numbers just [i]slightly[/i] down from his 2024 season. Castro, 28, hit 11 home runs with 30 RBI and 10 stolen bases (120 games) last year. However, his biggest advantage is that he can play practically anywhere on the field. [/p][p]Castro recorded a perfect fielding percentage at right field (44 games), second base (48 games), and centerfield (six games), while also posting a .968 in left field (39 games). Cortes, 29, will give Puerto Rico a nice contact bat. He hit .322 in Triple-A (71 games) and .309 in the majors with the Athletics. [/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/colombia/z5A5Ioq8/"]Colombia[/a] (+8000)[/h2][p]Colombia doesn't have the star power as Puerto Rico, but they will have to rely on their MLB veterans to try and pull through. In total, they'll have 14 returning players from the 2023 WBC team and 16 new faces.[/p][p]It starts with starting pitchers [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/quintana-jose/2Lkzsgad/"]Jose Quintana[/a] (Colorado Rockies) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/teheran-julio/bX0U4di3/"]Julio Teheran[/a]. [/p][p]Quintana, 37, actually had a solid season last year for the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/milwaukee-brewers/CGzqC60o/"]Milwaukee Brewers[/a], tossing a 3.96 ERA in 24 starts. However, Teheran, 35, is done in the MLB and got hammered in the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mexico/ptt8Lj5l/"]Mexico[/a] League in 2025. [/p][p]But the eyes will be on the bats for Colombia rather than their pitching. [/p][embed guid="d200dc46-82f6-4df1-8986-57d8d460d67d" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf_Lb1ngz18" social-type="youtube" /][p]Veteran [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/urshela-giovanny/UZs3HCVF/"]Gio Urshela[/a] (Athletics) will look to have a WBC this time around after not recording a single hit in 17 at-bats during the 2023 tournament. He'll be joined by another veteran in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/solano-donovan/G8eZ3G69/"]Donovan Solano[/a], 38. The former Silver Slugger had a down year at the plate (.247), but had six straight seasons with at least a .280 average. [/p][p]This year marks his return after not being on the 2023 squad; he was on the 2017 one. [/p][p]But eyes could be on the young prospects for the Colombian underdogs, starting with 21-year-old infielder Michael Arroyo ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/seattle-mariners/txYPhSac/"]Seattle Mariners[/a]). He;s the No. 67 overall prospect in all of baseball and is coming off a 2025 year in the minor leagues in which he hit .262 with 17 home runs, 54 RBI, and 12 stolen bases in 121 games. [/p][embed guid="e5eed3ec-f3e9-4fef-8c29-57b7d3fa8e5b" url="https://x.com/MiLBMariners/status/1938421088226291802?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Another standout for Colombi is 27-year-old [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/marriaga-jesus/IRkOIRjh/"]Jesus Marriaga[/a]. The outfielder outright dominated in the 2026 WBC qualifiers, hitting a whopping .500 average with a 1.000 slugging percentage. [/p][p]In just 12 at-bats, Marriage drove in seven runs with one home run on six hits and put up an eye-popping 1.356 OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage). Just for statistical comparisons to get a grasp of how incredible that is, even on a small scale, only two MLB players in 2025 had an OPS over 1.000 - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/judge-aaron/WSFM7DfK/"]Aaron Judge[/a] (1.145) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ohtani-shohei/QoeWGRko/"]Shohei Ohtani[/a] (1.014) - both of whom won the American League and National League MVP awards, respectively. [/p][p]He'll need to put on a major performance to give Colombia a fighting chance that they know that they can take advantage of.[/p][embed guid="48eeee24-6144-4971-802b-72c88ee6fd08" url="https://x.com/WBCBaseball/status/1896743935349051656?s=20" social-type="twitter" /]