Colombia has appeared in the World Baseball Classic for the 2017 and 2023 tournaments, and is slated to make its third appearance in the 2026 edition.
The Colombian National Team has long been punching above the weight prescribed to it by others. In the Baseball World Cup, an amateur competition which no longer exists, the Colombians won two titles in 1947 and 1965. Similarly, they emerged victorious in the 2023 Pan American Games’ baseball tournament, winning gold by a convincing 9-1 score over Brazil. Their medal came after wins against Venezuela, Mexico, and Panama. While failing to advance in WBC competition, Colombia has notably notched victories over Team Canada in 2017 and Team Mexico in 2023. Both teams were considered much stronger than the Colombians, giving the team a steadily growing reputation as a giant killer.
The 2026 Classic has Colombia participating as part of Pool A, located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Colombian team will face Puerto Rico, Canada, Cuba and Panama. Of those, all but Canada are ranked higher than Colombia, and the Canadians are widely considered to have a superior roster. But, I can’t help but think the Colombians are viewing the San Juan pool as an opportunity to add to their list of upsets.
Colombian team captain Jose Quintana is no stranger to the World Baseball Classic. As a 28-year-old hurler, Quintana pitched 5.2 innings in the 2017 tournament, striking out four. His opponent? The United States, which would go on to win its first (and thus far, only) WBC Title. Quintana failed to get the win, though, as the U.S. walked off Colombia in the bottom of the 10th inning. Quintana was originally slated to play for his country again in the 2023 WBC, but suffered a stress fracture in his rib cage during spring training with the Mets.
Quintana has had a very strong Major League career, with a 3.76 career ERA, more than 1,800 strikeouts, and 31.7 career Wins Above Replacement. Last season, he became just the 24th pitcher to record a win against all 30 MLB teams. He’s also become something of an Immaculate Grid ace, pitching for the White Sox, Cubs, Angels, Giants, Pirates, Cardinals, Mets and Brewers. His best season in the past decade came in 2022, when he split time between the Pirates and Cardinals. He notched an ERA of 2.93, still the only season in which Quintana has recorded a sub-three clip, while striking out 137 batters. In St. Louis, his ERA was just 2.01, and he was part of the team’s most recent postseason appearance. With the Brewers in 2025, Quintana pitched to a 3.96 ERA but logged just 131.2 innings. He got a late start to the MLB season after agreeing to build up in Triple-A Nashville after missing a large portion of spring training. He also had an early exit, taking a comeback line drive to the leg in mid-September, which ended his regular season. He returned to pitch in the NLDS, pitching three scoreless innings in game three against the Cubs. He’ll be Colombia’s most prominent arm in the WBC.
Some of the squad’s other notable pitchers include two-time Atlanta Braves all-star Julio Tehran, four-season Major Leaguer Luis Patiño and recent Giants signee Reiver Sanmartin. Seven members of the staff pitched in the Mexican League in 2025, a league known to produce several underrated, overperforming arms.
On the offensive side, Jorge Alfaro brings nine years of Major League experience to the Colombian roster. The Sincelejo native played three seasons with Philadelphia, three with Miami, and appeared for the Padres, Rockies, Red Sox and Nationals. Across more than 500 games, Alfaro drove in 201 runs and recorded 412 hits. He also appeared in the 2017 and 2023 WBC tournaments, seeing action in seven games and recording seven hits. Two were doubles, and one was a home run.
21-year-old Michael Arroyo is a top-100 prospect in baseball and was ranked the No. 5 prospect in the Seattle Mariners system for 2025. It’s not hard to see why. In a season split between High-A and Double-A, Arroyo batted .262 with a .401 on-base percentage and 17 home runs. Back home in the Colombian winter league, Arroyo starred as he hit .306 with a staggering .509 on-base percentage, alongside 22 hits throughout 26 games. Twelve-year MLB veteran Donovan Solano also joins Team Colombia, having also represented his country in the 2017 WBC. In 2025, Solano appeared with the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers, batting .247 and driving in 21 runs. Currently a free agent, this tournament may be the last chance for the 38-year old infielder to land an MLB contract. Similarly, Gio Urshela remains a free agent heading into the 2026 WBC. Urshela has spent ten seasons in the Majors, hitting 73 home runs, batting .270, and tallying 759 hits. His above-average defense, especially at third base, may prove invaluable when Colombia faces its most dangerous opponents in San Juan.
The Colombian outfield is anchored by Cartagena native Harold Ramírez, the six-season Major Leaguer who was a standout for Dos Laredos in the Mexican League last season. Batting .359, eleventh best out of 136 qualified hitters, Ramírez drove in 51 through 94 games and also stole thirty bases. That sort of versatility and speed will be crucial for Colombia to pull off its hoped-for upsets in Pool A.
José Mosquera, the man who led Colombia to its first Pan American gold medals and first Caribbean Series title, will manage the national team in the World Baseball Classic. As a manager in the Colombian winter league, he’s led the Caimanes de Barranquilla (Barranquilla Alligators) to three league championships. In the 2023 Classic, Mosquera was the bench coach for Colombia under Jolbert Cabrera. Can he lead them to their biggest upset yet? Or is the pool in San Juan too hot to handle?
Best-case Scenario:
3-1, advancing from Pool A, but losing in the quarterfinals. If teams have been paying attention recently, they know that this Colombian team is not one they can afford to ignore. If they haven’t been paying attention, we might just get this scenario. The Colombians have a legitimate shot to beat anyone in Pool A – Puerto Rico would be the toughest nut to crack, even forgetting their tremendous home-field advantage, but the two rosters are far closer than one might think. Canada, Cuba, and Panama should take this team very seriously. Even so, I can’t see them being able to pull off further upsets in the knockout stage.
Worst-case Scenario:
0-4, falling into Qualifiers for the next WBC. While this pool may appear wide open, and I believe it is, the Colombian teams previously playing in the WBC only managed one win apiece. Everything going wrong for Colombia would see their older veterans cracking under the strain of age, and their youngest players unable to live up to the moment. This team, while strong, is still lacking in the current, active Major Leaguers department. And those who are current MLBers on this team tend to be defense-first players. If the offense can’t get going, then the ability of the mostly non-major bullpen to keep games winnable will be severely diminished.
The Likely Scenario:
2-2, failing to advance but setting a new high-water mark for Colombia in WBC Play. I can’t lie, I really like this team. Their relegation back into the Qualifiers after the 2023 WBC always felt undeserved after just how much of a fit they seemed to give every other team in their pool. This roster is very similar, if not outright superior, and has what I would consider an easier schedule. Colombia is a rising star in international baseball – and I expect them to prove it in this tournament.
Batter to Watch:
Reynaldo Rodriguez – While all of the batters I’ve highlighted are great choices to keep an eye on, Rodriguez flies much further under the radar. But he has been a consistent WBC performer. Across two Qualifiers and two appearances in proper tournament play, Rodriguez has gone 16-for-58, good for a .276 batting average, with a pair of homers and ten RBI. Last Classic, the Cartegenero hit .313 with a .563 slugging percentage. His most recent season with Oaxaca in the Mexican League was nothing short of a riot, as he slashed .357/.405/.559 with 11 home runs, 75 RBI, and 123 hits.
Pitcher to Watch:
Austin Bergner – A farmhand, previously with Detroit and recently signed by the Texas Rangers, Bergner had a strong 2025 campaign in Double-A Erie, finishing with a 3.07 in 91 innings of work. He struck out 90 while only walking 39. Triple-A has been far less kind, as Bergner sports an ERA north of eight across 29 games and 21 starts. The WBC will be a great opportunity for the 28-year old to show the Texas Rangers what he’s made of – and if he’s worth keeping around in spite of his age and past profile.