Looking at Team Puerto Rico for the 2026 World Baseball Classic

San Juan—When Puerto Rico tips off the 2026 World Baseball Classic on home soil this March, the club that takes the field will bear little resemblance to the star-studded rosters that carried the island to back-to-back finals appearances in 2017 and 2023. A wave of injuries, eligibility issues, and insurance denials has stripped manager Edwin Rodríguez’s squad of its most recognizable names, forcing the coaching staff to lean on a blend of veteran retreads, emerging prospects, and one headline-grabbing defection.

The rotation is the clearest indicator of the new era. Gone are longtime anchors José Berríos and Emilio Pagán; in their place, Seth Lugo returns to the national team for the first time since his breakout 2017 performance. Lugo, who has reinvented himself as a durable big-league starter, will be followed in some order by José De León—fresh off a season with the Boston Red Sox—and Yankees farmhand Elmer Rodriguez, whose heavy sinker produced ground-ball rates above 55 percent across two minor-league levels in 2025. High-A lefty Eduardo Rivera, 22, rounds out the projected four-man group after punching out 108 hitters in 87 innings while holding opponents to a .177 average.

The bullpen offers more certainty. Fernando Cruz, owner of one of baseball’s nastiest splitters, pairs with New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz—whose 2023 WBC ended in a torn patellar tendon—to form a late-inning tandem that rivals any in the tournament. Rico Garcia, Jovani Moran, and Jorge López provide middle-relief depth, each carrying recent MLB service time.

Behind the plate, retired 17-year veteran Martín Maldonado will handle the staff and mentor Christian Vázquez, the ex-Twins catcher who signed a minor-league deal with St. Louis last winter.

The infield, however, is where the makeover becomes impossible to ignore. Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, and Javier Báez—cornerstones of every Puerto Rican team since 2013—are absent. Correa and Lindor were denied insurance clearance after injury-marred 2025 campaigns; Lindor’s hamate fracture could sideline him through Opening Day, while Báez is ineligible after a positive marijuana test. Utilityman Enrique Hernández also bowed out following November elbow surgery.

The most eye-catching addition is Nolan Arenado, the eight-time Gold Glove third baseman who previously suited up for the United States. Arenado’s switch mirrors recent WBC trends: Adam Ottavino will pitch for Italy in 2026 after wearing the red, white, and blue in 2017 and 2023; Marcus Stroman flipped to Puerto Rico in 2023 after starting for the U.S. six years earlier.

Around Arenado, the infield mixes experience with upside. Three of the four projected starters have logged MLB time; shortstop prospect Edwin Arroyo, acquired by Cincinnati in the Luis Castillo deal, is the exception but enters camp ranked inside most top-100 lists.

The outfield offers a similar recipe. Willi Castro and Heliot Ramos headline the attack after productive 2025 seasons, while MJ Melendez brings left-handed pop and Eddie Rosario returns looking to add to the two homers he hit during the last Classic. Bryan Torres, a 5-foot-7 sparkplug who posted a .900-plus OPS for Triple-A Memphis, forced his way onto the St. Louis 40-man roster and will serve as the fourth outfielder.

What the 2026 edition lacks in marquee wattage it hopes to compensate for with cohesion and motivation. “Nobody is giving us a chance,” one team official said during a recent workout at Hiram Bithorn Stadium. “That’s exactly how we like it.”

First pitch is set for March 7, when Puerto Rico opens group play against an opponent still to be determined. The island’s baseball-mad fans, denied a title in heart-breaking fashion in both 2017 and 2023, will pack the ballpark regardless of the names on the back of the jerseys. This time, they’ll be watching a new generation try to finish the job the last one could not.