Twenty years ago, Team Cuba beat Team Puerto Rico at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to advance to the first World Baseball Classic championship round in San Diego. There, they beat the Dominican Republic in the semifinals before falling to Japan in the final.

Pool A features several familiar faces on Team Puerto Rico and Team Canada. Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic Pool A kicks off play in San Juan, Puerto Rico with Cuba vs. Panama and Puerto Rico vs.

Trump's travel restrictions have thrown a wrench into the World Baseball Classic, and could spell trouble for the biggest soccer event on the globe.

Qualifying for this year’s World Baseball Classic is largely based on the results from the previous WBC, held ahead of the 2023 Major League Baseball season. 16 of the 20 teams in the field for this year’s version finished in the top four spots in their respective pools during the 2023 WBC.

Lefty Yusei Kikuchi already left Angels camp to join Team Japan in Tokyo on Feb. 20, while several other Angels departed Sunday to join their teams for the World Baseball Classic, including third baseman Yoán Moncada (Cuba),