Premier12 Skipper Omar Lopez returns to lead Venezuela in World Baseball Classic

Fresh off leading Venezuela to the Super Round of the WBSC Premier12 2024, Omar Lopez returns to manage the national team in another World Baseball Classic (WBC) campaign.

Lopez has established himself as one of the most successful managers in Venezuela’s senior team history, guiding them to the quarterfinals of the 2023 WBC and a deep run in the WBSC Premier12 last year.

However, both tournaments ended on bittersweet notes for Venezuelan fans. The 2023 WBC campaign came to a heartbreaking close after Trea Turner’s grand slam, while the Premier12 ended with three consecutive losses, denying Venezuela a spot in the final or a shot at the bronze medal.

Despite those disappointing ends to those international tournaments, Lopez brings a strong winning resume at club level to the dugout. He captured two Venezuelan Winter League titles with Caribes and was part of two World Series championships (2017 and 2022) with the Houston Astros.

Most recently, he managed the Santurce Cangrejeros in the Puerto Rican Winter League and currently serves as the bench coach for the Astros in the MLB.

Venezuela will compete in Pool D of the WBC, where they are considered strong contenders to advance to the quarterfinals, facing archrival the Dominican Republic, along with the Netherlands, Israel, and Nicaragua.