Panama win WBSC Americas Qualifier, qualify for WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2026 with Puerto Rico and Cuba

World No. 8 Panama defeated No. 7 Puerto Rico, 4-1, in the final on home soil at the Mariano Rivera Stadium in La Chorrera to win the first of two WBSC Americas U-23 Baseball World Cup Qualifiers. Both teams advanced to the WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2026.

Adriel Gonzalez dominated Puerto Rico's lineup. He threw a complete game, allowing only one run on four hits.

Puerto Rico got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth, when reliever Lucas Vega allowed a bases-loaded walk and added three runs in the bottom of the fifth against Jahir Perez, the fourth of six Puerto Rican pitchers, on a two-RBI single by left fielder Germain Ruiz and an RBI double by centre fielder Eduardo Vaughn.

Third baseman Edrick Felix batted in the only run by Puerto Rico in the top of the sixth.

No. 9 Cuba overcame No. 6 Mexico in the bronze-medal game, 5-4, to earn the third berth available for the WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup.
Mexico took a 4-1 lead into the seventh. Miguel Leon, who had taken over for starter Segio Melendez in the fifth and had allowed Cuba their only run, allowed a leadoff walk and left for Miguel Martinez, who also walked the only batter he saw and left the mound to Jose Soria. Cuba loaded the bases when shortstop Christian Rodriguez singled and tied the game when first baseman Raidel Sanchez doubled with a full count.

In the top of the eighth, Cuba bunted the tie-break runners to third and second and third baseman Leonardo Alarcon scored on a sacrifice fly by second baseman Yuliesky Remon.

After Mexico used the same strategy in the bottom half of the frame, Cuba intentionally walked the bases. Yuniel Batista got the second out on a pop fly and the third on strikes and sent Cuba to the U-23 Baseball World Cup.

Ten teams representing North, Central America and the Caribbean participated in the event.

The Final Standings

1 - Panama
2 - Puerto Rico
3 - Cuba
4 - Mexico
5 - Bahamas
6 - Guatemala
7 - United States Virgin ISlands
8 - Costa Rica
9 - Aruba
9 - Honduras

WBSC Americas will award a fourth U-23 Baseball World Cup spot in the South American Qualifier, scheduled from October 20 to 25 in Peru.

All results, boxscores and play-by-play are on WBSC Americas website

Nicaragua will host the VI WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup from November 6 to 15, 2026. The WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup is an evolution of the U-21 Baseball World Cup, hosted by the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (CTBA) in 2014 in Taichung.

The Local Organising Committee has proposed three venues - Soberanía National Stadium in Managua, the brand-new Roberto Clemente Stadium in Masaya, and Rigoberto López Pérez Stadium in León - to host the tournament. The venues will be confirmed at a later stage.

Six other teams have already qualified. No. 16 Nicaragua have earned an automatic berth as host nation, while No. 17 Great Britain and No. 15 Czechia secured Europe’s two tickets by finishing first and second, respectively, at the European Championship held in Czechia this past August.

No. 1 Japan, No. 2 Chinese Taipei and No. 4 Korea qualified through the XXXI BFA Asian Championship in late September.

Africa and Oceania will qualify one National Team each, completing the 12-team field.