The Farmers celebrate the victory in the fifth game and the trip to Bayamo to continue the Elite League final.

Photo: Omara García Mederos / ACN.

As of February 2, Agricultores, the champion of the first edition of the Cuban Baseball Elite League, will face seven rivals, who will go with all their weapons to advance in the first phase of the Caribbean Series.

The Cuban debut will be this Thursday against the WildCasts (Wild Cats), from Curacao.

Then they will face the Tigres del Licey from the Dominican Republic (3), Leones from Venezuela (4), the Cañeros de los Mochis from Mexico (5), the Vaqueros de Montería from Colombia (6), the Indios de Mayagüez from Puerto Rico (7) and will close against the Federales de Chiriquí de Panamá (8).

All the teams arrive with the impetus of taking the tournament home.

In the case of Curaçao, it will be their debut and Cuba will return after three years of absence

We will know on February 10, but from Cubadebate we invite you to leave your predictions in the comments.

Curacao team.

Photo: Latin Press.

curacao

Curaçao since it was practically invited to the Caribbean Series announced that it would not only go to debut but to win the tournament.

With these claims, he called several men who play in the Major Leagues such as Andrelton Simmons, Jonathan Schoop and Jurickson Profar, all three in the United States MLB.

According to what the technicians have announced, Simmons, winner of two Gold Gloves in the MLB, should be the starting shortstop, while Schoop would occupy second base and Jurickson Profar could play outfielder or utility.

Also appearing on the roster is veteran Wladimir Balentien, with experience in MLB and the Venezuelan League, where he has shone for his offensive power.

In the pitching area, Shairon Martis, Pedro Strop and Jair Jurjjens stand out, who were part of MLB rosters, and Juan Carlos Sulbaran who played in Triple A.

Curaçao will debut against Cuba on February 2 at 10:30 am at the Jorge Luis García Carneiro stadium, formerly Forum La Guaira.

Licey Tigers.

Photo: Getty Images.

Tigers of the Licey

The Tigres del Licey, the most winning club in the Dominican Republic (23 national championships and 10 Caribbean Series) reach the Caribbean Series after defeating the Estrellas Orientales 2-1 in the final playoff

that ended four victories to one.

At Gran Caracas 2023, the Licey will bring an experienced roster and will have leading figures in their respective teams, each one aware of their role.

The blue team will assist with 14 reinforcements

.

In addition to having its captain, Emilio Bonifacio, who will attend his third Caribbean Series, in its ranks, it will have the services of Junior Lake and Moisés Sierra, captains of the Estrellas Orientales and the Gigantes del Cibao.

And as if this were not enough, the captain of the last two

Dominican teams in the World Baseball Classic, Robinson Canó, is in the

***

During these days these players have offered considerations to the Dominican press

“We stopped being the Tigers of the Licey and now we are the Dominican Republic”,

"I felt very happy when I received the invitation, this is about Dominican and I want to congratulate the people of the Licey. The key is to take us as brothers, we have a common goal that is to win and nobody thinks they are more than anyone

The captain of the Gigantes del Cibao, Moisés Sierra had a year behind in Dominican baseball, tempered by his health problems, which limited him to just 15 games in the regular season and his contributions in the 13 Round Robin games were not determinants either, but this does not intimidate him.

“We will go with everything.

There are elements in baseball teams that contribute things that go beyond statistics.

We function as a team and that is what is important”

"I am very happy for the invitation again and for the fact of representing the country"

***

In a short series like the Caribbean Classic

, which is played every day, relief pitching is always a fundamental weapon and this time it will be no exception.

Based on supersonic pitchers who throw 100 miles and solid repertoires, the Licey prepares a corps of relievers in which the veteran exhibited by Jairo Asencio, Fernando Abad, Lisalverto Bonilla, Jonathan Aro, César Cabral is mixed with the youth of some William Jerez , Yency Diaz, Jesus Liranzo among others.

"We are already preparing what the roles of each one will be, those who would be the first substitutes for the starters, who will act in more than one inning, as well as the pitchers who will do so in the final innings of the games", explained Erick Abreu, pitching coach.

The Tigres de Licey will debut on February 2, at 12:00 pm at

Los Mochis cane growers.

Photo: Mark.

Los Mochis cane growers

One of the teams that most arouses expectations in the Caribbean Series is the Cañeros de Mochis, who

Los Cañeros have requested 18 reinforcements to represent the Mexican Pacific League in the Caribbean Classic and will have only 10 players from their regular season roster, where only

The selection to Gran Caracas was made up of five pitchers, two catchers, seven infielders and four outfielders.

The Cuban Yasmany Tomás (Most Valuable Player in the regular season) stands out on the roster.

This is the third Caribbean Series in the history of the Cañeros, who had not attended since 2003. It will be their first visit to Venezuela.

Mexico will seek its tenth title.

Indians of Mayaguez. Photo: Record.com.do

Indians of Mayaguez

The Mayagüez Indians will represent Puerto Rico in the 2023 Caribbean Series by defeating the Carolin Giants 2-1

in the seventh and decisive game of the final series of the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League, in which they have accumulated 19 titles.

The last time that Indios de Mayagüez defended the Puerto Rican colors in a Caribbean Series was precisely in Venezuela.

On the Isla de Margarita in 2014, they reached the grand final and now they will seek to match this performance in Caracas, starting on February 2.

For this, those led by Mako Oliveras and Edwards Guzmán will arrive with 14 reinforcements, counting at least one player from the five organizations of the Puerto Rican league.

However, the Mayagüezans will have important absences such as Josh and Richie Palacios and Roberto "Bebo" Pérez due to their commitments with their franchises in the United States and Blaine Crim, Chavez Young and Chavez Fernander.

The Indios de Mayagüez will debut on February 2 at 3:00 p.m. against the Vaqueros de Montería (Colombia)

at the Jorge Luis García Carneiro stadium (Forum La Guaira).

Monteria cowboys.

Photo: Cowboy baseball.

Monteria Cowboys

The current champions of the Colombian Professional Baseball League (LPB), Vaqueros de Montería,

since the last edition, the Caimanes de Barranquilla made history and won against all odds in Santo Domingo to the Gigantes del Cibao.

This will be the second time that the Vaqueros represent Colombia

.

This time they will carry 27 players, including several reinforcements.

Some of those acquired were Gustavo Campero, Dilson Herrera, Fabián Pertuz, Yemilson Peralta and Francisco López, who were selected from the Caimanes de Barraquilla, while Oscar Marcelino and Francisco Jiménez arrive from the ninth runner-up, the Cartagena Tigers.

Chiriqui Federals.

Photo: RPC.

Chiriquí Federals

Federales de Chiriquí will represent Panama in the Caribbean Series by sweeping Atlánticos de Bocas del Toro and Colón in three games in the final.

Those led by Mayorga González dominated the Panamanian championship from start to finish,

In the final game they triumphed 7-4 over the Atlantics, in a match where they came from behind with two runs in the bottom of the fifth episode.

This is the spirit of those led by Mayorga González, who are aware that no matter the rival, they will waste talent on the field, to achieve the scepter.

The Federales of Panama will play the Caribbean classic for the second time in its history, remembering that in the 2021 edition they reached the semifinals.

In this edition,

Lions of Caracas. Photo: Brand.

Lions of Caracas

Venezuela will finally have its representative in the Caribbean Series.

This Monday after days of waiting,

in the sixth game of the final playoff of the Venezuelan Baseball League.

Those directed by José Aguacil will arrive at the Caribbean classic with 14 reinforcements.

Notable among them are pitchers Ricardo Pinto (Sharks of La Guaira), Anthony Vizcaya (Navegantes del Magallanes), Yapson Gómez (Cardenales de Lara) and Arnaldo Hernández (Sharks of La Guaira), all with experience in minor leagues in the United States.

Likewise, the infielder Hernán Pérez (Cardenales de Lara) and the outfielder Danry Vásquez (Tiburones de La Guaira), both former major leaguers, stand out.

The Venezuelans are in excellent shape

, with the same impetus as when they concluded their national tournament just a few days ago.