‘Historic moment’ for Puerto Rico as team reveals for WBSC Premier12

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rican baseball leaders unveiled a 28-man National Team roster for the WBSC Premier12 that features players with big league experience at a “Todos con PR” (everybody with Puerto Rico) press conference on Thursday, 10 October.

The roster, which media outlets reported as being “solid”, was revealed by the Puerto Rican Baseball Federation, together with the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (LBPRC).

While the roster features six players who have played Major League Baseball — including infielders Iván De Jesús Jr., Ozzie Martínez and Jesmuel Valentín, outfielder Danny Ortiz and pitchers Fernando Cabrera and Giovanni Soto — 26 of the 28 Puerto Rico’s players are active in the LBPRC, which kicks off its season in mid-November, during the 2-17 November WBSC Premier12

La Federación Béisbol de Puerto Rico y la Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente se honran en anunciar los 28 integrantes del Equipo Nacional con miras al #Premier12. #TodosConPR🇵🇷⚾️ pic.twitter.com/Nynb0S9mpv

— Equipo Nacional Béisbol 🇵🇷 (@BeisbolPR) October 10, 2019

“[The LBRPC] fully supports its professional players [who were selected to the National Team] and expects their best performances in the Premier12,” said LBPRC President Juan Flores Galarza.

“It’s a historical moment for Puerto Rican baseball,” said Jose Quiles, president of the Puerto Rican Baseball Federation. “The goal of our National Team is to earn Olympic qualification, and this is a joint effort, with all of Puerto Rico in mind.”

WBSC regulations for the global competition allow for up to eight player changes all the way to the day before a team’s first game in the Premier12.

Led by manager Juan Gonzalez, Puerto Rico will begin the WBSC Premier12, which features the top-12 ranked baseball nations in the world, in Group B and open against No. 4 Chinese Taipei on 5 November at Taichung Intercontinental Stadium in Taiwan.