The World Baseball Classic Needs Puerto Rico — With or Without Stars

Reports that Team Puerto Rico may pull out of the World Baseball Classic because of insurance limitations and the lack of participation by some Major League Baseball (MLB) players are outrageous, not because the value of players is less important, but because the logic fails to account for the people who have always been the backbone of Puerto Rican baseball.

This is not a difficult problem to solve. On a human level, it just doesn’t feel right to give up on the entire tournament. 

There is no question that MLB players bring experience, fame, and top-level competition, but judging Puerto Rico’s ability to compete by who is not playing is to overlook the players who are. Across our beloved 100x35-mile island, every corner is packed with players who have dedicated their lives to being ready for this moment, with far less equipment and far less support. 

While MLB has sunk millions into the Dominican Republic, where every team has full-scale academies, training compounds, housing, and year-round development facilities, Puerto Rico has been left to fend for itself. Many areas of the island are struggling to maintain even the most basic batting facilities. Fields are pieced together through community effort. Equipment is shared and reused. 

Raw talent exists not because of the system, but in spite of it. 

And yet, the talent keeps coming.

This is what makes the possibility of pulling out of the World Baseball Classic so galling. It won’t protect Puerto Rican baseball and will only disrespect the very players who have had to suffer through a lack of investment and still manage to be among the best. 

Recently, Caín Ruiz, a Double A star and beloved player for the Aguada Navegantes, came forward on a TikTok post to discuss the issue. His comments were not angry or entitled — they were real. He asked that players like him, and many others like them across the island, be considered when opportunities become available.

Ruiz is currently hitting .321, with a .433 on-base percentage, .377 slugging, and an .810 OPS. These are not bad numbers, no matter what level of play. And he is not alone. Across the 78 municipalities of Puerto Rico, professional ballplayers have been waiting for an opportunity to represent their nation on the international stage.

To walk away would be to send a crushing blow to the message that, unless a player comes with an MLB contract in hand, their hard work, dedication, and pride are not enough. 

This is especially true when considered in the context of Puerto Rico’s history. With Carlos Beltrán officially inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, Puerto Rico will now have six players in Cooperstown — the same number of Cuban Hall of Famers and one more than the Dominican Republic. This is a fact achieved despite a lack of infrastructure and inconsistent investment over the decades. It is a testament to the fact that Puerto Rico's pride and talent are uncapped and unmatched. 

The World Baseball Classic was never intended to be a competition of checkbooks. It is a celebration of identity, culture, and national pride. Puerto Rico has always come to the table with heart, determination, and hope — with or without its biggest names — but never without its spirit and resilience. 

It is a time to trust in the island’s own and in the players who remained. They never had the opportunity to compete at an elite level, but never lost their passion for the game. If anything, it is a time for Puerto Rico to emerge, not withdraw, and remind the baseball world that talent does not fade away simply because it has been overlooked. 

Puerto Rican baseball has earned its place to be noticed. 

After all, behind every missing star is a player still waiting to shine.

Frankie Lozada is a writer, storyteller, and community activist. He is proud of his Puerto Rican ancestry and was born and raised in New York. He is actively involved in LISJAN, where he works to improve prison conditions and implement significant criminal justice reform through community organizing and lobbying.

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Julio Ricardo Varela edited and published this edition of The Latino Newsletter. 

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