It’s been three years since Brazil last hit the field, going 2-2 at the 2022 World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Panama City, Panama.
After opening with wins against New Zealand and Nicaragua, Brazil dropped consecutive games to Panama and Nicaragua to miss out on the 2023 World Baseball Classic. When they hit the field at Kino Veteran’s Memorial Stadium in Tucson on March 2, they’ll be looking to make their second World Baseball Classic appearance after a 14th place finish in the 2013 WBC.
Overall, Brazil has a roster of players with varied backgrounds: they have players from the country’s professional league, they have players from a Brazilian-Japanese background who play in Japan’s industrial leagues and minor leagues, and they have several players who play or have played in affiliated baseball, including Dante Bichette Jr.
Pitching – Bo Takahashi, a former Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds farmhand who’s been pitching in Asia since 2021, would be a strong choice to start against Colombia in Tucson. After leaving the Reds organization, Takahashi spent 2021 with the Kia Tigers in South Korea, and then went to the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball. Over three seasons with the Lions, Takahashi has posted a 3.01 ERA over 140 1/3 innings, striking out 101 and walking 61 with a WHIP of 1.211 and was one of the brighter lights on a team that finished above .500 once in his three years there.
Pedro Lemos, a righty in the Seattle Mariners organization who made 11 starts with High-A Modesto last year, could potentially start against either Germany or China, assuming Takahashi starts against Colombia. He struck out 88 and walked 40 in 89 2/3 innings last year, and assumed a starting role later in the season, posting a 6.12 ERA over 47 innings in 11 starts.
In the bullpen, Eric Pardinho, a Toronto Blue Jays prospect who split 2024 between Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Buffalo, will likely see action in key spots. Pardinho was stellar in Double-A last year, posting a 1.01 ERA in 26 2/3 innings with New Hampshire. He was promoted mid-season, and struggled a bit in Buffalo, throwing 28 2/3 innings over 26 appearances with a 5.34 ERA, striking out 29 and walking 18.
Batting – Brazil’s offense is led by infielder Leonardo Reginatto, who won a Caribbean Series with Venezuela’s Tiburones de La Guaira in 2023 and hit .291/.374/.453 with Aguascalientes in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol last summer, belting 11 homers and driving in 40 runs in 80 games.
Elsewhere, two children of MLB stars, Dante Bichette Jr. and Lucas Ramirez, will get opportunities at the plate. Bichette Jr. rose as high as Double-A in the New York Yankees organization, and batted .386/.412/.514 in 36 games with the High Point Rockers of the Atlantic League in 2019.
Ramirez, the son of Manny Ramirez, was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the 17th round of the 2024 MLB draft out of American Heritage High School in Plantation, Fla. He played 11 games for Victoria in the West Coast League, a wood bat summer collegiate loop, where he hit .290 in 31 at-bats with three RBIs.
Outlook – On paper, Brazil likely has a strong enough lineup to qualify for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, but the games are played on the field. If Brazil can take the opener from Colombia, which will likely start MLB veteran Jose Quintana unless he signs a free agent deal and pulls out of the qualifier, they’ll be in the catbird seat to qualify, as they should be able to beat Germany and China. Even if they don’t beat Colombia, they should beat China, and a win against China combined with a win against Germany would get them into the play-in game on March 6. Yes, Brazil has a team with varied experience, but if they come to Tucson with hungry hearts, they should make the WBC field for 2026.
Schedule at the 2025 Tucson WBC Qualifier
All times Eastern Standard Time
March 2
8 p.m. – Brazil vs. Colombia
March 3
1 p.m. – Brazil vs. Germany
March 4
1 p.m. – China vs. Brazil
March 6
8 p.m. – Second Place vs. Third Place
Where to Watch – Games during the 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers will be streamed live on YouTube, Facebook, and MLB.tv.
