Curaçao has announced its roster for the 2025 Copa América de Béisbol, featuring a mix of former Major League Baseball players, former minor leaguers and active minor leaguers. The tournament will serve as a key opportunity for Curaçao, which will compete for one of five available berths to the Pan American Games and 4 spots to the Central American and Caribbean Games.
Curaçao will look to qualify for the Pan American Games under its own name for the first time in its history. The island previously competed in the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games, and this year’s Copa América will also serve as a qualifier for the 2026 edition of that event.
Following its 2024 Caribbean Baseball Cup championship in Nassau, Bahamas, Curaçao enters the Copa América with momentum. With the tournament expected to play a role in Olympic qualification, it represents the most significant competition in the country’s baseball history.
The headline name on Curaçao’s roster is former MLB shortstop Andrelton Simmons, a four-time Gold Glove Award winner over 11 big league seasons. Simmons hit .263 with 70 home runs and 444 RBIs in 1,225 career games with the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs. He also represented the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the 2013, 2017 and 2023 World Baseball Classics.
Simmons is currently playing winter ball for Navegantes del Magallanes in the Venezuelan league, where he has two home runs and a .672 OPS through nine games.
Among Curaçao’s young talents is Dodgers prospect Mairoshendrick Martinus, who split time between Single-A and High-A in 2025. The shortstop and third baseman spent most of the year in Single-A, hitting .244/.315/.351 with six home runs, 63 RBIs and 19 stolen bases.
Martinus finished the season solidly with a .731 OPS in September and was especially effective against left-handed pitching, batting .307/.388/.443. He will likely be starting at third base for Curaçao.
Veteran right-hander Dennis Burgersdijk will be a key arm for the pitching staff. The Dutch pitcher has spent 18 seasons in the Honkbal Hoofdklasse, the top professional league in the Netherlands. In 2025, he posted a 1.29 ERA with 52 strikeouts over 70 innings for HCAW. He’ll be one of Curaçao more reliable arms in the rotation.
Curaçao will compete in Group A alongside Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The team opens play against Mexico on Nov. 13 in Panama City, the site for all Group A games.
The Copa América de Béisbol runs from Nov. 13–22. The top three teams in each group of six will advance to the super round from Nov. 19–21. The top two finishers will meet in the championship game on Nov. 22, while the third- and fourth-place teams will play for bronze.
