By Matthew Tallarini
World Baseball Network
The Federacion Dominicana de Beisbol announced their roster for the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, El Salvador on Friday.
The Dominican Republic is ranked 10th in the World Baseball Rankings and will face teams from the World Baseball Softball Confederation Americas sector during the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games.
The baseball event of the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games will be held from June 24 to July 1 in San Salvador, El Salvador at Parque de Pelota Saturnino Bengoa.
The other seven nations competing in the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games are No. 32 Curacao, No. 3 Mexico, No. 17 Nicaragua, No. 6 Venezuela, No. 11 Puerto Rico, and the host nation, No. 59 El Salvador.
The last major senior event that the Dominican Republic participated outside of the 2023 World Baseball Classic in March losing to Puerto Rico in the final game of Pool D in Miami, was the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where they won the bronze medal and beat Korea at Yokohama Stadium.
The Dominican Republic 24-man roster will consist of players released from Major League Baseball organizations at lower affiliate levels and complex leagues, along with players from the Liga Dominicana de Verano, which is in its second full season of operation and is run by the Federacion Dominicana de Beisbol. Some players that are on the roster are also labeled as players in the Liga de Beisbol Profesional de la Republica Dominicana at the academy level and were recently selected in last year’s LIDOM Draft.
During the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games at Estadio Edgar Renteria in Barranquilla, Colombia, the Dominican Republic finished 2-5 and in eighth place in the tournament, with their only two wins coming against Nicaragua and Panama.
The last time the Dominican Republic medaled in the Central American and Caribbean Games was in 2014, when they won the bronze, beating Puerto Rico at Beto Avila Stadium in Cancun, Mexico.
The coaching staff for the Dominican Republic consists of advisors and personnel with Major League Baseball organizations and international professional organizations in the Caribbean along with former Major league players such as Luis Polonia serving as a head advisor and hitting coach, along with pitching coach and 2010 World Series champion Ramon Ramirez.
Felix Fermin will serve as the manager for the Dominican Republic in the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games.
The Dominican Republic’s first game will be against Nicaragua at 6:30 p.m. EDT on June 24 streaming on Beisbol Americas WBSC YouTube page and the Gametime.sport website.
The top three nations that finish in the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games will qualify for the 2023 Pan American Games.
The baseball portion of the 2023 Pan American Games will be from October 21-27 at the Baseball and Softball Center in Cerrillos, Chile. Three nations have already qualified for the 2023 Pan American Games: Chile, as the host nation; Colombia, for placing first in the 2021 Junior Pan American Games; and Brazil, for placing first in the 2022 South American Championships.
2023 Dominican Republic Central American and Caribbean Games Roster
Pitchers (Team)
Yemilson Peralta (Los Angeles Angels)
Luis Mateo (New York Mets)
Felipe Rodriguez (Tiburones de Puerto Plata)
Melvin Jimenez (Los Angeles Dodgers)\
Joel Cesar (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Jose Molina (Tampa Bay Rays)
Francisco Lopez (Cleveland Guardians)
Cesar Rosado (Houston Astros)
Ismael Cabrera (Philadelphia Phillies)
Hansel Paulino (Houston Astros)
Miguel Rosario (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Catchers (Team)
Carlos Paulino (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Eric Gonzalez (Chicago Cubs)
Kelvin Pena (Atlanta Braves)
Infielders (Team)
Darlin German (Tiburones de Puerto Plata)
Irving Ortega (Baltimore Orioles)
Luis Valenzuela (Atlanta Braves)
Adrian Valerio (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Carlos Jimenez (Chicago Cubs)
Outfielders (Team)
Edgar Figueroa (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Ricardo Cespedes (New York Mets)
Suly Matias (Kansas City Royals)
Wilder Pujols (Miami Marlins)
Marcos Almonte (Houston Astros)
2023 Central American and Caribbean Games Coaching Staff
Felix Fermin Jr. – Manager
Luis Polonia – Hitting Coach/Advisor
Ramon Ramirez – Pitching Coach
Anthony Dominguez- First Base Coach
Luis Polonia Jr. – Third Base coach