Colombia enters the World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Tucson in a rare spot. They are the heavy favorites. Colombia is often overlooked in international baseball, with the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Venezuela being longtime powers in the Americas. This time around, Colombia is the favorite, with three nations looking to pull a huge upset. Julio Teherán will get the start in their first game according to a report by Eluniversal.
In Game One for Colombia, Brazil will meet them in a rematch of the 2023 Pan American Games gold medal game. Colombia won that 9-1.
It will be Teherán’s first start for Colombia in 8 years, when he pitched against Canada at the 2017 World Baseball Classic. In that game, He went five innings and allowed just one run to help deliver the first WBC win in Colombia’s history. Teherán made 248 starts in his MLB career with a 3.85 ERA. He’s one of the best Colombians ever to reach the MLB. He most recently pitched in the Mexican and Colombian winter leagues. In México, he had a 6.89 ERA in 7 starts. In Colombia, he had a 6.52 ERA in 2 starts. Tomorrow against Brazil, he gets the start in Game One as Colombia looks to get back to the World Baseball Classic for the third straight time. With the loss of José Quintana for this tournament, Teherán is the unquestioned ace for Colombia.
