Team Puerto Rico Announces Operations Staff and Manager For 2026 World Baseball Classic

The Federación de Béisbol de Puerto Rico announced their operating staff and manager for the 2026 World Baseball Classic on Friday, January 3.

Puerto Rico is ranked No. 9 in the World Baseball Softball Confederation from the governing bodies’ World Baseball Rankings.

Carlos Beltran will be the general manager, and Joey Sola will be the chief operating officer for Puerto Rico.

¡Comenzamos la ruta hacia el @WBCBaseball! ⚾️????????

Nos enorgullece anunciar los nombramientos de Joey Solá como gerente de operaciones y Carlos Beltrán como gerente general del Equipo Nacional para el Clásico Mundial de Béisbol 2026. #LosNuestros pic.twitter.com/hVWP93ODDC

— Federación de Béisbol ???????? (@BeisbolPR) January 3, 2025

Yadier Molina was announced as the manager for Team Puerto Rico on January 3 and will manage the island at the 2026 WBC for the second consecutive tournament.

Yadier Molina led Puerto Rico’s 2023 WBC coaching staff, which included bench coach Alex Cintron, hitting coach Victor Rodriguez, assistant hitting coach Juan Gonzalez, pitching coach Ricky Bones, first base coach Jose Molina, third base coach Luis Rivera, and bullpen coach Jose Rosado.

“We understand the importance of beginning work early in order to identify the best talent and structure a competitive team for this event, which is highly anticipated by all of Puerto Rico. The experience and leadership of Carlos Beltrán and Joey Solá will be essential to guarantee success in this mission,” said FBPR President José Quiles to the federation’s website alongside Puerto Rico and Caribbean media outlets.

Solá serves as sports manager for the Cangrejeros de Santurce in the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League and was dean of students at the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy & High School. He has also worked with the Houston Astros for 15 years as a scout and was responsible for signing Carlos Correa and Kike Hernández to their organization.

Yadier Molina is currently managing the Aguilas Cibaenas for the 2024-25 regular season in the Dominican Republic and has managed the previous two seasons in the Caribbean with the Criollos de Caguas in the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente in Puerto Rico, helping the organization reach the 2024 Caribbean Series at loanDepot Park in Miami and managed his first professional season in the 2022-2023 season with the Navegantes del Magallanes in Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional.

In the 2023 WBC, Yadier Molina helped Puerto Rico reach the quarterfinals in Miami at loanDepot Park and lost to Mexico 5-4.

Beltran and Yadier Molina played in four World Baseball Classic events with Puerto Rico: 2006, 2009, 2013, and 2017.

In the 2006 WBC, Yadier Molina played in four games and batted .600 in five at-bats, scoring one run, having three hits, one RBI, and a 1.200 OPS.

At the 2009 WBC, Yadier Molina played in three games, hitting .167 in six at-bats, ripping one hit, one double, two RBI, two walks, and a .708 OPS.

Yadier Molina helped Puerto Rico reach the championship game at AT&T Park in San Francisco at the 2013 WBC and lost to the Dominican Republic 3-0. Yadier Molina was selected to the 2013 All-World Baseball Classic Team while playing in seven games with 27 at-bats, batting .259, scoring two runs, cracking seven hits, swiping one base, one walk, five strikeouts, and a .545 OPS.

In the 2017 WBC, Yadier Molina helped Puerto Rico reach their second consecutive championship game, losing to the United States 8-0 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Molina was selected to the 2017 All-WBC Team, hitting .333, playing in six games with 24 at-bats, scoring four runs, drilling eight hits, two home runs, six RBI, two strikeouts, and a .916 OPS.

Yadier Molina played with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2004-22 and was a 10-time All-Star from 2009-15, 2017, 2018, and 2021, a two-time World Series champion in 2006 and 2011, a nine-time Gold Glove Award winner from 2008-15 and 2018, won the Silver Slugger Award in 2013 and won the Roberto Clemente Award in 2018.

According to Grandes en los Deportes in the Dominican Republic, Carlos Delgado and Hall-of-Famers Ivan Rodriguez, Roberto Alomar, and Edgar Martinez will be on the Puerto Rican team’s operations staff.

Carlos Beltrán informa que Carlos Delgado, Iván Rodríguez, Roberto Alomar, Edgar Martinez ente otros, estarán en el staff de operaciones del equipo boricua.

— Grandes en los Deportes (@GrandesELD) January 3, 2025

Puerto Rico will play in Pool A of the 2026 WBC against Canada, Cuba, Panama, and another qualifier from March 6 to 11 at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan.