World Baseball Classic Qualifier: Colombia Is The Team To Beat In Tucson

With 11 players with Major League Baseball experience on the roster, Colombia has the strongest roster at the 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Tucson.

That Colombia is even playing in a qualifier is a function of how the chips fell at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where they went 1-3 in pool play at Chase Field in Phoenix, finishing tied for fourth in Pool C with Great Britain but losing the Total Quality Balance tiebreaker. Because they lost the TQB tiebreaker, they have to qualify for the 2026 WBC, and are headed to Tucson.

Colombia’s program has improved greatly over the last decade, their being forced to qualify for the 2026 WBC notwithstanding. After all, they did beat Mexico, which went on to the semifinals, 5-4 in 10 innings at the 2023 WBC, and lost 3-2 to the United States, an eventual finalist. In 2012, Colombia went 1-2 at the WBC qualifier, beating Nicaragua 8-1 in their opener but losing consecutive games to Brazil and Panama to be eliminated. Four years later, they ran the table at Estadio Rod Carew in Panama City, Panama, beating Spain and then knocking off Panama twice to qualify for the 2017 WBC. They went 1-2 at the 2017 WBC, beating Canada and losing to the United States and the Dominican Republic to finish third in Pool C, which qualified them for the 2023 WBC.

Pitching – Jose Quintana was slated to start Colombia’s opener vs. Brazil, but as the best available free agent pitcher, he dropped out on February 24, potentially to sign with the New York Mets after Sean Manaea suffered an oblique injury that will likely put him on the Injured List for several weeks.

Julio Teheran will now likely start against Brazil, and the big question for Colombia manager Jose Mosquera will be who to start in the second and third games.

Adrian Almeida is a possibility to start for Colombia. Almeida made six starts for the Cardenales de Lara of the Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional last winter, posting a 2.23 ERA over 36 1/3 innings, and wasn’t great at the 2023 Caribbean Series for Venezuela, going 2 1/3 and allowing two earned runs on three hits and two walks in Venezuela’s 10-5 win against Puerto Rico on February 3. Aside from Quintana and Teheran, Colombia has four relievers with MLB experience, including Crismatt, who has only made one start at the MLB level, though he has 113 starts in the affiliated minor leagues.

A player to watch on the Colombia staff is Rio Gomez, the son of late ESPN baseball reporter Pedro Gomez, who threw 92 1/3 innings of relief for the Wei Chuan Dragons of the Chinese Professional Baseball league last season, posting a 1.17 ERA and a 0.78o WHIP in 63 appearances. Gomez rose as high as Triple-A in the Boston Red Sox organization before being released in November 2023.

Batting – Longtime MLB regular Gio Urshela is likely the strongest bat at the Tucson qualifier, and expect former MLB player Dilson Herrera to be a key to Colombia’s lineup. Harold Ramirez, who has made 536 appearances in MLB for Miami, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, and Washington, and Oscar Mercado give Colombia five players in the lineup with experience at the highest level.

Outlook – Brazil will likely be the biggest challenge for Colombia at the Tucson qualifier, and I’d expect Mosquera to put Julio Teheran on the mound for that game, which is their opener. If Teheran or one of Colombia’s other starters can shut down Brazil, they have a very good chance at going 3-0 and thus would not have to play in the elimination game on March 6. If Almeida gets a start, I’d have to think it’d likely be March 3 vs. China, with someone else starting against Germany March 4. Regardless of who starts when, none of the other three teams in Tucson match up well with Colombia’s pitching or hitting. I’d be surprised if they had to play on March 6, even without Quintana.

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. – Colombia vs. China

March 4
8 p.m. – Germany vs. Colombia

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.