San Diego Padres minor league left-hander Miguel Cienfuegos will play for Panama at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, according to an X post from Aurelio Ortiz.
Ortiz stated that Canada also recruited the 28-year-old, who was born in Laval, Quebec, Canada.
Cienfuegos is yet to make his Major League Baseball debut, joining the Padres organization in 2023 after a two-year stint in the Frontier League with the Capitales de Quebec. He walked just 26 batters in 131 innings in 2022 with the Capitales, and posted a 2.40 ERA in 30 innings during the 2022-23 Australian Baseball League season with the Adelaide Giants.
El zurdo Miguel Cienfuegos se decidió a jugar por Panamá ???????? en el próximo Clásico Mundial de Béisbol 2026 según confirmó una fuente cerca a la gerencia del equipo panameño.
Cienfuegos lanzó este año en AA y AAA con los Padres.
Cienfuegos también era pretendido por Canadá ???????? pic.twitter.com/FFPv3hj5Qi— Aurelio Ortiz (@AurelioOrtiz31) December 4, 2025
This past summer, Cienfuegos made six appearances at Double-A San Antonio and 24 appearances at Triple-A El Paso. He made six starts with El Paso, but mostly worked out of the bullpen. He dominated Texas League hitters with San Antonio, allowing 12 hits while striking out 17 with a 1.13 ERA in 16 innings.
He was a full-time starting pitcher during his two years in the Frontier League, so Panama might use him in that role against left-handed-heavy opposing lineups. Otherwise, Cienfuegos could be a valuable bullpen arm for manager José Mayorga.
Some of Cienfuegos’ teammates at the 2026 WBC will be New York Yankees shortstop José Caballero, utility infielder Edmundo Sosa of the Philadelphia Phillies, and Diablos Rojos del Mexico outfielder Allen Córdoba.
Panama will compete against Puerto Rico, Cuba, Colombia, and Canada in Pool A of the 2026 WBC at Estadio Hiram Bithorn in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The action kicks off on March 6 and concludes five days later in preparation for the WBC’s quarterfinals.
Photo: Miguel Cienfuegos will play for Panama in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. (Photo via @AurelioOrtiz31 on X)
