GUADALAJARA, Mexico – During this week’s Caribbean Series at Guadalajara’s Estadio Panamericano de Béisbol, the host club Charros de Jalisco’s manager, Benjamín Gil, has spoken extensively about how Team Mexico -- which he will once again manage next month -- is shaping up for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
In that regard, Gil has repeatedly stated his confidence in the players who will join the Mexican club in Houston, where Pool B will be held at Daikin Park with Mexico, the United States, Brazil, Italy, and Great Britain competing for two spots in the quarterfinal round.
In 2023, Mexico surprised many in the baseball world by trouncing the United States in group play at Chase Field in Phoenix, then eliminating Puerto Rico in the quarterfinals at loanDepot park in Miami. That was followed by a scintillating semifinal game against Japan, in which Team Mexico entered the bottom of the ninth with a 5–4 lead before allowing two runs and suffering a walk-off elimination at the hands of the eventual champions.
In the tournament, Randy Arozarena (.450/.607/.900, nine RBIs in six games), Joey Meneses (.963 OPS, two HRs, six RBIs) and Isaac Paredes (.375/.444/.500, six RBIs) led the offensive attack for Mexico.
For the 2026 tournament, Arozarena, Jonathan Aranda, Joey Ortiz, Alejandro Kirk, Taijuan Walker, Jarren Durán, Alek Thomas, Ramón Urías and Luis Urías are confirmed for Team Mexico, with Meneses likely joining the club as well. In addition, a contingent of Charros players who helped Gil win his sixth Mexican Pacific League championship in 2025-26 -- Julian Ornelas, Alex Osuna, Tirso Ornelas and Gil's son, Mateo — could also be added to Team Mexico for the Classic. Of that group, Ornelas is currently playing for the Charros in Guadalajara, trying to help Gil win his first Caribbean Series title.
On the international baseball front, this week also marks the 30th anniversary of the 1996 Caribbean Series in Santo Domingo. That year, Tomateros de Culiacán shocked the Caribbean baseball world by defeating a so-called “Dream Team” of the Águilas Cibaeñas from the Dominican Republic -- managed by Terry Francona and featuring names such as Pedro Martínez, Luis Polonia, Julio Franco, Raúl Mondesí, José Vizcaíno, Stan Javier, Moisés Alou, Félix Fermín, Tony Peña, Tony Batista, Juan Guzmán, Carlos Pérez, Melquíades Rojas and José Mesa -- to win the title at Estadio Quisqueya.
Gil mentioned that win for Mexican baseball to reiterate his confidence in the national team when playing against powerhouses such as the U.S. and possibly the Dominican Republic and Japan in the upcoming Classic.
“The Mexican team, and I was one of the players, really had no business being on the field against the Dominican Republic, which was the Dream Team,” Gil said, recalling the 1996 Caribbean Series. “I think we were a good team; we had won the championship in Mexico, and we beat what was a super team for the Caribbean. And we were able to beat them twice to win the championship.
So, in that sense, Gil remains more than optimistic about the version of Team Mexico that will ultimately make the trip to Houston for the Classic.
“What I do have is confidence,” Gil said. “If I didn’t have confidence, why would I even put on the uniform? I might as well not come. In that case, it would be better if someone managed the national team.”