Jose Quintana and Colombia’s WBC Push: The Captain’s Proven Track Record Meets a Group-Stage Barrier
Jose Quintana has been named Colombia’s team captain and announced as the starter for Colombia’s first World Baseball Classic game on Friday against Puerto Rico, a high-pressure assignment in San Juan as Colombia tries to break through a history that has not yet included a trip out of the group stage.
What does Jose Quintana’s opening start signal about Colombia’s plan?
Colombia’s immediate tone-setter is clear: Jose Quintana will take the ball first, in a matchup described as sure to unfold in a fired-up crowd. The right-now stakes are simple—Colombia is attempting to pitch its way into a new chapter at the World Baseball Classic, having gone 2-5 overall across its previous two appearances.
Jose Quintana brings a resume built for tense environments. The left-hander has 38 postseason innings, experience the team can lean on for a pressure start in a hostile stadium. In a tournament that can turn on a handful of innings, Colombia’s decision to open with its captain underscores how much it values early stability and poise.
The context around the captaincy is just as telling. Colombia’s preview centers on pitching leadership at the top, with Jose Quintana positioned not only as an arm, but as the face of the plan to change Colombia’s tournament trajectory.
How strong is the rotation behind the opener?
The next name in the rotation is Julio Teheran, identified as a former Braves ace who last pitched in the majors with the Mets in 2024, when he made one start lasting 2 2/3 innings. Teheran, 35, posted an 81-82 record with a 3. 85 ERA over 13 MLB seasons. The most recent stop noted for him was an independent league in Mexico last year, where he pitched to a 6. 95 ERA.
Together, the top two starters are described as a pair of 2024 Mets with 27 years of MLB experience between them. For Colombia, that experience is a featured asset, but it comes with a clear tension: proven longevity and name recognition do not automatically translate into tournament advancement, especially in a pool framed as tightly packed and competitive.
Can the lineup and Pool A context lift Colombia past its history?
On offense, Colombia’s group includes third baseman Gio Urshela, who is in Twins camp as a non-roster invitee and posted a. 613 OPS in 59 games for the Athletics last year. Catcher Jorge Alfaro is in Royals camp after posting a. 564 OPS in 14 games with the Nationals last year. Free agent Donovan Solano is also listed, coming off a season in which he hit three home runs in 69 games for the Mariners.
One of the most intriguing players mentioned is Mariners middle infield prospect Michael Arroyo, a 21-year-old who hit 17 home runs combined at Double-A and High-A last season while slashing. 262/. 401/. 433. He is ranked No. 67 on MLB Pipeline. Seattle signed him for $1. 375 million during the 2022 international signing period.
The manager is Jose Mosquera, who played two years in the Pirates’ minor league system from 2005-2006 before working as a Pirate scout, minor league coach, and manager. Mosquera was a bench coach for Team Colombia in 2023.
Colombia’s schedule detail in focus is the opener against Puerto Rico on Friday at 6 p. m. ET. Pool A also includes Canada, Cuba, and Panama, and it is described as arguably the most competitive pool of the four. The five teams are slotted between No. 8 (Canada) and No. 14 (Panama) in Robert Colonna’s WBC rankings for MMO, with Colombia at No. 13.
That competitiveness matters because Colombia’s historical near-misses are already part of its WBC identity. In 2017, Colombia nearly pulled off two upsets but lost in extra innings to the eventual champion United States and to the Dominican Republic. In 2023, it did upset Mexico. Now the mission is more specific: get out of the group stage for the first time in World Baseball Classic history, starting with the first pitch thrown by Jose Quintana.
