Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
MIAMI, FL — The most underrated asset for Venezuela in the 2026 World Baseball Classic has been their closer Daniel Palencia.
The 26-year old from San Carlos, Venezuela is another player living out his dream in this edition of the World Baseball Classic as Palencia has had a coming out party for Venezuela in the WBC and showing that includes four scoreless frames and seven strikeouts.
“It was awesome, I was dreaming of this since I saw the last Baseball Classic,” Palencia told Latino Sports Monday afternoon before he closed out Italy for his second save of the WBC.
“It’s just awesome. In the beginning I feel like a kid right here, just sharing how we start. And for me, just I’m living the dream right now.”
Palencia has been a stable force in Venezuela’s last two comeback wins, not giving Italy or Japan any glimmer of hope.
He has been part of a rock solid bullpen and on Monday night, with 24 outs needed, the stable didn’t allow one run.
“Baseball has been growing in Venezuela, especially these days. This team is composed of players from different states of Venezuela, and that’s why we are united. That’s the key. I have my own baseball academy in my hometown, and I try to develop that so that kids learn baseball and chase their dreams.”
-Daniel Palencia on the state of baseball in Venezuela
Venezuelan pitcher Pablo López, joining the team despite not being able to play, spoke to Latino Sports during Monday’s pregame about Palencia and the country’s pitching staff.
“I had only seen him (Palencia) pitch obviously with the Cubs,” said López of Palencia. “He had 22 saves last year and he’s absolutely incredible. But then meeting him, like, it makes sense because he’s such a good dude.He’s such a hard worker. And even though I’ve only been here just a handful of times, the way that I see him and everyone on top of the routine, making sure that they’re putting themselves in the best situation to be successful, to be aggressive, that’s been really fun to see.”
López, 30, an established MLB starting right-hander with the Minnesota Twins, will be sidelined this season due to undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Coming from an All-Star and eight year MLB veteran in López, that’s some really high praise for Palencia. Last season, he came into his own with the Chicago Cubs, pitching to a 2.91 ERA across 52.2 innings with 61 strikeouts. This was his third year seeing MLB time with the Cubs after signing out of Venezuela as an international free agent with the Oakland Athletics in 2020.
The Athletics traded him to the Cubs during MLB’s trade deadline in 2021.
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