MIAMI, FL — Our Latino Sports crew are not only present at the 2026 World Baseball Classic to cover the games, interview players, record video and take pictures and share their stories. We are also here, providing full and extensive WBC coverage, with another meaningful mission—to connect with many of the players who appear on the official ballot of the 36th Annual LatinoMVP Awards.
This year, 40 players were selected to appear on the ballot for what many consider the most prestigious recognition given to Latino baseball players. As part of that tradition, we brought a special gift for each of them: a limited-edition shirt designed exclusively for the players on this year’s ballot.
With that goal in mind, I stood along the field of loanDepot Park watching Team Venezuela take batting practice. I soon spotted Eugenio Suárez and Maikel García, two of the players who are on the ballot for the 2025 American League LatinoMVP award. Both players were surrounded by what seemed like an army of reporters lining the sidelines, all hoping to secure a few minutes for an interview.
Some players would stop and accommodate the requests, but players like Suárez and García are stars, and everyone wants a moment with them.
At one point, a Venezuelan reporter standing next to me—who apparently knew Suárez—called out to him for an interview. Suárez calmly turned and responded that if he gave her an interview, he would have to give one to everyone who had asked, and he simply could not do that. With that statement, I quietly crossed Eugenio Suárez off my mental list and focused my attention on Maikel García.
I repositioned myself near the corner of the roped-off area where players must pass on their way back to the dugout, hoping to catch him there. Unfortunately, when García finished his batting practice, he ran straight into the dugout before any reporter could approach him.
At that moment, I realized I needed to change my strategy if I wanted to secure at least one interview—and deliver one of our commemorative shirts.
I watched Eugenio Suárez as he wrapped up his batting practice. Unlike García, he didn’t run toward the dugout. He walked quickly, but steadily, in that direction. As he passed by, several reporters were calling out to him for interviews.
Standing at the corner closest to the players’ path, I decided to try something different. Instead of asking for an interview, I called out in Spanish:
“Eugenio, felicidades!”
He stopped, looked directly at me, and replied, “¿Felicidades de qué?” (Congratulations for what?)
That’s when I realized I had his attention.
He walked over, and I explained that he had been selected to appear on the 36th Annual ballot for one of the most prestigious awards given to Latino MLB players. Curious, he asked, “¿Qué lista?” (What list?)
I immediately pulled out my phone and showed him the ballot. He took the phone from my hand, enlarged the small print, and searched until he found his name. When he did, he smiled.
I briefly explained the history of the award and how being on the ballot is considered an honor—something like being nominated for the Latin Grammy of baseball.
He laughed and said, “Si eso es así, entonces ya gané.” (If that’s the case, then I already won.)
I then handed him his gift—the limited-edition shirt reserved only for players on the ballot. He opened it, looked at it, and again smiled broadly. Holding the shirt as we spoke, he repeated jokingly, “Con esto ya gané. Le pueden dar el premio a otro” (With this, I already won. You can give the award to someone else.)
We both laughed.
I explained that the winners would be announced during the days following MLB’s 2026 Opening Day and that, if he won, we would travel to present it to him in his home stadium of Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio—home of the Reds.
Before he left, I asked if I could interview him about being on the ballot. He laughed again, looked at my Puerto Rican cap and said jokingly:
“I told everyone I wasn’t giving interviews—and this slick Puerto Rican gets one!”
We both laughed, shook hands, and I wished him the best.
Sometimes getting an interview is not about pushing harder than everyone else.
Sometimes it’s about respect, timing, and finding the right way to connect.
On this day, a simple “felicidades” opened the door.
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