Ahead of the 2026 World Baseball Classic in March, the Panama national team will for the first time play against the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers at the field in Lakeland, Florida.
These matches will be preparation games for the Panamanian team, while the Yankees and Tigers will use them for their spring training. The game against the 'Mules' (the Yankees' nickname) will be on March 3, and the game against Detroit on March 4.
Panama is in Group A of the World Baseball Classic, to be played at Hiran Bithorn Stadium in San Juan. The team will debut on March 6 against Cuba, followed by games against Puerto Rico, Canada, and Colombia. Other games will be held in the United States and Japan.
The Panamanian team has already compiled a roster of players from Major League Baseball and other professional leagues, prepared by the coaching staff led by José Mayorga, supported by former MLB players like Bruce Chen and Einar Díaz.
Panama has no previous record of facing the Yankees, but the organization did play in 2014 at Rod Carew Stadium against the Florida Marlins in a Legends game.
Currently, Panama is focusing on the first Copa América, which will kick off on November 13 at Mariano Rivera Stadium in La Chorrera.
