The 'Los Federales de Chiriquí' team, representing Panama as an invitee in the Jalisco 2026 Caribbean Series, has been training for several days at the Rod Carew National Stadium, under the watchful eye of their director José Mayorga and an experienced group of coaches.
Among the standout figures in this roster is catcher Christian Bethancourt. To his Major League experience, he adds participations in the 2018, 2022, and 2024 Jalisco Caribbean Series, and in the Dominican edition, he was selected as the catcher for the All-Star Team.
Alongside him are other high-caliber players, including pitcher Paolo Espino and infielders Johan Camargo and Rubén Tejada, all with experience at the highest level of baseball and an understanding of what the Caribbean Series represents.
Espino was a champion with the Toros del Este in San Juan 2020, while Camargo lifted the trophy with the Águilas Cibaeñas in Mazatlán 2021.
Regarding experience in the Caribbean Series, pitchers Harold Araúz, Severino González, and Ernesto Silva are among the most prominent. Araúz participated in the 2019 (the year Panamanians were crowned champions), 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 editions, while González and Silva were present in the 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 editions.
Outfielder Jhonny Santos, in addition to being champion in 2019, also participated in the San Juan, Mazatlán, Caracas–La Guaira, and Miami Caribbean Series.
Panama's debut in the 2026 Caribbean Series will be on Monday, February 2, when they face the champion of the Mexican Pacific League ARCO.
