The Samsung Lions announced on Tuesday that their Panamanian pitcher Ariel Jurado will represent his country at this year's World Baseball Classic. Jurado recently requested and received permission from the club to participate in the March 5-17 tournament, marking his debut in the event.
The Samsung Lions announced on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, that their Panamanian pitcher Ariel Jurado, 29, will represent Panama at this year's World Baseball Classic (WBC). Jurado recently requested permission from the club to pitch in the March 5-17 tournament, and the Lions granted his wish.
Jurado has been pitching in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) since 2023. He spent his first two seasons with the Kiwoom Heroes before joining the Lions ahead of the 2025 season. In his debut year with the Lions, he led the team with 15 wins and a 2.60 ERA. The workhorse topped the KBO in 197 1/3 innings pitched, three complete games, two shutouts, and 23 quality starts—an outing of at least six innings with fewer than three earned runs allowed.
The right-hander will make his WBC debut. He pitched for Panama in the qualifiers for the 2023 WBC but skipped the main tournament after signing with the Heroes.
Panama is in Pool A, facing Cuba, Canada, Colombia, and Puerto Rico. The top two teams after round-robin play will advance to the quarterfinals, with all Pool A games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The WBC typically overlaps with spring training in the KBO and Major League Baseball. Clubs have sometimes withheld players, while newcomers to a team have opted out to focus on adapting during camp.
On the same day, the Lions revealed their spring training roster: 19 pitchers, five catchers, seven infielders, and eight outfielders. They will head to Guam on January 23 for the first phase of camp, running through February 9, followed by training in Okinawa, Japan, from February 9 to March 9. Jurado is expected to rejoin once Panama's WBC run concludes.
The Lions also have three South Korean players training with the national team in Saipan: outfielder Koo Ja-wook and pitchers Won Tae-in and Bae Chan-seung. The final WBC roster will be announced on February 3.
