Cuba will be able to select major league players from this World Baseball Classic (WBC).

However, only two Cuban major leaguers have been selected for the Cuban national team: Chicago White Sox infielder Yoann Moncada and pitcher Luis Robert. This is interpreted because of the opposition of the club and the realistic reasons of the Cuban authorities, although there are many Cuban national players in the major leagues.

A player who has Cuban nationality but participates as the US national team in this WBC draws attention. New York Yankees starting left-hander Nestor Cortes.

Cortes, whose parents are both Cuban, was born in a small seaside town 35 miles (54 km) south of Havana, the capital of Cuba.

However, when he was seven months old, his father, Cortés Sr., who had tried to escape Cuba several times, won the US visa lottery and moved to the United States to settle in Florida. Cortinez began playing baseball at the age of 4, and was known to frequently watch Florida Marlins games with his father during his childhood.

Cortes has no memories of Cuba. He made his major league debut in 2018 after being selected by the Yankees in the 36th round of the 2013 draft when he was a junior at Higher Lee High School in Florida. He is considered a representative Cuban athlete who is proud to be an American citizen. He should be seen as the de facto 메이저사이트 American.

On the 29th, Cortés revealed the gloves to be used in this WBC on his Twitter. The outside of the glove is reminiscent of the American flag with 13 stripes and 50 stars. When he was selected for the US team, he wrote on his Instagram, “I want to deeply thank you for choosing me to be a member of the US team. I feel so honored and responsible.”

Cortés started 28 games last season and went 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA, becoming a top-class starting pitcher. He was voted an All-Star and finished eighth in the Cy Young Award voting. When he pitches, he raises his right foot and pauses for a moment before throwing.

The United States, along with Japan, is considered a strong candidate for the championship at this WBC. Rather than the mound, more attention is drawn to the line-up of batters who dominate the major leagues, such as Mike Trout, Paul Goldschmidt, and Mookie Betts. The starting rotation is expected to consist of Cortes, Clayton Kershaw, Adam Wainwright and Meryl Kelly. Top-notch aces such as Justin Verlander, Jacob deGrom, and Dylan Siege were excluded.