WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL A

March 5, 2026

Jose Mayorga

Hiram Bithorn Stadium

Team Panama

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Tell me about how the team is going. How is the team after the practice game with the Yankees and the Detroit Tigers? How is the team, and how are the expectations for tomorrow's game against Cuba?

JOSE MAYORGA: Yes, of course. We're fine. We're really excited. We're happy. We're excited to be here. We did what we had to do, trying to have the pitchers on their mounds, have everything ready for tomorrow, and also the batters to get the most amount of at-bats with the games and innings that we have.

We're fine with the expectations. The same, try to do everything to play the game and play all games and go on to the next round.

Q. Obviously it's not your first game, but we'd like you to tell us in advance, that game against Puerto Rico, the local team, Panama and Puerto Rico already played in the 2006 games. You're seeing each other again. Some impressions?

JOSE MAYORGA: It's going to be a great game. We know Puerto Rico's quality. We know their trajectory, their path, and our mentality is just to go game by game and win that game tomorrow. Then focus on Puerto Rico.

But I think it's going to be a good game. It's going to be close. We're going to try to do everything we can to be victorious and win.

Q. For people who don't know so much about the Panama team, what kind of team -- what's the lineup? What's the mix between experience and rookies, and how it measures up with the experience with the Cuban team?

JOSE MAYORGA: We do have experience. There is youth, and there is experience. There are players that have played baseball for a long time. There's some in the Major Leagues. And we also have some players coming up from the Minor Leagues. We truly consider ourselves a compact team that we can do everything.

I simply believe we're going to try to do the right thing at the right time, try to fine tune and get the right result.

Q. You look excited for this to start up. A lot of people are saying this is the first time for them. How do you prepare for that, for players like that, to start out in this event, in the World Classic? We know that Logan Allen is starting for the Panama team, and who's opening for Puerto Rico and the other teams?

JOSE MAYORGA: I believe we're all anxious. It's a human thing to try to get to that game. It's something that's normal. I believe after the first pitch, after the first at-bat, things will settle down. At the end of the day, it's something that everybody has to work on their own and get out of it.

At the end of the day, it's a game that these guys have played maybe on bigger stages than this, but it's just to be confident and for them to do what they know how to do.

Logan Allen will start and we don't know yet who is going to start against Puerto Rico.

Q. Following Logan Allen, how are you worried following these exhibition games with star players and they're in the Big Leagues, it's more complicated on offense?

JOSE MAYORGA: Logan Allen is really excited to be with us and living through this experience. For us, it's important for him that he feels like we all do as Panamanians. I think it's something really nice. He's had really good chemistry with the team, and he's had fun with us.

The Spring Training games, I know the first game was not the best, but I think we talked about it. There were a lot guys on bases, we faced a lot of people on the Yankees. But I believe the adjustments we made against Detroit were good. We had better contacts, better at-bats, and that will be carried on to tomorrow also.

Q. Talk to us about Johan Camargo. How have you seen him at first base? He already played an adaptation. How have you seen him in the spring training games?

JOSE MAYORGA: He's done a great job. We know the defense he has in any part of the field. He's done a great job of adapting to first base very well.

Q. Talk to us about Panama edition 2006, 2009, and this 2023, the best for Panama. In that sense, we had runs to classify for the next round. Is Panama's objective, do we have the stuff to make it and make history in the Baseball Classic? We do know that it's not easy, but we are aware that Panama can get that classification. You as a manager, what do you think about that?

JOSE MAYORGA: Yes, of course. I do think that's our main goal to advance to the next round. Of course there's a lot of things at play. Depending on the victories that we get to stay in the Classic, but I do believe, if we achieve that objective of going to the next round, we know there's a lot of things we have to do. We need to score more runs and try to beat the other team, so we can be placed in that position.

Q. Aside from who's going to be the pitcher for Cuba, I don't want you to tell me the lineup, but do you have an idea of the lineup, who's going to be right-handed or left-handed, depending on the pitcher?

JOSE MAYORGA: We are going to wait for it to be announced, then we'll see who the matchup is.

Q. So you have plan A and plan B?

JOSE MAYORGA: Of course we do.

Q. How are you feeling in your approach for tomorrow? At some point, I don't know when you might face Moinelo. How are you feeling about him? He's one of the best pitchers in Japan and over there. What's your approach?

JOSE MAYORGA: I mean, we're here, excited for this to start. We do know that Moinelo is an option for starting. Or he'll come in at any point. We know the quality of pitcher he is. It's simply to get ready beforehand, so when he comes in. If he doesn't start, then we'll need to get him out as soon as possible.