The Team Puerto Rico preliminary 35-player roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic was submitted to Major League Baseball this week. The final roster of 30 players must be submitted to MLB by Feb. 3. By THE STAR STAFF The Puerto Rico Baseball Federation earlier this week submitted its 35-player preliminary roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, a requirement of Major League Baseball as part of the national team selection process. The roster will not be made public unt

Fans cheer for Spain at Circulo Espanol during the World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands in New York, July 11, 2010. Spain that year became the eighth country to win the World Cup (by beating the Netherlands 1-0 at Soccer City in Johannesburg), and is one of the favorites to win next year’s World Cup, which starts in June. (Marcus Yam/The New York Times) By JACK LANG / THE ATHLETIC The 2026 World Cup, once a dot on the horizon, starts to come into full view this w

Fuzzy Zoeller receives the green jacket from defending champion Gary Player after winning the 1979 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on April 15, 1979. Zoeller, a gregarious, wisecracking golfer who won 10 tournaments on the PGA Tour, including two majors, died last Thursday at age 74. (Instagram via gary.player) By RICHARD SANDOMIR Fuzzy Zoeller, a gregarious, wisecracking golfer who won 10 tournaments on the PGA Tour, including two major c

The MLB’s top regular-season teams, the Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers, led their leagues in batting average and contact rate. High-contact players like the Blue Jays’ Ernie Clement, pictured, and the Brewers’ Sal Frelick have grown from quiet contributors to known commodities. (Instagram via ernieclement28) By MITCH BANNON / THE ATHLETIC Four days after the Toronto Blue Jays peppered 12 hits across Yankee Stadium, winning Game 4 of an American League division series

Yasser Mercedes hit a solo home run in the second inning to help the Carolina Giants break a seven-game skid and beat the Caguas Criollos in Sunday’s nightcap at Roberto Clemente Walker Stadium in Carolina. Walk-off hit in 10th lifts Mayagüez By THE STAR STAFF The Santurce Crabbers, San Juan Senators, Caguas Criollos and Carolina Giants all split doubleheaders on Sunday in the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (LBPRC by its initials in Spanish). The Crabbers (Cang

The Bucaneros of Arroyo are a win away from the COLICEBA finals after blanking the Azucareros of Yabucoa 7-0 on Sunday. (Aldwin Santiago) By THE STAR STAFF The Bucaneros of Arroyo and the Guapos of Dorado are on the verge of reaching the Central Amateur Baseball League Confederation (COLICEBA by its acronym in Spanish) finals after each team won their respective league semifinal games held this past weekend. Both teams lead their respective series 2-0 in a best-of-five format

With the four-set victory over last-place Guaynabo, the Caribes of San Sebastián tightened their hold on first place with a 13-1 record and 35 points. By THE STAR STAFF The Caribes of San Sebastián defeated the Mets of Guaynabo 3-1 to maintain their hold on first place in the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM by its initials) standings on Saturday night at Luis Aymat Cardona Coliseum in San Sebastián. The set scores were: 25-23, 25-20, 21-25 and 25-20. With the victory,

Jesmuel Valentín and the Ponce Lions took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, but Mayagüez answered with four runs in the third. By THE STAR STAFF The Mayagüez Indians, Santurce Crabbers and Caguas Criollos won their respective games Saturday night in Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League play. A four-run rally in the third inning gave host Mayagüez a 4-3 win over the Ponce Lions. The Indians’ (Indios’) productive inning ended the Lions’ (Leones’) defensive scoreless inni