Cubs Closer Daniel Palencia to Play in World Baseball Classic

The World Baseball Classic adds another Cubs member to their list of participants. Daniel Palencia will play for Team Venezuela.

Add another current Chicago Cubs player to the World Baseball Classic.

Cubs closer Daniel Palencia announced on Tuesday night via Instagram that he will play for Team Venezuela in this year’s World Baseball Classic.

Palencia experienced a coming-out party in 2025 for the Cubs. In the first half of last season, he easily cemented himself as the Cubs’ ninth-inning man. In 34.1 innings, he had 12 saves with 39 strikeouts, 11 walks, and a 1.57 ERA.

For the season, Palencia put up very good numbers for a guy playing in his first full season. He finished with 22 saves, 61 strikeouts, a 1.139 WHIP, a 2.91 ERA, and held hitters to just a .224 batting average in 52.2 innings pitched. He also ranked in the 99th percentile in fastball velocity.

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Palencia joins current Cubs team members Alex Bregman, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Matthew Boyd as participants of this year’s World Baseball Classic.