Watch Cuba vs. Netherlands on FS1, 11 p.m. ET

The opening spherical of the 2023 World Baseball Classic will get underneath manner Tuesday when Pool A foes Cuba and the Netherlands sq. off at Taichung Stadium in Taiwan.

The Netherlands workforce is seeking to end the job after arising brief within the semifinals in every of the previous two Classics. Cuba has superior previous the primary spherical in all 4 Classics, however its 2006 championship sport look was the final time it received out of the second spherical. This 12 months’s event marks the primary time in World Baseball Classic historical past that MLB gamers are eligible to play for Cuba.

Here’s what it’s good to learn about Tuesday’s matchup:

How you may watch: The sport between Cuba and the Netherlands is dwell at 11 p.m. ET on FS1. Games can be found on FOX, FS1, FS2, Tubi or FOX Deportes, and each sport may be streamed on-line within the FOX Sports App. For worldwide viewing choices, click on right here.

How you may hear: Live audio protection of all video games will probably be carried on Sirius XM, TuneIn, MLB.com and within the MLB App.

What’s at stake: The 20 groups have been positioned in 4 swimming pools of 5 groups every for the primary spherical of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, with every workforce enjoying the others in its pool as soon as and the groups with the 2 finest information in every pool on the finish of the spherical advancing to the knockout stage. Cuba and the Netherlands are a part of Pool A with Chinese Taipei, Italy and Panama.

Matchup historical past: Cuba and the Netherlands have met 4 occasions within the World Baseball Classic, with the Netherlands profitable three of the video games. Cuba’s lone triumph got here within the first spherical of the inaugural World Baseball Classic. Cuba superior from Pool C together with Puerto Rico that 12 months and went on to achieve the championship sport, dropping to Japan.

In the 2013 Classic, the Netherlands defeated Cuba within the first sport of the second spherical, and the 2 confronted off a second time days later in an elimination sport with a spot within the semifinals on the road. The Netherlands prevailed once more, getting back from a two-run eighth-inning deficit to win, 7-6. The Netherlands notched a 14-1 win over Cuba when the 2 matched up within the second spherical of the 2017 Classic.

Luis Robert Jr. OF, Cuba: With MLB gamers eligible to play for Cuba within the World Baseball Classic for the primary time, Robert and his White Sox teammate Yoán Moncada are among the many greatest stars on the Cuban workforce. The dynamic 25-year-old has been restricted by accidents throughout his three-year MLB profession, however he has slashed .289/.334/.474 with 36 homers and 26 steals in 222 video games.

Yoenis Céspedes, OF, Cuba: For the primary time since 2009, Céspedes will go well with up for Cuba within the World Baseball Classic. Now 37, the right-handed slugger was glorious in his lone Classic look, hitting .458 with two homers and a 1.480 OPS over six video games. He started his MLB profession with Oakland three years later and appeared in elements of eight seasons with the A’s, Red Sox, Tigers and Mets. The two-time Home Run Derby champion socked 165 dingers over 834 video games as a Major Leaguer.

Xander Bogaerts SS, Netherlands: Bogaerts, who signed an 11-year, $280 million cope with the Padres in December after spending the primary 10 years of his massive league profession with the Red Sox, additionally performed for the Netherlands within the 2013 and 2017 Classics. The four-time All-Star owns a .396 on-base proportion in Classic play.

Wladimir Balentien, OF, Netherlands: Balentien is among the high performers within the historical past of the World Baseball Classic, posting a .469 common with 4 homers, 17 RBIs and a 1.332 OPS over 14 video games. The 38-year-old performed three years within the Majors (2007-09) earlier than placing collectively a wonderful profession in Japan that ended after the 2021 season. He went deep twice within the Netherlands’ 14-1 win over Cuba within the second spherical of the 2017 Classic.