2017 World Baseball Classic Spotlight: Puerto Rico

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Playing for the Indians in the World Series was a goal for Francisco Lindor. Representing his native Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic is a dream.

Lindor will now get to live out that dream, one that began when he watched the heroes of his youth at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, including Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez and WBC teammate Carlos Beltran.

“It’s awesome,” Lindor said before the start of spring training. “I’m blessed to be Puerto Rican, and I’m super happy for the island. Baseball is never topped over there.”

Lindor will lead a Puerto Rico team in the 2017 WBC that boasts arguably the best position player talent of any team in the tournament. Lindor, Beltran, Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, Cubs postseason star Javier Baez and Cardinals catching stalwart Yadier Molina comprise a solid, if top-heavy, Puerto Rico roster.

“The previous class we did a pretty good job as a team,” Beltran said, referring t. “But with the team we have with Lindor, Baez and Correa . . . anything can happen in a short series, but hopefully we can find a way to make it to the finals.”

Puerto Rico was the runner-up to the Dominican Republic in the 2013 WBC, and the good news is talent on the island is on the upswing.

“We went through a time where there weren’t a lot of big-time names (from Puerto Rico), but we still had Beltran and the Molina brothers representing the island the right way,” said Lindor, who at 12 years old left Puerto Rico for Florida with his dad in order to better set up his baseball future. “Now there are more Puerto Rico players coming. We are preparing ourselves and working hard.”

Lindor credits the building of baseball academies in Puerto Rico for the talent spike, especially Beltran’s academy. But Cesar Aranguren, the Mets area scout responsible for Puerto Rico as well as South Florida, says Lindor, Baez and especially Correa should get credit as well.

“What’s happened to baseball on the island, quite frankly, I attribute to Lindor and Baez, and Correa is the biggest name down there,” he said. “Nobody has hit the scene and exploded on the scene the way Correa did. Being the No. 1 overall pick from Puerto Rico and becoming he instant superstar that he did, I think that changed things around.”

Aranguren pointed out that when Beltran and Molina got to the majors, social media didn’t exist.

“These three guys (Correa, Lindor and Baez) exploded onto the scene, and social media allowed it to go to the next level,” he said. “Kids are on Twitter and they’re watching. They’re engaged because they have a dog in the fight now. It’s personal.”

Aranguren mentioned several Puerto Ricans who rank among the Top 100 high school prospects for the 2017 draft, namely shortstops Heliot Ramos and Ricardo de la Torre and righthander Wilberto Rivera.

“Baseball in Puerto Rico is the most exciting thing going right now,” said Aranguren, who shepherds the Metropolitan Island Games, which pits the top prospects on the island against those from the U.S. mainland.

“I’m already hearing about guys for next year. It’s a really exciting time.”