Complete guide to the Classic's Panama qualifier

Six teams enter the Panama City qualifiers. Two will make it to the World Baseball Classic tournament in March 2023.

And if it ends up being anywhere near as exciting as the European qualifiers in Germany, you'll want to be watching all week long.

But who are the teams? And who are the players? Who is the favorite ... and who has a chance at putting on some glass slippers and advancing as an underdog at Estadio Nacional Rod Carew?

Here's your guide for who to watch in Panama from Sept. 30-Oct. 5.

Argentina

WBSC ranking: No. 27

Last World Baseball Classic appearance: Has never qualified

Nicknamed "The Gauchos," Team Argentina has never entered the World Baseball Classic. They even had to put a Twitter callout to qualified candidates who might want to play for their team this year.

Although they're not considered a world power, they have won the long-running South American Baseball Championships seven times (1959, 2004, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018). And you could say they're just a little bit excited to be heading to Panama this weekend -- tweeting almost every single day upon arrival.

They're a big-time underdog, but with their entire country and a famous soccer player behind them, they could make some noise in the qualifying rounds.

Brazil

WBCS ranking: No. 25

Last World Baseball Classic appearance: 2013 (finished 14th)

If you follow MLB, you know that Brazil has had some players in the league over the years: All-Star catcher Yan Gomes and Paulo Orlando, to name a few. And their coaching staff also has some former Major League stars -- Steve Finley is their manager, while LaTroy Hawkins is the pitching coach. They both have stayed on since joining Barry Larkin's Brazil staff in 2017.

Team Brazil also has six players affiliated with MLB organizations on their roster in 2022, including brothers Christian and Timothy Lopes. Christian got into a few A's games this year after a solid 10-year MiLB career and Tim played sporadically for the Mariners and Brewers from 2019-21. Tim's first hit of his career was actually a homer for Seattle back in '19.

The 20-year-old pitcher Gabriel Barbosa has also been improving through the Minors -- including an undefeated season for the Rockies' Class-A affiliate this year. And speaking of Orlando, the 36-year-old, who hasn't played in the Majors since 2018, is slated to suit up for his home country. It's always nice to have a veteran with a World Series ring in your lineup.

New Zealand

WBCS ranking: No. 46

Last World Baseball Classic appearance: Has never qualified

Baseball, as you may have guessed, isn't considered a major sport in New Zealand -- trailing more popular pastimes like rugby and cricket. But there have been some breakthroughs in recent years -- including Ben Thompson getting drafted by the Braves three years ago (He's on the team and was in the Braves system for years).

Their brightest star, though, might be Nikau Pouaka-Greco, an 18-year-old shortstop in the Phillies system. He put up a .301./.424/.460 line with three homers in 103 at-bats this past season. He's also been known to be pretty clutch.

The Kiwis unfortunately face a tough draw in the first round against the more baseball-savvy Brazil. Coach Scott Campbell has some faith, though.

"Who knows? Maybe we'll do something special against Brazil and move on into the winner's bracket."

Nicaragua

WBCS ranking: No. 15

Last World Baseball Classic appearance: Has never qualified

Nicaragua is one of two clear favorites in the Panama qualifiers: Their national sport is baseball and they've had multiple MLBers over the years -- from Dennis "El Presidente" Martínez to Vicente Padilla to current Yankee pitcher Jonathan Loáisiga. They've never played in the Classic but they did finish in a tie for fifth in the 1984 Summer Olympics and slotted in fourth place in the '96 Games.

They also have a couple young, rising stars on their roster heading to Panama: 23-year-old shortstop Steven Leyton has shown off a dynamic glove and power for the Reds in Triple-A.

While Rodney Theophile absolutely dominated at the Nats' low MiLB levels in 2022, striking out 110 batters over 102.1 innings.

Pakistan

WBCS ranking: No. 31

Last World Baseball Classic appearance: Has never qualified

Pakistan team manager Syed Fakhar Ali Shah helped found baseball in the country back in 1993. At the age of seven.

"I'm 7 years old and I am sitting in the Federation's official meeting. I'm [there], attending as a founding member in 1993."

Since then, the team has become the best in South Asia. They've won tournaments all over the region and made it to the 2016 World Baseball Classic qualifier -- getting shut out in two games against Brazil and Great Britain. And now they're back to face off against Argentina on Day 1 in Panama.

Amir Asghar might be their top pitcher; he starts at Bethune-Cookman University.

Before he had to cancel to due Covid, former NFL QB Gibran Hamdan, who played two sports in college, decided to join up with the team. There are many converted cricket players. They also have three 16-year-old high-school hurlers -- including Illinois native Amaan Khan. He's one of the hardest throwers on the team.

Still, Pakistan baseball has had obstacles to overcome: There's not a ton of money directed toward their program and a recent devastating flood in the country has left some of their own players jobless. Even just this week, visa issues threatened to end their tournament before it started -- although it seems like they're now ready to go.

In the midst of all this, their spirits, surprisingly, have not been dashed. Pakistan team scout and players’ liaison manager Hussain Ansari told Samaa Sports' Muneeb Farrukh just as much in an interview on Thursday.

“Our coaches, which includes Patrick Anderson, are very experienced and game plan we have in place is going to woo people."

Panama

WBCS ranking: No. 13

Last World Baseball Classic appearance: 2009 (finished 15th)

The home of legends like Mariano Rivera and Rod Carew, Panama is the No. 1 favorite to make it to the main pool in March. It helps that they'll also be playing in front of their home crowd.

This year's team is not short on talent: 11 are affiliated with MLB organizations. There's Brewers Triple-A veteran pitcher Matt Hardy, former Red Sox/Oriole big leaguer Jonathan "The Ooze" Araúz, Mariners Minor League on-base machine Jose Caballero and former Dirtbag/current Cardinals Class-A slugger Leonard Jones.

The team will mostly be held together by a strong array of high Minor League pitchers including Hardy, the Nats' Alberto Baldonado and others. Also making an appearance on Team Panama will be a former MLBer and New York Mets fan favorite: Rubén Tejada. He hasn't played in the Majors since 2019, but should provide some big-game experience for the team in some of their high-pressure moments.