U23 Baseball Championship 2026: Panama Metro Leads as Coclé and Chiriquí Occidente Pursue

The third edition of the U23 National Baseball Championship is underway, with Panama Metro establishing a clear lead after two weekends of play. The team has secured five victories in their first six matches, demonstrating strong performance early in the tournament. Their dominant streak included five consecutive wins before encountering their first defeat against Azuero, who shut them out 6-0 in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday, July 25.

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Emmanuel Herrera earned the win for the Azuerense team in a five-inning effort, allowing seven hits, three strikeouts, and two walks.

Panama Metro's early success was built on a series of close victories. Key wins included a 7-6 triumph over Oeste on July 16, followed by an 8-1 win the next day. They continued their momentum with a 5-4 victory on July 18, and then secured two more wins against Azuero on July 24 (7-1) and July 25 (4-1), prior to their sole loss. The team's performance highlights their strong offensive and defensive capabilities.

Following closely behind the leaders are Coclé and Chiriquí Occidente, both holding identical records of four wins and two losses. These two teams are positioned as the primary challengers to Panama Metro's current top spot. Azuero, despite handing Panama Metro their only loss, currently sits in the middle of the standings but maintains hopes of advancing to the next stage of the competition.

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Meanwhile, Juan Alonso shone offensively with two hits in three at-bats, two runs scored, and one RBI.

The tournament experienced a schedule adjustment due to rain, leading to a concentrated series of games on Friday, July 24, and Saturday, July 25. Results from the second week included Coclé defeating the U18 Pre-selection 5-3 and 4-8, while Panama Metro beat Azuero twice (4-1, 7-1) and Chiriquí Occidente secured wins against Oeste (6-2, 1-4). The championship will pause next weekend to allow players to participate in the Central American and Caribbean Games, resuming on August 7-9.

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Coclé and Chiriquí Occidente are closely followed by the teams from Coclé and Chiriquí Occidente, who have a record of four wins and two losses.