Team Canada made history on Wednesday afternoon, advancing to the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals for the first time in the tournament's existence. 

Canada won Pool A, held in Puerto Rico, by defeating Cuba 7-2. Canada went 3-1 in pool play, advancing alongside Puerto Rico.

Canada pitcher Michael Soroka said that he wanted to ride the wave of baseball momentum presented by the 2025 Toronto Blue Jays, and this group has certainly done that.

The win also means that Jays pitching prospect Adam Macko is advancing in the tournament, while Jays' righty Yariel Rodriguez is headed back to spring training.

Both hurlers participated in this game, with Macko walking one and striking out one in a two-batter sequence. He left the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth. Rodriguez pitched 1.2 innings for Cuba, giving up three hits and four runs, only one of which was earned. He struck out four and walked none, pitching well again. 

He made three appearances in this tournament, pitching to a 1.50 ERA.

A 25-year-old native of Slovakia, Macko was drafted in the seventh round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners traded him to Toronto before the 2023 season for outfielder Teoscar Hernandez.

Macko has yet to make his major league debut, going 15-26 in the minors with a 4.53 ERA. He went 3-9 in 2025 with a 4.76, pitching mostly at Triple-A Buffalo.

He was recently optioned to Triple-A but will work toward his debut this season.

The 28-year-old Rodriguez was signed to a a five-year deal worth $30 million before the 2024 season. While his 2024 campaign saw him really struggle as a starter, he was much better in 2025. Serving as a reliever, he went 3-2 with a 3.08 ERA in 66 games. He struck out 66 batters in 73.0 innings and helped the Jays reach the World Series.

He was on the playoff roster for the American League Division Series and ALCS before being removed prior to the Fall Classic, and after the big additions of Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce, Rodriguez was outrighted off the 40-man roster in December. Tyler Rogers's signing complicated things for him even further.

It's unclear if anything has really changed for him, but with Shane Bieber and Yimi Garcia both starting the year on the injured list, he could have a better opportunity to make the Opening Day roster.

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