WILLEMSTAD – For the second consecutive year, players from the MLB Elite Development Program (EDP) Curaçao are headed to Vero Beach, Florida to compete in the 2025 Breakthrough Series Invitational, organized by Major League Baseball (MLB).
A total of 16 teams from across the United States, Puerto Rico, and one combined team featuring players from Brazil and Curaçao will take part in this prestigious tournament. The event will be held from June 18 to 21 at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach.
This year, eight Curaçaoan players have been selected to join forces with 12 players from Brazil’s MLB development program, forming the MLB International Team.
The Breakthrough Series is designed for U17 players from MLB’s top development programs. These types of tournaments consistently attract attention from scouts representing all 30 MLB teams, as well as college and high school scouts from across the United States—giving Curaçao’s young talents valuable exposure.
The Curaçaoan players selected this year are:
Shawn Dambruck
Chey-Niël Delanoy
Emery Hansen
Archeneau Martina
I-Zion Mogen
Victor Nieves Mack
Ruchano Petronia
Sebastian Ramirez Russo
Adding to the milestone, MLB has appointed Rudy van Heydoorn, catcher instructor for Elite Curaçao, as manager of the international team. MLB continues to emphasize not only the development of players but also the importance of empowering local coaches.
As part of their preparation, the eight selected players participated in a special mental training session led by former Olympic athlete Churandy Martina and certified mental coach Thakai Doran. Both professionals guided the players on how to perform, behave, and stay focused—emphasizing the significance of making the most of this unique opportunity to showcase their baseball talents.
Local sponsors of the program, including the Curaçao Tourism Board (CTB) and the Curaçao Baseball Development Foundation, extended their best wishes to the athletes and urged them to represent Curaçao with pride on the international stage.
