The Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao has produced some outstanding Major League Baseball players in the last few decades, from Andruw Jones to Didi Gregorius to Ozzie Albies. 

And now the island is taking a major new step, with the announcement that it will be entering the Caribbean Series for the first time next year. 

The Caribbean Series if the regional tournament of the Caribbean’s top winter baseball leagues, which will include Curaçao for the first time in Februarty 2023. 

Curaçao’s baseball federation will be in charge of putting together the team that will represent the island in the championship. 

The grouping typically includes teams from Puerto Rico, Venezuela; Cuba; Venezuela; the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Colombia. 

“This is definitely a major achievement, as the Caribbean Series is a prestigious event in the world of baseball, with fans spread particularly across Latin America and the Caribbean,” the Curacao Tourist Board said in a statement.