Play Ball! Daddy Yankee Is Global Ambassador For 2023 World Baseball Classic
Daddy Yankee gets to swing for the fences in his new role as ambassador for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC).
As part of his ambassadorial duties, the reggaeton artist throws his superstar status behind an anthem for the current tournament, “Chispa,” which he co-produced with Play-N-Skilz.
According to a statement from organizers, “Chispa” will be featured across WBC and MLB social platforms, and with the Classic’s coverage, in-park activations and more.
Also, Daddy Yankee is expected to attend several games played at loanDeport park in Miami throughout the tournament, which he launched by throwing out the first pitch last Sunday (March 12) before the Venezuela vs. Puerto Rico game.
Much has happened in the year since Yankee announced his retirement from music.
The Puerto Rican artist (born Raymond Ayala) ends his touring career on a high, with his La Ultima Vuelta trek raking-in $197.8 million and 1.9 million tickets sold over 83 shows in 2022, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.
That’s by some distance the biggest tour of his career, and behind only Bad Bunny among Latin artists.
Yankee’s collaboration with Luis Fonsi, “Despacito,” last year extend its reign as the most-viewed music video on YouTube, by hitting the magical 8 billion streams milestone. And his final album, 2022’s Legendaddy, gave Yankee a career-high No. 8 peak on the Billboard 200, his second top 10 appearance on the all-genres chart.
The 46-year-old artist’s beloved Puerto Rico is one of 20 nations competing in the Classic, which reaches its climax March 21 in Miami. Sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), it’s the sport’s premier international competition — essentially, the world cup for baseball.
Lars Brandle
Billboard
