Tomorrow, February 21, the World Baseball Classic qualifying stage will begin in Taiwan and several Cubans representing Spain will try to help the European country qualify for the upcoming 2026 World Classic. Elián Leyva has been assigned a major responsibility tomorrow, as he will be the first starter for the Spanish team, according to a report by our colleague Francys Romero.
Spain’s first game will be precisely against the locals in a Taipei Dome with a capacity for 40,000 fans and against a team that has just won the Premier 12 last November. The clash will be at 06:00 AM (Cuba time). In that same stadium was where Cuba recently lost 2-0 against Chinese Taipei in the group phase of the Premier 12.
According to the official roster of the event organized by MLB, the Cubans who are part of the Spanish team for this tournament in addition to Leyva are Yoanner Negrín, Pablo Guillén, Orlando Rodríguez, Frank Hernández and Félix Stevens. Leyva was with Cuba in the 2023 World Classic. In the event in which Cuba finished in fourth place, the hurler won a contest precisely against Chinese Taipei that gave the Cubans a place in the quarterfinals and also saw action against USA in the semifinals.
Against Taipei he worked 2.1 innings, struck out four, walked a couple, gave up a hit and did not allow any runs. Against the Americans in 1.1 inning they scored three runs (3H, 3BB, K and HR by Trea Turner). During 2022 Leyva was also going to pitch in the World Classic Qualifier with Spain, but ultimately did not participate. On that occasion the Spaniards did not qualify, but Cuban pitchers Rogelio Armenteros, Armando Dueñas and Orlando Rodríguez saw action with the team.