The talented shortstop from Villa Clara,Cuba Jonathan Moreno departed for Japan this Sunday to join the SoftBank Hawks for his first season with the franchise, as the athlete himself announced on his social media. This marks the beginning of a dream that could become a reality: to one day debut at the highest level of the Japanese Professional Baseball League (NPB).
Up until his departure, Moreno was batting .270 in the Cuban National Series with the Villa Clara team. The shortstop collected a total of 38 hits in 141 official at-bats, with 24 RBIs and 22 runs scored. He also swatted eight doubles, three home runs, and posted an OPS of .770.
Moreno, 18, is one of the top prospects among players remaining in Cuba, and he will now have the opportunity to develop as a professional player with a franchise that has welcomed several Cubans in recent years. The SoftBank Hawks’ most recent signing from the island was also a player from Villa Clara: pitcher Darío Sarduy, who signed a six-year contract.
Moreno was chosen as the best shortstop at the 2025 U-18 World Championship, where he impressed both defensively and offensively. In 23 official at-bats, he collected eight hits and drove in four runs for the Cuban team. He also posted a batting average of .348, and also stole four bases during the during of the tournament.
These numbers earned him a spot on the tournament’s All-Star team and caught the attention of scout Kenta Hagiwara, who had been following him for a couple of seasons and finalized his signing with the reigning Japan Series champions in recent months. The signing bonus was $100,000, and Moreno will become the first Cuban position player to sign with the Fukuoka organization since the departures of Yurisbel Gracial and Alfredo Despaigne.