So far 21 players born in Cuba have played in the major leagues after the call-up of Kendrys Rojas yesterday. Cuba is steadily becoming a consistent MLB pipeline in spite of the political constraints of the island affecting the flow of the nation’s talents to Major League Baseball.
Aside from their talent born on the island ,players of Cuban descent are also taking MLB by storm. Sal Stewart has established himself as a contender for the Rookie of the Year after a good start with the lumber. George Lombard Jr is also a talented player of Cuban lineage that could be called up based on his torrid start with the bat.
In the case of Kevin Álvarez he is a future star for the Houston Astros and the team’s #1 prospect in the organization’s farm system. With a perfect blend of speed and power the future of Cuban prospect is bright in the Space City. The Matanzas, Cuba native could eventually join another Álvarez, Yordan as an offensive centerpiece for Texas franchise.
Below are my Top 5 prospects of Cuban heritage for 2026:
- Sal Stewart Jr IF (Cincinnati Reds)- Sal Stewart Jr had a stupendous series against the Boston Red Sox to open up the season. The Cuban-American slugger collected seven hits in 10 trips to the plate, swatted three doubles, homered on an occasion, drove in two runs and slashed .700/.769/.1.300/2.069 to earn him Player of the Week in the National League. The native of Miami, Florida also announced himself as a serious Rookie of the Year candidate in the senior circuit. Stewart debuted with the Reds last September, slashing .255/.293/.545 with five home runs as he helped lead the Reds to a playoff appearance. The slugger launched his fifth roundtripper of the season yesterday during the fourth inning to make the difference in Cincinnati’s 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants. Stewart now slashes .310/.431/.638/1.068 and has also driven 11 runs on the season.
- Lázaro Montes OF (Seattle Mariners)- Montes has some big power. The slugger projects to start the season at Arkansas (AA), where he finished last season. In total last season Montes swatted 32 homeruns between A+ and AA. The 2025 Futures Game participant isn’t an astute fielder, but does have a cannon of arm in rightfield. Last season Montes did have 14 assists. Although he struck out 28.9% of the time and has defensive lapses the native of Havana has an outside shot to debut in the majors next season. This season the outfielder is slashing .231/.355/.385/.739.
- Kendry Rojas LHP (Minnesota Twins)- Rojas made an authoritative season debut at Triple-A earlier this week clearly showcasing his potential. The Minnesota southpaw overcame an injury and responded with a solid outing from the mound tossing 2.2 innings allowing one hit, no runs, fanning three and walking one. He clearly demonstrated impeccable control, command, and the ability to induce swings and misses.
But beyond this specific outing… one thing is clear. Kendry Rojas is currently the top Cuban pitching prospect in the minors. - George Lombard Jr IF (New York Yankees)- The Cuban-American shortstop could debut in the big leagues this season. Many scouts say the Lombard has a better blend of offensive prowess and defensive skills than current big league shortstop Anthony Volpe. With his sweet right-handed swing and defensive range Lombard projects as a two-way player. Last season between A+and AA he swatted 41 extra-base hits and knocked in 45 runs. This season the infielder is slashing .365/.433/.654/1.087 with three homeruns and nine runs batted in.
- Kevin Álvarez OF (Houston Astros)- The 18-year-old Cuban outfielder continues to make steady strides in his development and has already earned a spot among baseball’s top 100 prospects. His rise coincides with the graduation of Cuban-American prospect Sal Stewart.
Stewart who is a possible for the Rookie of the Year candidate in the National League exits the list and is replaced by Álvarez, who is of Cuban heritage as well. On the season the #1 prospect in Houston’s farm system is slashing .259/.259/.333/.593 with six runs batted after six games at Class-A Fayetteville in the Carolina league. In 2025 he torched the pitching in the Dominican Summer League hitting .333 and driving in 33 runs, while also stealing 11 bases over a 48 game span.