July 2026 is now in the books, marking the end of another month of the season across every level of the Minor Leagues. At the highest level, Triple-A, Víctor Labrada of the Mariners and Lázaro Estrada of the Blue Jays were the most outstanding Cuban players during the seventh month of the year.
The Havana-born Labrada finished the month on a high note, scoring at least one run in five consecutive games. That streak helped fuel a strong turnaround in his performance, as he finished July batting .309 (17-for-55), with nine runs scored and 11 RBIs.
Labrada also recorded six doubles, one triple and two home runs. His .388 on-base percentage, .564 slugging percentage and .952 OPS were, without question, his best monthly marks of the 2026 season.
Interestingly, none of the other Cuban hitters who regularly attract attention at this level produced an outstanding month in July. Among the better performers was Yanquiel Fernández of the Yankees, who hit .261 (23-for-88), with two home runs, 14 RBIs and a .699 OPS.
Ernesto Martínez Jr., also with the Yankees, went 15-for-67 for a .224 average and posted the same home run and RBI totals as his teammate. Raynel Delgado, who moved back and forth between the Astros’ major-league club and their Triple-A affiliate, batted .293 (12-for-41) at the Triple-A level.
Cienfuegos native César Prieto of the Cardinals, a player who regularly stands out in these monthly recaps, hit .261 (18-for-69), with a .681 OPS and production that was noticeably below what he had delivered in previous months.
There was little positive to take away from the performances of José Barrero and Bryan Ramos, both of whom played for the Orioles’ affiliate and finished with batting averages below .200. Meanwhile, Lázaro Montes of the Mariners, who was promoted in the middle of the month, batted .253 (20-for-79), with three home runs.
On the mound, Lázaro Estrada delivered the most noteworthy performance among Cuban pitchers. In four Triple-A appearances, he posted a 1.76 ERA over 10.2 innings, finishing with a 3-0 record, 11 strikeouts, four walks and a 0.82 WHIP. Yosver Zulueta of the Orioles also pitched well, although in a smaller workload. Across six relief appearances, he recorded a 1.50 ERA in six innings, along with a 0.83 WHIP.
Finally, Yunior Tur of the Athletics alternated between strong and less effective outings in Triple-A, while his teammate Luis Danys Morales continued to post the modest results that have characterized his performance throughout the season.