Cuba’s baseball pipeline is a little difference. . Among players who began their professional careers between 2006-2016 based on a study from Baseball America, Cuba had the highest percentage reach MLB at 18.32% — ahead of the United States (17.54%), Puerto Rico (15.48%), Venezuela (7.69%) and the Dominican Republic (6.64%).
Despite a much smaller pool of players, Cuba continues to produce Major League talent at an impressive rate.. Out of 191 Cuban players who began playing professionally, 35 reached
The last column is also important. Of those 35 players who reached MLB, 40% went on to play in more than 162 Major League games.
About 7.3% of the original 191-player group eventually played more than 162 MLB games.
This is a standout statistic in comparison to other baseball powers. It is a higher percentage than the United States (17.54%), Puerto Rico (15.48%), Venezuela (7.69%) and the Dominican Republic (6.64%). This suggests Cuba produced MLB players at an unusually high rate relative to the number of players entering the professional pipeline.
It is also translating to Cubans when it comes to the All-Star Game. Since 2023, 19 Cubans have combined for 23 MLB All-Star selections, led by Yordan Álvarez and Randy Arozarena with three selections each, while Yandy Díaz and Aroldis Chapman have earned two selections apiece. Since 2013 when Cuban players started to hit the MLB in masses the island baseball has been ascending.
Aside from the stars mentioned above emerging players such as Miguel Vargas, Andy Pagés and Sal Stewart are establishing a base of Cuban players that could make All-Star appearances for years to come. The future looks promising for Cuban baseball, especially if political changes come to the island in the near future.
In reference to Vargas the infielder is having a career year with 29 longballs and 76 RBIs at the All-Star break. The young slugger from Havana has come into his own and has a .363/.490/.853 slash line on the season. Vargas is the leader of a young up-and-coming team on the Southside of Chicago.
Below is the year-by-year breakdown:
2023 (8): Yandy Díaz, Randy Arozarena, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Jorge Soler, Yordan Álvarez, Luis Robert Jr., Yennier Cano, Adolis García
2024 (1): Yordan Álvarez
2025 (3): Aroldis Chapman, Randy Arozarena, Adrián Morejón
2026 (7): Yordan Álvarez, Miguel Vargas, Randy Arozarena, Yandy Díaz, Aroldis Chapman, Andy Pagés, Raisel Iglesias