Fixtures

World Baseball Classic 03/06 21:00 1 Panama vs Cuba - View
World Baseball Classic 03/08 21:00 1 Cuba vs Colombia - View
World Baseball Classic 03/11 21:00 1 Cuba vs Canada - View

Results

WBSC Premier 12 11/18 10:30 - [4] Cuba v Chinese Taipei [2] L 0-2
WBSC Premier 12 11/17 10:00 - [4] Cuba v Japan [1] L 6-7
WBSC Premier 12 11/16 04:00 - [3] Australia v Cuba [6] W 3-4
WBSC Premier 12 11/14 10:00 - [4] Cuba v South Korea [4] L 4-8
WBSC Premier 12 11/13 10:30 - [3] Dominican Republic v Cuba [3] L 6-1
MLB Exhibition 11/11 10:30 - Cuba v Wei-Chuan Dragons W 2-0
Pan American Games 10/26 18:30 31 [2] Cuba v Dominican Republic [3] L 4-5
Pan American Games 10/24 12:30 3 [1] Brazil v Cuba [2] L 4-2
Pan American Games 10/22 18:00 2 [1] Cuba v Venezuela [3] L 5-6
Pan American Games 10/20 12:30 1 Columbia v Cuba W 3-4
World Baseball Classic 03/19 23:00 2 [1] Cuba v USA [2] L 2-14
World Baseball Classic 03/15 10:00 3 [2] Australia v Cuba [1] W 3-4

The Cuba national baseball team (Spanish: Selección de béisbol de Cuba) represents Cuba at regional and international levels. The team is generally made up of players from the domestic Cuban national baseball system, though it has at times included professional players who defected to the United States. Cuba has been described as a baseball powerhouse and currently ranks 8th in World Baseball Softball Confederation's world rankings.

For much of the 20th century, Cuba dominated tournaments such as the Baseball World Cup (originally, the Amateur World Series), where it won 26 titles (22 more than the next closest nation) between 1939 and 2005. Its success stemmed, in part, from the amateur status of its domestic league, as professional players from other leagues were largely excluded from international competition. During this period, it enjoyed similar dominance at the Pan American Games and the Central American and Caribbean Games.

Cuba has been the most successful national team at the Olympics, medaling in five of the six Olympics in which baseball was played, with three gold medals and two silver medals. It has the distinction of being one of two nations to compete in the first five baseball contests at the Summer Olympic Games.

History

World Baseball Classic era

Cuba competed in the inaugural 2006 World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournament, despite the controversy of Cuban involvement and the United States embargo against Cuba. In the final, Cuba lost the gold medal to Japan, 10–6.

Cuba was originally slated to host the 2009 Baseball World Cup, however, they willingly gave up the honor to Europe.

Cuban team lining up prior to the gold medal game in the 2006 Intercontinental Cup against the Netherlands

The 2009 WBC was the second time Cuba competed at the 2009 WBC Pool B stage, at Foro Sol in Mexico City. Cuba continued to advance to the second round with wins over South Africa and Australia. Cuba lost to Japan twice in the 2nd round, and were eliminated.

They last were eliminated before the start of the final stage of any international tournament in 1951.[]

At the 2013 WBC, Cuba competed in Pool A at the Fukuoka Dome in Fukuoka, Japan. Cuba advanced in the tournament against: China, Japan, and newcomers Brazil. Cuba moved on to the second round in Pool 1 to defeat the Netherlands, losing 6–2. Cuba defeated Chinese Taipei, 14–0. They played a face off game with previous competitors, the Netherlands, and lost 7–6. Just as in 2009, Cuba was eliminated in the path to competing in the finals.

At the 2017 World Baseball Classic, Cuban hitters Frederich Cepeda and Alfredo Despaigne had the distinction in WBC history to be the only players that each hit six home runs in their careers in the WBC.

The team had a 2–1 record in the first round. It was led by slugger Despaigne, who took over as the all-time WBC home-run leader.

Cuba advanced into the second round, where it lost its first game to undefeated Pool A winner Team Israel. Former Major League starting pitcher Jason Marquis (in 5.2 innings) and three Team Israel relief pitchers (including Brad Goldberg and Josh Zeid, who both threw 96 mph fastballs) kept Cuba to five hits and one run, a homer by Despaigne, who became the all-time World Baseball Classic home run leader. Pool A MVP catcher Ryan Lavarnway had two hits for Israel. Cuba went on to lose all 3 games they played and failed to advance to the championship round.

The team tried but failed to qualify for the 2020 Olympics at the eight-team Americas Qualifying Event on May 31 through June 5, 2021. On June 1, 2021, Cuba was eliminated from the qualifiers, marking their first failure to qualify for the Olympic Games.

The Cuba national baseball team, commonly known as "Cuba," is one of the most storied and successful teams in international baseball history. Representing the Caribbean nation of Cuba, the team has a rich legacy of excellence, characterized by a passionate baseball culture and a tradition of developing talented players. Cuba has won numerous medals in the World Baseball Classic, Pan American Games, and especially the Baseball World Cup, where they have secured multiple championships. Known for their disciplined approach, exceptional pitching, and strategic gameplay, the Cuban team has historically been a formidable force on the international stage. Their vibrant team spirit and deep-rooted love for the game continue to make them a respected and admired powerhouse in global baseball.