Team Cuba Announces WBC Roster, Schedule and Travel Logistics for 2026

Cuba announced a roster built around left-hander Liván Moinelo and a clutch mix of veterans and international hires, and will open the 2026 World Baseball Classic in Pool A in San Juan against hosts Puerto Rico and Canada. World Baseball Network called the roster “a historic turning point in the country’s baseball legacy,” and added that “for the first time ever, a player born outside of Cuba will represent the team at the WBC.” BaseballAmerica’s published roster supplies the player-by-player physicals and club affiliations that confirm a truly international cast.

The pitching staff centers on Moinelo, listed by BaseballAmerica as a 30-year-old lefty with Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, and described by World Baseball Network as “Cuba’s ace.” Moinelo’s recent NPB line is a 1.28 ERA with 100 strikeouts in 91.1 innings and a 47.2 percent ground-ball rate, and World Baseball Network warned that “Cuba’s hopes of a deep run ride in part on his left arm.” Lázaro Estrada is projected as the No. 2 starter after a Triple-A stretch that produced 66 strikeouts in 60.2 innings, a 4.75 ERA and a 4.21 FIP, with a fastball sitting 93-95 mph that the preview called a potential breakout tool.

The position-player mix pairs a fresh face at first base and established stars. World Baseball Network profiles Ernesto Martínez Jr. as “locked in as the starting first baseman,” a Cuban-born player who represented France at youth levels and in the 2023 European Championship and posted a .242/.366/.392 line with five homers in Triple-A Milwaukee; his 15.6 percent walk rate and increased pull rate suggest added power, and the preview projects him in the fifth or sixth spot in the lineup. Yoán Moncada appears on BaseballAmerica’s table as the 30-year-old third baseman for the Los Angeles Angels; Batflipsandnerds recalled Moncada’s key run in the 2023 quarter-final against Australia and his selection as Third Baseman of the Tournament in 2023.

Veterans tie the roster to Cuba’s WBC past. Alfredo Despaigne, age 39 and listed with Alazanes de Granma, is noted by Cubadugout as “the all-time WBC home run leader” whose likely DH role could be an “International Swan Song.” Outfielder Roel Santos, 38 and listed with Bravos de Margarita, appears again on the roster after scoring in the 2023 semifinal at loanDepot Park. Catcher Omar Hernández is listed at 24 with the Omaha Storm Chasers (KC) in BaseballAmerica’s table.

Depth and late roster dynamics are a running theme. Cubadugout judged that “the rest of the staff feels somewhat interchangeable or leans more towards depth over obvious top end talent,” and singled out Luis Miguel Romero as someone who “was electric in relief for Cuba in 2023.” World Baseball Network also noted that “the roster will likely include just two position players who have played their baseball in Cuba this season,” a contrast visible in BaseballAmerica’s mix of Cuban domestic clubs and teams in NPB, MLB organizations, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Pool A’s setting in San Juan comes with off-field complications. Cubadugout reported that the “host and prohibitive favourite Puerto Rico has been weakened due to insurance constraints blocking much of their top talent. Oddly the ability to insure Major Leaguers with injury histories wasn’t a concern for American or Japanese competitors and this wasn’t lost on the Puerto Rican baseball mind trust. They threatened to pull their team and decline hosting … Cooler heads have prevailed but anticipation for Pool A has also cooled as it feels like we’re getting a diluted bracket compared to what was anticipated just weeks ago.”

Cuba’s 2023 pathway, winning Taichung’s Pool A in a five-way 2-2 tie, edging Australia 4-3 in the quarter-finals and then losing 14-2 to a stacked USA lineup, remains part of the team’s recent memory, a narrative Batflipsandnerds described as “chaotic” but “marvellous” in its result. With Pool A in San Juan and a roster that mixes NPB starters, MLB-affiliated players and Caribbean veterans, Cuba’s tournament hinges on Moinelo’s starts, Estrada’s promise, Moncada’s production and whether the international additions, including the unnamed player born outside Cuba, can cohere into another deep run.