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Luis Robert Jr., center fielder for the New York Mets, will make history this Thursday as the first Cuban player to step into the batter's box during the 2026 Major League Baseball regular season, batting fifth in the team's starting lineup for the Opening Day against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field.
According to Pelota Cubana, the opening duel features Robert facing one of the most dominant pitchers in today’s baseball: Paul Skenes, winner of the National League Cy Young Award in 2025. The young right-hander, just 23 years old, posted an ERA of 1.97 last season, with opponents hitting only .199 against him.
The Mets' lineup for this opening game is: Francisco Lindor (SS), Juan Soto (LF), Bo Bichette (3B), Jorge Polanco (1B), Luis Robert Jr. (CF), Brett Baty (DH), Marcus Semien (2B), Carson Benge (RF), and Francisco Álvarez (C). The game is broadcast nationwide on NBC.
Robert, 28 years old, arrives in New York after being traded from the Chicago White Sox on January 21, in exchange for infielder Luisángel Acuña and pitcher Truman Pauley. The Mets took on his full salary of 20 million dollars for 2026, with a club option for another 20 million in 2027.
With the White Sox between 2020 and 2025, the Cuban player accumulated 577 games, a batting average of .259, 102 home runs, 298 RBIs, and 102 stolen bases. He won the Gold Glove in his rookie season and the Silver Slugger in 2023, his best year, when he was also selected for the All-Star Game and recorded 5.3 bWAR.
However, injuries to the lower body —hip and tendon— caused him to miss 114 games over the last two seasons. To safeguard his health in 2026, manager Carlos Mendoza has scheduled regular rest days throughout the calendar.
In the preseason, Robert showed encouraging signs: in his first at-bat with the Mets, he hit a single at 107 mph. In addition, he chose not to participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic with Cuba, prioritizing his adaptation to the new team.
The Mets arrive at Opening Day as one of the teams with the highest aspirations for the World Series, following an aggressive winter market that also brought in Soto, Bichette, and Polanco.
The Cuban presence in MLB remains significant: in 2025, 26 players from the island were on Opening Day rosters, a historic record, although there are some changes for 2026, such as Yariel Rodríguez, who was left out of Opening Day for the Toronto Blue Jays and starts the season in Triple-A.
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