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The Cuban left-handed pitcher Miguel Flores continues to write a dream season with the Hill City Howlers: in his first three outings of 2026, the 21-year-old prospect belonging to the Cleveland Guardians has extended his scoreless innings streak to 13, with a record of 3-0 and an earned run average of 0.00.
Flores leads the entire Class-A level in wins (three), opponent batting average (.073), and earned run average (0.00 ERA), and ranks second in strikeouts with 23, according to the specialized journalist Francys Romero, who reported this on Facebook.
In his most recent outing, last Saturday, the left-handed pitcher threw three innings with seven strikeouts and only one walk, a performance that encapsulates the level of dominance he has displayed since day one of the season.
His WHIP in 2026 is 0.70, with a ratio of 23 strikeouts to only five walks in 13 innings, numbers that reflect both his speed and his control, as well as his intelligence on the mound.
Flores is trained by Maels Rodríguez, founder of the 100 MPH Club academy in Southwest Miami, an institution that has trained several prospects signed by Major League organizations since 2019.
Born on October 15, 2004 in Jatibonico, Sancti Spíritus, Flores was regarded as one of the best under-18 prospects in Cuba in 2022, when he recorded a record of 5-1, an ERA of 1.83, and 108 strikeouts in 59 innings at the Under-18 National Championship, with a fastball ranging between 88 and 90 miles per hour.
That same year, he joined the Cuba U-18 team that participated in the Pan American Championship in Baja California, Mexico. On November 15, 2022, an hour before the flight back to the island, Flores deserted the delegation at Terminal 1 of the airport, becoming the 49th defection of a Cuban athlete that year.
After settling in Miami and connecting with Maels Rodríguez's academy, he signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Guardians on January 15, 2024.
His progress in the development system has been gradual: in 2025, he appeared in 12 games with a record of 1-3 and an ERA of 5.02 over 37.2 innings. The quality leap in 2026 has been remarkable: he was assigned to the Hill City Howlers on March 31 for Opening Day of the season, and since then he hasn't stopped dominating.
In his entire minor league career, he has accumulated a record of 5-4, an ERA of 3.56, 91 innings pitched, and 106 strikeouts in 25 games, figures that point to a prospect with the potential to rise to the Major Leagues.
Flores is part of the wave of young Cuban baseball players who have left behind the restrictions of the dictatorship's sports system to seek opportunities in professional baseball, and his 2026 season suggests that the gamble was worth it.
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