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A total of seven players: Yordan Álvarez, Andy Pagés, Aroldis Chapman, Raisel Iglesias, Randy Arozarena, Yandy Díaz, and Miguel Vargas will represent Cuba in the 96th edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, scheduled for July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, home of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Major League Baseball announced on Saturday the final rosters for the mid-season classic, which include seven players born in Cuba, marking the second highest participation of players from the island in the history of the event.
The seven selected Cubans represent five franchises from the American League and two from the National League.
Among them, there are three debutants in the classic - Pagés, Iglesias, and Vargas - and three players with at least three appearances: Álvarez (four), Chapman (nine), and Arozarena (three).
Álvarez and Pagés, the Cuban titleholders
Álvarez will serve as the designated hitter for the American League in his fourth appearance at the Classic.
The Houston Astros player is having an outstanding season: in 89 games he has amassed 29 home runs, 67 RBIs, and a batting average of .324, leading the American League in practically all relevant offensive categories.
He is the leading candidate for the Most Valuable Player award and is shaping up to be a contender for the Triple Crown.
The same night he was selected for the All-Star Game, he hit a two-run homer to defeat the Rays 10-8.
For the National League, Pagés will start as an outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers in his first selection to the All-Star Game.
The Habanero is batting .269 with 16 home runs and 62 RBIs in 88 games, becoming the sixth outfielder for the Dodgers to start the classic before turning 26, joining figures like Yasiel Puig (2014) and Cody Bellinger (2019), as reported by Swing Completo.
Chapman and Iglesias, the elite relievers
Aroldis Chapman makes his ninth selection to the All-Star Game—the highest number among all active Cubans—at the age of 38, as a member of the Boston Red Sox.
The Holguin player has a record of 2.10 and 17 saves this season, and has just set the historical record for most strikeouts by a reliever in MLB, with 1,364, surpassing a mark held by Hoyt Wilhelm that had remained intact for over 50 years.
Raisel Iglesias, for his part, makes his debut in the All-Star Game after 12 years in Major League Baseball with the Atlanta Braves.
The Camagüeyano had confessed at the beginning of the season that he had lost the "faith to participate in an All-Star Game," but in 2026 he presents the best ERA of his career: 1.53, with 17 saves and a streak of 35 consecutive saves, the longest active streak in MLB.
His 270 career saves rank him fourth among all active relievers.
The three Cuban reserves of the American League
Arozarena will participate in his third All-Star Game as an outfielder for the Seattle Mariners.
In 82 games, he batted .287 with nine home runs, 41 RBIs, and a wRC+ of 142, becoming the 15th player in Mariners history with multiple selections to the All-Star Game.
Díaz, the American League batting leader with an average of .325, is attending his second All-Star game as the designated hitter for the Tampa Bay Rays.
In addition to the average, he holds privileged positions in terms of percentage of packaging, hits, and OPS within the league.
Vargas, son of the legendary Cuban baseball player Lázaro Vargas, makes his debut in the All-Star Game as third baseman for the Chicago White Sox.
After a tough start in Chicago, the former Dodgers prospect is enjoying the best season of his career in 2026: 20 home runs, 56 RBIs, and a wRC+ of 136.
A generation that makes history
If Cuban-American Sal Stewart of the Cincinnati Reds, who was born in Miami, is included, the number of players of Cuban origin rises to eight, matching the historic record of 2023.
The 2026 All-Star Game confirms that the generation of Cuban players who emigrated to Major League Baseball in the last decade remains one of the most influential in professional baseball worldwide.
The absolute record dates back to 2023, when eight Cubans participated in the All-Star Game.
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