The Cuban team was eliminated this Monday from the super round of the VII WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup, taking place in Mérida, Mexico, after losing 3-2 to Germany in seven innings at the Kukulkán Álamo Park.
With that result, Cuba concluded the group stage with a record of one win and three losses, which was insufficient to advance to the next stage where the medals are distributed. The team coached by Alexander Urquiola will have to settle for the consolation round, which determines the positions from seven to twelve.
The match against the Germans followed the pattern of an unfavorable tournament from the very beginning. The Cuban starter Alexandro Martínez gave up four hits and two runs in the first inning, putting the Europeans in the lead early on.
In the third episode, a simple tugboat from Keylen Fernández extended the German lead to 3-1 and took the Cuban pitcher off the mound. Cuba scored one in the fifth thanks to a hit from Braon Ariel González that brought a teammate home, but the Antillean artillery was unable to produce enough to make a comeback.
The victory went to the records of Jon Paul Düsing, who after starting with three walks settled down and completed four innings, allowing two hits and only one run. Samuel Schäfer closed the game with a save of six outs, the last of which came with the bases loaded.
Among the few positive notes for Cuba were batters Javier Roque and Braon González, who hit singles. The pitcher Yoenys Puerta also drew attention, as he pitched the final inning with speeds between 88 and 89 miles per hour, a notable figure for the Under-15 category.
The road to failure began on September 25 with a knockout defeat to the Dominican Republic (4-14). The only joy came the following day with a thrashing of South Africa, 16-0. Then came another knockout loss to Japan (1-11) before the final blow against the Germans.
The result is particularly symbolic: Cuba fell to a European team that had also not won any matches prior to the clash. The performance in the tournament, marked by offensive struggles and defensive errors, reflects the structural problems of Cuban youth baseball.
This deterioration has deep roots. In May 2026, the National Baseball Commission suspended the national youth championships for the Under-12, Under-15, and Under-18 categories, citing the energy crisis, although it clarified that this measure did not imply Cuba's withdrawal from international events.
This is compounded by the constant drain of young prospects leaving the island to try to sign with Major League teams, which weakens the talent pool available for the national teams.
Cuba will face the host team, Mexico, this Tuesday. Along with Japan, they remain undefeated in the tournament with three victories. The match will not affect the standings, but it will have an impact on the pride of a generation that, as their own analysts acknowledge, "is still in the early stages of sports development."
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