The 65th National Baseball Series kicked off this Sunday with 16 teams and a shortened schedule of 44 games per team, in an edition that introduces a zonal format designed to reduce travel and fuel costs amid the energy crisis affecting Cuba.
The qualifying phase will last until December 22, with the 16 teams divided into two main geographical areas —West and East— and four groups of four teams each, according to JIT.
Each team will play 24 matches against rivals in their own group and another 20 against teams from the neighboring group within the same zone. The most notable aspect of the format is that throughout the regular phase, there will be no matches between western and eastern teams; these matchups are reserved exclusively for the national final.
The distribution is as follows: in the West, Group A includes Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Isla de la Juventud, and Industriales, while Group B consists of Mayabeque, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, and Villa Clara. In the East, Group C groups together Sancti Spíritus, Ciego de Ávila, Camagüey, and Las Tunas, and Group D consists of Holguín, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo.
The new scheme directly addresses the logistical challenges posed by the prolonged energy crisis in Cuba, which has resulted in generation deficits between 1,300 and 1,840 MW in recent periods and has made interprovincial transport more expensive and complicated. The formula aims, in the words of the organizers, to "reduce travel and better manage resources, especially fuel."
The tighter schedule, however, comes at a sporting cost: "it will leave less room for recovery for teams experiencing a bad streak during a qualifying phase that is considerably shorter than in previous editions."
The postseason also brings new developments. The zone playoffs will adopt the Page system, featuring best-of-three series at the stadium of the highest-ranked team. In each zone, the first place will face the second, and the third will compete against the fourth. The winner of the matchup between the top two teams will advance directly to the zone final; the loser will receive a second chance and will play against the winner of the matchup between the third and fourth teams.
The champions from the West and East will then compete in a national final in a best-of-seven series.
The tournament comes after the coronation of the Cocodrilos de Matanzas in the 64th National Series, who swept Las Tunas 4-0 in the final held in February of this year, finishing that postseason with a record of 12-2 and a run differential of +58. As defending champions of the 64 SNB, the Cocodrilos are one of the teams to watch in the new edition, although the title of the 65 SNB will determine who represents Cuba in the 2027 Baseball Champions League.
Related videos:
Filed under: