At least 17 Cuban players have been confirmed as reinforcements for the 2026-2027 season of the Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League, which will kick off on November 27 with six participating teams, according to Pelota Cubana.
The players from the Island are spread across five of the six franchises in the championship, making Nicaragua one of the winter destinations with the highest Cuban presence in the Caribbean and Central America.
The Dantos de Managua, making their debut this year as the sixth franchise in the league, boast the largest Cuban representation with seven players on their roster: catcher Andrys Pérez, infielder Yuliesky Remón, outfielder Roel Santos, and pitchers Frank Abel Álvarez, Randy Cueto, Frank Herrera, and Geonel Gutiérrez.
Santos is one of the most notable additions due to his extensive international career, which includes seasons in Japan, Mexico, and Venezuela, as well as his participation in the VI World Baseball Classic 2026 with the Cuban national team.
The Indios del Bóer include four Cubans: right-handed pitchers José Ignacio Bermúdez and Armando Dueñas, left-handed pitcher Onelki García —a former pitcher for the Dodgers and the Royals in Major League Baseball— and outfielder Yoel Yanqui.
The Tigres de Chinandega have three representatives from the Island: outfielders Yasiel González and Juan Carlos Negret, and right-handed pitcher Raymond Figueredo.
The Gigantes de Rivas feature outfielder Maikel Serrano and first baseman Lázaro Alonso, who was the Most Valuable Player of the league last season.
The Northern Train has one confirmed Cuban so far: infielder Yassel Pino.
The Leones de León are the only franchise among the six without identified Cuban players in the disclosed list.
The tournament will extend until February 2027 with a format of 35 matches per team in the regular season, while the semifinals and final will be contested in a best-of-seven series.
The opening day will feature Gigantes de Rivas against Leones de León, Tren del Norte against Indios del Bóer, and Dantos de Managua facing Tigres de Chinandega.
The Cuban presence in the Nicaraguan league is not new: since the mid-2010s, players and managers from the Island have participated in the circuit, and in the 2019-2020 season, Cuban Adrián Moreno was a runner-up in home runs with seven home runs and 29 RBIs.
Nicaragua thus joins other winter circuits where Cubans have confirmed presence this season, including the Mexican Pacific League, the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, the LIDOM of the Dominican Republic, and the Puerto Rican League.
The rosters are not yet final, so the number of Cuban representatives may change before the opening pitch on November 27.
Related videos:
Filed under: