Toronto Blue Jays right-handed pitching prospect Silvano Hechavarria will play for Cuba in next year’s World Baseball Classic, Yusseff Diaz of Pelota Cubana USA reported on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.
Hechavarria, 22, is the Blue Jays’ No. 25-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline. He was born in Cueto, Cuba, and signed with Toronto as an international free agent shortly after his 21st birthday last June. Baseball Reference lists Hechavarria at 6-foot-4, 227 pounds, and his estimated arrival to the Major Leagues is 2027.
He got his first taste of professional baseball last year in the Dominican Summer League and thrived, posting a 1.84 ERA in 10 starts while averaging 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings. Hechavarria split the 2025 season between three levels, Rookie Ball, Single-A Dunedin, and High-A Vancouver, and experienced similar success to his first campaign, with a 2.28 ERA and 1.062 WHIP across 86 2/3 innings. His MLB Pipeline bio states that his fastball can reach 96-97 mph but averages 93-95. Hechavarria’s pitch mix includes a slider and changeup.
In Hechavarria’s last start of the year at High-A Vancouver on Sept. 3, he struck out a career high seven batters in 5 1/3 innings on 88 pitches against the Everett Aquasox. He allowed three or fewer hits in 11 of his 19 appearances during the summer. Depending on how Cuba’s roster comes together, it’s unclear if Hechavarria will be a starter or come out of the bullpen.
Hechavarria’s participation in the 2026 WBC aligns with a separate report from Diaz indicating that the Federación Cubana de Béisbol y Softbol will attempt to bring back Major Leaguers and players from affiliated baseball who defected from Cuba for the tournament, with Blue Jays pitcher Yariel Rodriguez among those listed. World Baseball Network’s Leif Skodnick broke down Cuba’s plans for the WBC on Monday, detailing how, previously, the nation’s baseball program prevented players who defected from the island from representing their country in tournaments.
Cuba will compete in Pool A at the 2026 WBC, alongside Puerto Rico, Canada, Panama, and Colombia at Estadio Hiram Bithorn in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The action will occur from March 6-11, with the winner and runner-up advancing to the quarterfinals.
Photo: Cuba’s Roel Santos (1) is congratulated by his teammates after he scored in the first inning at a World Baseball Classic game against the U.S., Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
