By Conor Liguori
World Baseball Network
Federación Cubana de Béisbol has announced the official 24-man roster for the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games. The event will be held from June 24 to July 1 in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Cuba is No. 7 in the World Baseball Rankings, and will play their first game of the tournament on Saturday, June 24 against third-ranked Mexico. The game will take place at Parque de Pelota Saturnino Bengoa in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Cuba took home the silver medal at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games, losing 5-2 to Puerto Rico in the finals at Edgar Renteria Baseball Stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia. The team finished the tournament with a 5-2 record, with wins against Mexico, Panama, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Colombia. Their two losses came against Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
Cuba is ranked first all-time at the event in total medals with 18. Of those 18 medals, 15 of them are gold, two silver, and one bronze. Their last gold medal came in the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games in Veracruz, Mexico, where they defeated Nicaragua in the finals by a final score of 9-3.
Cuba’s silver medal at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games guaranteed them a spot in the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima. They will look to replicate that success with a top-three finish in San Salvador, which would secure an automatic berth to the 2023 Pan American Games this October in Santiago, Chile.
The other seven nations competing in the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games are No. 32 Curacao, No. 3 Mexico, No. 17 Nicaragua, No. 10 Dominican Republic, No. 6 Venezuela, No. 11 Puerto Rico, and the host nation, No. 59 El Salvador.
The Cuba roster will feature two catchers, seven infielders, four outfielders, and 11 pitchers. All players on the roster have playing experience in Serie Nacional de Béisbol, the primary professional baseball league in Cuba.
Below is the full 24-man roster Cuba will bring to the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Catchers (Team)
Andrys Perez (Cocodrilos de Matanzas)
Yunior Ibarra (Gallos de Sancti Spiritus)
Infielders (Team)
Yasniel Gonzalez (Huracanes de Mayabeque)
Guillermo Avilés (Alazanes de Granma)
Yadil Mujica (Cocodrilos de Matanzas)
Erisbel Arruebarrena (Cocodrilos de Matanzas)
Luis V. Mateo (Elefantes de Cienfuegos)
Dayan Garcia (Cazadores de Artemisa)
Yordan Manduley (Sabuesos de Holguín)
Outfielders (Team)
Roel Santos (Alazanes de Granma)
Raico Santos (Alazanes de Granma)
Yoelkis Guibert (Avispas de Santiago de Cuba)
Yurisbel Gracial (Cocodrilos de Matanzas)
Pitchers (Team)
Carlos J. Viera (Leñadores de Las Tunas)
Yoennis Yera (Cocodrilos de Matanzas)
Jose Rodriguez (Ganaderos de Camaguey)
Miguel Neira (Gallos de Sancti Spiritus)
Yuniesky Garcia (Cazadores de Artemisa)
Franklin Quintana (Toronjeros de Isla de la Juventud)
Naykel Cruz (Cocodrilos de Matanzas)
Javier Mirabal (Naranjas de Villa Clara)
Jonathon Carbo (Toronjeros de Isla de la Juventud)
Renner Rivero (Cocodrilos de Matanzas)
Yeudis Reyes (Indios de Guantánamo)