By Matthew Tallarini
World Baseball Network
Cuban Baseball Elite League 2023-24 Season Updated News Prior To Start Of 2024 Playoffs
All four teams in the 2024 Elite League Playoffs will be allowed to have two reinforcement players. The 2024 Elite League playoffs begin on January 6 with best-of-seven semifinal series.
The Cocodrilos de Matanzas, Cazadores de Artemisa, Leñadores de Las Tunas, and the Industriales de La Habana qualified for the 2024 Elite League playoffs.
The first playoff game will be Leñadores de Las Tunas against Cocodrilos de Matanzas on January 6 at 6:30 p.m. EST at Estadio Victoria de Girón in Matanzas, Cuba.
The players that are being added as reinforcements to the four playoff teams are from the Gallos de Sancti Spíritus and the Avispas de Santiago de Cuba, who are not in the 2024 playoffs.
The Elite League’s best-of-seven championship series will start during late January.
Reinforcements For 2024 Elite League Playoffs
The Cocodrilos de Matanzas added two reinforcements to their roster for the 2024 Elite League Playoffs infielder Yordan Manduley and pitcher Wilber Reyna added to the roster.
Manduley played for Avispas de Santiago de Cuba during the 2023-24 Elite League regular season and had 157 plate appearances, batting .301 with a .734 OPS, 22 RBI, two home runs, seven doubles, eight walks, and six strikeouts.
Reyna played with Avispas de Santiago de Cuba during the 2023-24 Elite League regular season and posted a 1-5 record in nine appearances and eight starts, with a 4.71 ERA in 36.1 innings, allowing 52 hits, nine doubles, one triple, one home run, 19 earned runs, 13 walks, and 24 strikeouts.
The Cazadores de Artemisa added two reinforcements to their roster for the 2024 Elite League Playoffs, with outfielder Frederich Cepeda and pitcher Albert Valladares being added to the roster.
Valladares suited up with the Gallos de Sancti Spiritus and appeared in six games, making five starts with a 4.57 ERA and a 1-2 recor throwing 21.2 innings and allowing 11 earned runs, 25 hits, eight doubles, one home run, 12 strikeouts, and 10 walks.
Cepeda played for the Gallos de Sancti Spíritus and had 162 plate appearances, batting .357 with 46 hits, eight doubles, five home runs, 26 RBI, 32 walks, 17 strikeouts and a 1.016 OPS.
Industriales de La Habana added two reinforcements to their roster for the 2024 Elite League Playoffs, pitcher Yanielkis Duardo and outfielder José Luis Gutierrez.
Duardo pitched in 14 games out of the bullpen with a 1.73 ERA for the Gallos de Sancti Spiritus and posted a 1-1 record with 10 saves, throwing 26 innings and allowing 18 hits, six doubles, one home run, five walks, and 24 strikeouts.
Gutierrez played for Avispas de Santiago de Cuba and had 159 plate appearances hitting .356 smacking 52 hits, six doubles, one triple, 11 RBI, eight walks, 25 strikeouts and a .805 OPS.
Leñadores de Las Tunas added two reinforcements to their roster for the 2024 Elite League Playoffs with pitcher Yosiel Serrano and infielder Juan Carlos Arencibia being added to the playoff roster.
Serrano suited up with Avispas de Santiago de Cuba during the 2023-24 season and appeared 10 games with six starts and posted a 5-2 record including a 1.69 ERA. Serrano threw 42.2 innings allowing 42 hits, eight earned runs, one double, three triples, 15 walks, and struck out 19.
Arencibia had 142 plate appearances with Gallos de Sancti Spíritus in the 2023-24 season and batted .315 recording 41 hits, one double, seven RBI, 10 walks, 10 strikeouts, and a .692 OPS.
2023-24 Elite League Regular Season Standings
x-clinched playoff berth
Team (W-L)
x-Cocodrilos de Matanzas (25-15)
x-Cazadores de Artemisa (21-19)
x-Leñadores de Las Tunas (20-20)
x-Industriales de La Habana (20-20)
Gallos de Sancti Spíritus (18-22)
Avispas de Santiago de Cuba (16-24)
2024 Elite League Semifinal Playoffs Schedule
*if necessary
Leñadores de Las Tunas vs. Cocodrilos de Matanzas
Game 1 – January 6 – 6:30 p.m. EST – Estadio Victoria de Girón – Matanzas, Cuba
Game 2 – January 7 – 6:30 p.m. EST – Estadio Victoria de Girón – Matanzas, Cuba
Game 3 – January 9 – 6:30 p.m. EST – Estadio Julio Antonio Mella – Las Tunas, Cuba
Game 4 – January 10 – 6:30 p.m. EST – Estadio Julio Antonio Mella – Las Tunas, Cuba
*Game 5 – January 11 – 6:30 p.m. EST – Estadio Julio Antonio Mella – Las Tunas, Cuba
*Game 6 – January 13 – 6:30 p.m. EST – Estadio Victoria de Girón – Matanzas, Cuba
*Game 7 – January 14 – 6:30 p.m. EST – Estadio Victoria de Girón – Matanzas, Cuba
Cazadores de Artemisa vs. Industriales de La Habana
Game 1 – January 7 – 1:30 p.m. EST – Estadio 26 de Julio – Artemisa Province, Cuba
Game 2 – January 8 – 1:30 p.m. EST – Estadio 26 de Julio – Artemisa Province, Cuba
Game 3 – January 10 – 6:30 p.m. EST – Estadio Latinoamericano – Havana, Cuba
Game 4 – January 11 – 6:30 p.m. EST – Estadio Latinoamericano – Havana, Cuba
*Game 5 – January 12 – 6:30 p.m. EST – Estadio Latinoamericano- Havana, Cuba
*Game 6 – January 14 – 1:30 p.m. EST – Estadio 26 de Julio – Artemisa Province, Cuba
*Game 7 – January 15 – 1:30 p.m. EST – Estadio 26 de Julio – Artemisa Province, Cuba