According to PelotaCubanaUSA, Cuban pitcher Emmanuel Chapman has made himself available to represent Cuba at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
"Chapman"
Porque dio el SÍ al Equipo Cuba y representará a la nación en el próximo Clásico Mundial. Estoy hablando de Emmanuel guanajo, Aroldis no va a volver ni en pintura. pic.twitter.com/pjYXCVJPE8
— Tendencias Cuba Sports 🥇🇨🇺 (@tendenciascu) July 6, 2025
The 26-year-old right-hander is currently pitching for Double-A Altoona in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. So far this season, he’s posted a 3.27 ERA with 39 strikeouts over 41 1/3 innings.
Before joining the Pirates, Chapman pitched three seasons in the Cuban Serie Nacional with Holguín, where he struggled, posting a 9.82 ERA across 51 1/3 innings and issuing 58 walks. His final season in Cuba came in 2022–23, after which he left the country in April 2023. He trained in the Dominican Republic before signing with Pittsburgh.
Armed with a fastball that sits in the mid-90s, Chapman could bolster a Cuba bullpen that is already expected to feature Nippon Professional Baseball star closer Raidel Martínez and Atlanta Braves reliever Daysbel Hernández. If selected, Chapman would likely play a key role in what could be Cuba’s deepest pitching unit—the bullpen.
Cuba is scheduled to open its WBC campaign on March 6 against Panama in San Juan, Puerto Rico. After reaching the semifinals in the last edition—its best showing since 2006—Cuba is aiming to take the next step and capture its first WBC title. For that to happen, Chapman and the rest of the bullpen will need to deliver in high-leverage moments.
WBN Cuba: https://worldbaseball.com/league/cuba/
