Cuba announces new format for 65th National Baseball Series

The 65th National Baseball Series in Cuba is scheduled to run from October 4 to December 22. The tournament will feature a new competitive format divided into two zones—Oriental and Occidental—and four groups during the preliminary phase.

To optimize resources such as fuel amid a complex economic and energy situation, each team will play 44 games in the qualifying round. The playoffs will introduce a novel system adapted from softball, where the winner of a match between the first and second seeds advances directly to the zone final, while the loser receives a second chance against the winner of the third and fourth seed match.

Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo, president of the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation, stated that efforts are being made to secure sponsorships and advertising to improve athlete salaries, transportation, and lodging. Officials noted that the current economic constraints and energy crisis necessitate these structural changes and centralized lodging arrangements to ensure the event's viability.