Cuba announces restructured National Baseball Series and U-23 training

Cuba is implementing significant changes to its national baseball landscape. The 65th National Baseball Series is scheduled to begin on October 4 with a restructured format designed to address domestic challenges regarding fuel, transportation, and energy. The new season will feature 16 teams divided into two zones (West and East) and four groups. To reduce travel requirements, the regular season will consist of 44 games per team, which is 31 fewer than the previous season.

The postseason will introduce a Page playoff system. The top two teams in each zone will compete for a direct spot in the final, while the loser will face the winner of the third-versus-fourth place matchup. The champions of the West and East zones will eventually meet in a best-of-seven series to determine the national title.

In preparation for the U-23 Baseball World Cup in Nicaragua this November, the Cuban U-23 pre-selection will begin training on September 14 in Cienfuegos and Havana. The training program aims to include 45 players, including those with foreign league contracts. The selection process will focus on improving run production, as pitching and defense have already shown improvement in recent international competitions.