U-18 World Cup | The Cuban national team is ready to return to a tournament it used to dominate in the past

Abeicy Pantoja, a two-time defending national champion manager from Las Tunas, has been selected by the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation (CBSF) to lead the national U-18 team. This team will compete in the upcoming World Cup, scheduled to take place from September 5th to September 14th in Itoman and Okinawa, Japan.

Currently in Japan for the tournament, the team faces the challenging goal of at least replicating its 2017 performance in Thunder Bay, Canada, where it secured sixth place.

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Team Cuba at the U-18 World Cup. (Photo by Pavel Otero)

Cuba's roster for the 2025 U-18 World Cup

Pitchers (7): Leandro Forteza (Sancti Spíritus), Jesús López (Sancti Spíritus), Marlon García (Pinar del Río), Diosdenys Pentón (Villa Clara), Edurman Cruz (Camagüey), Edenis Cruz (Camagüey), and Richard Bouquet (Holguín).

Catchers (2): Yaidel Ruíz (Mayabeque) and Jochey R. Jiménez (Sancti Spíritus).

Infielders (6): Javier Zambrano (Camagüey), Samuel Matos (Santiago de Cuba), Leandro Pérez (Sancti Spíritus), Jonathan Moreno (Villa Clara), Duliesky Ferrán (La Habana), and Dainiel Santos (Villa Clara).

Outfielders (5): Yoan Águila (Villa Clara), Frederich Cepeda Jr. (Sancti Spíritus), Juan Pablo Gutiérrez (La Habana), Jesús Y. Artiles (Cienfuegos), and Dairon Suárez (Las Tunas).

Managers & Coaches: Abeicy Pantoja (Manager, Las Tunas), Alexis Belén (Bench Coach, Camagüey), David Pérez (Third Base Coach, Sancti Spíritus), Alexis Moré (First Base Coach, Villa Clara), Yoán Mollinedo (Pitching Coach, Villa Clara), Orelvis Ávila (Pitching Coach, Holguín), and Roger M. Núñez (Doctor, Artemisa)

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Notably among the lineup is Villa Clara's shortstop and team captain, Jonathan Moreno, who emerged as the top hitter in the recent national tournament with a .474 average (27-for-57). He also led the league in hits (27), was tied for RBIs (23), and had the highest slugging percentage (.754).

Joining him, Santiago de Cuba's RBI co-leader Samuel Matos and Havana left fielder Juan P. Gutiérrez, who topped the home run chart with two, also stand out. Sancti Spíritus native Frederich Cepeda Jr. is also noteworthy on the offense. At just 16 years old (born 09/29/2008), he didn't achieve impressive stats in the national tournament's qualifying round, hitting .250/.353/.357 with 3 RBIs and 7 strikeouts in 28 at-bats. However, in the final round, he almost single-handedly propelled Sancti Spíritus to the finals, batting .308/.400/.769 with 3 triples and 6 RBIs. In the finals, Cepeda Jr. went hitless in four at-bats during the Gallos' 7-1 title defeat to Villa Clara.

Edennis Cruz, a pitcher from Camagüey, is notable for leading the national tournament with six victories and a 1.47 ERA. Cruz also topped the tournament in strikeouts, achieving 44 in 38 innings. During the semifinal and final stages, Cruz recorded both a win and a loss, striking out 11 batters in 12 1/3 innings. However, he experienced control problems, issuing nine walks in his games against Villa Clara and Matanzas.

Additionally, reliever Jesús López from Sancti Spiritus is featured, having made a career-high 11 appearances in that role during the regular season, achieving a 1.13 ERA, 3 saves, and a 2-3 record.

Dayron Reyes from Camagüey, a pitcher who was on the World Cup pre-selection list and was widely expected to make the roster, ultimately did not. With a 5-0 record and 37 strikeouts over 40 2/3 innings as a starter, he appeared to be a strong candidate.

Overall, pitching remains one of the biggest uncertainties for the Cuban roster, as only seven pitchers have been selected for the challenging tournament. It appears that the team's management has decided to prioritize relief pitchers over traditional starters.

Regardless of how the team performs at this World Cup, Cuba's return marks a major advancement in the category, after missing the last three editions of the tournament in 2023, 2021, and 2019.

Cuba earned a spot in the world event by finishing fourth in the 2024 Pan American Qualifiers, which took place in August 2024 in Panama. During the qualifiers, the Cuban team achieved six consecutive victories in the group stage, defeating Nicaragua 2-1, the Dominican Republic 5-1, El Salvador 20-0, Mexico 3-2, Guatemala 12-0, and Canada 3-0. In the quarterfinals, they overcame Venezuela 6-1 but were defeated 3-1 by Panama in extra innings during the semifinals. In the bronze medal match, Cuba experienced their second tournament loss, falling 3-2 to Puerto Rico. Despite this, they secured fourth place and a coveted World Cup spot, fulfilling the primary objective set by the team's coach, Michael González, for this event.

From that team, only catcher Yaidel Ruíz is back on this roster. He was also a member of the national team that secured the silver medal at the 2022 U-15 World Cup in Hermosillo, Mexico, where they narrowly lost the final 4-3 to the United States.

As previously noted, Cuba last participated in a world championship at this level in 2017 in Thunder Bay, Canada. The team, featuring notable players like Loidel Chapellí Jr., Víctor V. Mesa, Alfredo Frádagras, César Prieto, Norge C. Vera, and Brian Chi, among others, ended in sixth place with a 3-5 record.

Cuban national teams, once dominant in this category of tournaments, have not reached the podium since the early 2010s. Their most recent notable performance was securing third place in the 2013 tournament held in Taichung, Taiwan, with a lineup featuring current major leaguers like Randy Arozarena, Yoán Moncada, and Luis Robert Jr.

To discuss titles, we must look back over 20 years to the 2004 edition in Taipei City, Taiwan. This tournament featured a team coached by Carlos Martí, including major league players like José D. Abreu, Miguel A. González (now deceased), and Alexander Guerrero, as well as the late Yadier Pedroso. Notable international players such as Alfredo Despaigne, Frank C. Morejón, Elier Sánchez, Adalberto Ibarra, Jorge Padrón, Oscar Mesa, Alaín Sánchez, Ián Rendón, and Yoilán Cercé also participated. The team finished the tournament undefeated with six wins, defeating Japan in the final 4-0, thanks to a shutout with just one hit by Pedroso and two home runs by Oscar Mesa.

That marked Cuba's eleventh award in this competition, and since then, the team has only secured bronze medals in the 2008, 2010, and 2013 events, without advancing to a title race.

Medal-winning teams from the previous 31 editions of the U-18 World Cup

TEAMS	GOLD	SILVER	BRONZE	TOTAL
CUBA	11	2	5	18
USA	10	12	5	27
KOREA	5	1	4	10
TAIWAN	3	10	7	20
JAPAN	1	4	2	7
CANADA	1	1	4	6
AUSTRALIA	0	1	4	5
TOTAL	31	31	31

The tournament, where Cuba historically stands out with 18 podium finishes and 11 titles as the world's most decorated team, will see them competing in a challenging Group A. This group also features the world champion and host nation, Japan, along with South Korea, the bronze medalist from the 2023 edition.

Puerto Rico, Italy, and South Africa are also in the same group, with Cuba set to make its tournament debut against South Africa on September 5.

Cuba's lineup will proceed with these upcoming matches:

• September 6, 1:30 am vs. Italy

• September 7, 1:00 am vs. Japan

• September 7, 11:30 pm vs. Puerto Rico

• September 9, 1:30 am vs. South Korea

All times are in Cuban and Eastern Time, and the games are available for streaming on the GameTime platform for $14.99 for the entire tournament.

Teams from Australia, China, Germany, Panama, Taiwan, and the United States will compete in Group B.

The leading three teams from each group will move forward to the Super Round, starting on September 11.

The World Cup is set to end on September 14. On this day, the leading two teams from the Super Round will vie for the championship, while the teams in third and fourth place will compete for the bronze medal.

The upcoming U-18 World Cup is scheduled to take place in China in 2027, with the exact date still to be determined.