Cuban Baseball Elite League approaches midseason with tight race at the top

The IV Cuban Baseball Elite League is approaching its midway point with Industriales and Las Tunas emerging as early frontrunners in a tightly contested championship race.

After 15 games, the Havana Leones de Industriales and the Las Tunas Leñadores share first place in the standings with identical 9-6 records, while the Artemisa Cazadores remain close behind at 8-6.

The Cuban Baseball Elite League, which features the top six teams from the 16-club Cuban National League (Serie Nacional), brings together the country’s strongest baseball programmes in a high-level competition format.

The 2025-26 Serie Nacional saw defending champions Matanzas Cocodrilos capture the title after sweeping the Las Tunas Leñadores in the best-of-seven championship series in February. Industriales and Artemisa reached the semifinals, while the Holguín Cachorros and Mayabeque Huracanes secured the remaining Elite League places as the best-performing quarterfinalists from the Serie Nacional playoffs.

The 2026 Elite League opened on 2 May and the 40-game regular season will continue through 19 June. The top four teams at the conclusion of the regular season will advance to the semifinals beginning on 21 June, with the championship series scheduled from 2-10 July. Both the semifinals and final will be contested as best-of-seven series.

Ciego de Ávila Tigres claimed the 2025 Elite League title after qualifying for the competition as the sixth-place finisher from the Serie Nacional.