The Cuban Elite League (Spanish: Liga Élite del Beisbol Cubano, or LEB), is a winter baseball league in Cuba. It debuted in 2022 as the highest level of the Cuban baseball league system. Beginning with the 2023-24 season, the Elite League comprised the top six teams from the summer-time Cuban National Series.[1][2]
Current season, competition or edition: 2023–24 Cuban Elite League | |
 | |
| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2022 |
| President | Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo |
| Organising body | INDER |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Country |  Cuba |
| Most recent champion(s) | Cocodrilos de Matanzas (1st title) |
| TV partner(s) | Tele Rebelde Cubavision International |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Related competitions | Caribbean Series |
| Official website | [1] |
The league was formed in an effort to increase the quality of Cuban baseball, to bring it closer to the other professional winter leagues of the Caribbean. Professional baseball was abolished in Cuba in 1961. A desire to bring together the best players from the National Series, as well as address the drain of Cuban talent from the island to more competitive foreign leagues, contributed to the change of format in the league's second season (2023-24).[3]
International competition
In 2023, the winner of the 2022-23 Elite League (Agricultores) represented Cuba at the 2023 Caribbean Series in Venezuela. However, in part due to fallout from the Cuban national team's appearance at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, the 2023-24 league champion was not invited to the 2024 Caribbean Series in Miami.[4]
The 2023-24 LEB champion was invited to the prospective Intercontinental Series, to be held in Barranquilla in 2024, but the league declined the invitation, in part due to the inclusion of FEPCUBE, a team comprised of Cuban expatriate and defected players.[5] Pressure from the Cuban government eventually saw that tournament cancelled.[6] Instead, LEB announced that it would take part a tournament labeled the "Copa Antillana" in Puerto Rico; however that tournament never materialized.[7]
Teams
2023–24 season
Six clubs competed in the 2023–24 season.[8] These six occupied the top spots in the 2023 Cuban National Series.[9][10]
| 2023–24 Team | SNB Position | First season in LEB | No. of seasons of current spell in LEB | Top division titles | Most recent top division title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocodrilos de Matanzas | 6th | 2023–24 | 1 | 1 | 2019–20 |
| Industriales de La Habana | 5th | 2023–24 | 1 | 12 | 2009–10 |
| Avispas de Santiago de Cuba | 2nd | 2023–24 | 1 | 8 | 2007–08 |
| Gallos de Sancti Spíritus | 4th | 2023–24 | 1 | 1 | 1978–79 |
| Leñadores de Las Tunas | 1st | 2023–24 | 1 | 1 | 2018–19 |
| Cazadores de Artemisa | 3rd | 2023–24 | 1 | 0 | – |
2022–23 season
In the Elite League's inaugural 2022-23 LEB season, the 16 teams of the Cuban National Series were grouped into six regional teams. However, this format was considered unpopular, and for the league's second season, the decision was made to include National Series teams.[3]
| Team | SNB Grouping | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultores | Las Tunas Granma | Bayamo | Mártires de Barbados Stadium | 10,000 |
| Cafetaleros | Santiago de Cuba Holguín Guantánamo | Holguín | Calixto García Íñiguez Stadium | 30,000 |
| Centrales | Matanzas Cienfuegos Villa Clara | Matanzas | Victoria de Girón Stadium | 22,000 |
| Ganaderos | Sancti Spíritus Ciego de Ávila Camagüey | Sancti Spíritus | José Antonio Huelga Stadium | 13,000 |
| Portuarios | Industriales Mayabeque | Havana | Estadio Latinoamericano | 55,000 |
| Tabacaleros | Pinar del Río Isla de la Juventud Artemisa | Nueva Gerona | Estadio Cristóbal Labra | 5,000 |
Champions
| Season | Winning team | Manager | Record | Games | Losing team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | Agricultores (Las Tunas/Granma) | Carlos Martí | 30–19 | 4–3 | Portuarios (Industriales/Mayabeque) |
| 2023–24 | Matanzas | Armando Ferrer | 25–15 | 4–2 | Artemisa |