The Cuban Elite League (, or LEB), is a baseball league in Cuba. It debuted in 2022 as the highest level of the Cuban baseball league system, playing a winter league. Beginning with the 2023-24 season, the Elite League comprised the top six teams from the summer-time Cuban National Series (SNB). In 2025, the Elite League shifted to a summer schedule, with the SNB returning to a winter schedule.
The league was formed in an effort to maximize the quality of Cuban baseball, bringing 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 financially lucrative foreign leagues, contributed to the change of format in the league's second season (2023-24). Similar competitions had previously existed in the form of the Selective Series (1975-1995) and the Copa Revolución (1996-97).
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.
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 composed of Cuban expatriate and defected players. Pressure from the Cuban government eventually saw that tournament cancelled. Instead, LEB announced that it would take part a tournament labeled the "Copa Antillana" in Puerto Rico; however that tournament never materialized.
Teams
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.
Team SNB Grouping City Stadium Capacity Agricultores Las TunasGranma Bayamo Mártires de Barbados Stadium 10,000 Cafetaleros Santiago de CubaHolguínGuantánamo Holguín Calixto García Íñiguez Stadium 30,000 Centrales MatanzasCienfuegosVilla Clara Matanzas Victoria de Girón Stadium 22,000 Ganaderos Sancti SpíritusCiego de ÁvilaCamagüey Sancti Spíritus José Antonio Huelga Stadium 13,000 Portuarios IndustrialesMayabeque Havana Estadio Latinoamericano 55,000 Tabacaleros Pinar del RíoIsla de la JuventudArtemisa Nueva Gerona Estadio Cristóbal Labra 5,000
2023–24 season Six clubs competed in the 2023–24 season. These six occupied the top spots in the 2023 Cuban National Series.
2023–24 TeamSNBPositionFirst seasonin LEBNo. of seasonsof current spellin LEBTopdivisiontitlesMostrecent topdivision 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 3 2018–19 Cazadores de Artemisa 3rd 2023–24 1 0 –
2025 season In the Elite League's third season, out of the 16 teams that form part of the Cuban National Series, six of them qualified into the new league. These six teams occupied the top spots in the 2024 Cuban National Series.
2025 TeamSNBPositionFirst seasonin LEBNo. of seasonsof current spellin LEBTopdivisiontitlesMostrecent topdivision title Vegueros de Pinar del Río 2nd 2025 1 10 2013–14 Industriales de La Habana 4th 2023–24 2 12 2009–10 Avispas de Santiago de Cuba 5th 2023–24 2 8 2007–08 Alazanes de Granma 3rd 2025 1 3 2020–21 Leñadores de Las Tunas 1st 2023–24 2 4 2018–19 Tigres de Ciego de Ávila 6th 2025 1 3 2015–16
Champions
Season Winning team Manager Record Games Losing team 2022–23 Agricultores Carlos Martí 30–19 4–3 Portuarios 2023–24 Matanzas Armando Ferrer 25–15 4–2 Artemisa 2025 Ciego de Ávila Danny Miranda 24–16 4–0 Las Tunas
References
External links