Classic Curiosities: Cubans in the All-Star Team

A look at the seven Cuban players who have earned All-Star honors at the World Baseball Classic throughout the tournament's history, from the 2006 edition through 2023.
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Frederich Cepeda Cruz

Frederich Cepeda Cruz

Source:
ACN

Seven players representing Cuba's national squad have earned All-Star team recognition throughout the history of the World Baseball Classic.

In the inaugural edition of 2006 — Cuba's finest performance in the tournament, as the island nation claimed the silver medal after falling to Japan in the championship round — three players stood out: second baseman Yulieski Gourriel Castillo, from Sancti Spíritus; designated hitter Yoandy Garlobo, from Matanzas, who posted a team-leading .480 batting average and was the squad's most outstanding offensive performer; and pitcher Yadel Martí, who earned one victory while allowing zero runs across twelve and two-thirds innings of work.

Three years later, in 2009, outfielders Yoenis Céspedes, who batted .458, and Frederich Cepeda Cruz, who hit an impressive .500, both earned spots on the All-Star squad.

Cuba had no All-Star representatives in the 2013 and 2017 editions. However, in 2023, third baseman Yoan Moncada and pitcher Luis Miguel Romero — selected as the tournament's best reliever — were both named to the All-Star team. Romero delivered an exceptional performance, recording two wins without a single defeat.

It is worth noting that in this fifth edition of the Classic, Pinar del Río outfielder Randy Arozarena earned All-Star recognition as a member of the Mexican national team.

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