Halfway Into the Elite League

The IV Cuban Baseball Elite League has just passed its halfway point, but two of the six teams have not yet completed the 20 scheduled games and have one game pending.

Fortunately, the series are repeated at the home of the team that visited in the first round, so what happened in the last National Series shouldn't be repeated, when it reached the end with a very strange scenario in which some teams were playing for everything and others were only there to fulfill the established matches.

It's also very positive that no team is out of the competition halfway through the season, as the Matanzas Crocodiles, currently in last place, are only two games beneath the fourth place, which grants access to the semifinals. So, the fight will stay on  until the very end.

Industriales de La Habana continues to surprise with their first-place position, especially considering the number of players they've lost for various reasons in recent months, most recently starting pitcher Rafael Perdomo, who was replaced by Alaín Sánchez from Villa Clara.

The Blue Team continues to rely on pitching as its main weapon, remaining the only team averaging less than five earned runs per game. However, their first-place defense and powerful hitting, which have gotten them out of more than a few tight spots, have also played a significant role in this temporary lead.

Tied with the Havana team are the Las Tunas Lumberjacks, who are finding their usual dominant presence in domestic tournaments, based on a strong core of players who remain active and the best offense in the league, although their firepower is sorely missed…for now.

From the mound, they are the only other team allowing fewer than six earned runs per game in a league that is proving very tough on pitchers in general, as the average is above six runs per nine innings and the WHIP is nearly 2.0 (1.74).

The Artemisa Hunters are the other team that hasn't lost more than it has won, and that's despite having only played three games at home, with a perfect record. They should improve significantly in the second half of the season if they maintain this strength at their home stadium.

The Holguín Cubs are maintaining considerable stability, and the Mayabeque Hurricanes have recovered ground after that terrible start that no one anticipated.

The gap between first and sixth place narrowed to just three and a half games in the last week, so no one is out of contention yet in this battle where every game could be decisive.

As announced from the beginning, there have been several roster changes, especially among the Western teams, but all the coaching staffs will have to overcome these and injuries to keep the playoff hopes alive until the very end.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff