Cuban Elite League


The Cuban Elite League, 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. 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. Similar competitions had previously existed in the form of the Selective Series and the Copa Revolución.

International competition

In 2023, the winner of the 2022-23 Elite League 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.
TeamSNB GroupingCityStadiumCapacity
AgricultoresLas Tunas
Granma		BayamoMártires de Barbados Stadium10,000
CafetalerosSantiago de Cuba
Holguín
Guantánamo		HolguínCalixto García Íñiguez Stadium30,000
CentralesMatanzas
Cienfuegos
Villa Clara		MatanzasVictoria de Girón Stadium22,000
GanaderosSancti Spíritus
Ciego de Ávila
Camagüey		Sancti SpíritusJosé Antonio Huelga Stadium13,000
PortuariosIndustriales
Mayabeque		HavanaEstadio Latinoamericano55,000
TabacalerosPinar del Río
Isla de la Juventud
Artemisa		Nueva GeronaEstadio Cristóbal Labra5,000

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 TeamSNB
Position		First season
in LEB		No. of seasons
of current spell
in LEB		Top
division
titles		Most
recent top
division title
Cocodrilos de Matanzas6th2023–24112019–20
Industriales de La Habana5th2023–241122009–10
Avispas de Santiago de Cuba2nd2023–24182007–08
Gallos de Sancti Spíritus4th2023–24111978–79
Leñadores de Las Tunas1st2023–24132018–19
Cazadores de Artemisa3rd2023–2410–

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 TeamSNB
Position		First season
in LEB		No. of seasons
of current spell
in LEB		Top
division
titles		Most
recent top
division title
Vegueros de Pinar del Río2nd20251102013–14
Industriales de La Habana4th2023–242122009–10
Avispas de Santiago de Cuba5th2023–24282007–08
Alazanes de Granma3rd2025132020–21
Leñadores de Las Tunas1st2023–24242018–19
Tigres de Ciego de Ávila6th2025132015–16

Champions

SeasonWinning teamManagerRecordGamesLosing team
2022–23Agricultores Carlos Martí30–194–3Portuarios
2023–24MatanzasArmando Ferrer25–154–2Artemisa
2025Ciego de ÁvilaDanny Miranda24–164–0Las Tunas