MÉRIDA, Mexico – Young Cuban baseball prospects William Alejandro Álvarez and Lázaro Herrera Jr. emigrated to the Dominican Republic with the goal of landing a contract in the Major League Baseball system.
Young people train at the G&T Baseball Academy in Punta Cana, journalist Francys Romero reported on Wednesday.
Villa Clara native William Alejandro Álvarez, 14, was part of the Cuba U-15 team that participated in the Pre-World Cup in the Dominican Republic last March and from which seven members have already left.
In the final of the 2024 U-15 National Championship, he hit .350 in 24 home plate appearances (7-for-20) with 2 doubles, 1 triple, 3 RBI and 3 walks, said Romero, who noted that he is a very selective and mature hitter for his age and with excellent physique and ability to hit to all three parts of the field.
Alvarez can play all over the infield and in the outfield and has also pitched.
The youngster will be eligible to sign in the international period which begins on January 15, 2027.
Lázaro Herrera Jr., for his part, is the son of the catcher and first baseman who played with Matanzas for 16 seasons in the National Series.
The 13-year-old stands out for his batting ability. “A power hitter with the potential to play catcher, first base and the outfield,” Romero said.
Herrera Jr. hit .286/.423/.571 in the regular season of the last U-15 National Championship with 3 doubles and a home run.
Then, in the finals, he hit .375/.565/.500 in 23 plate appearances and 39 innings at first base.
He will be eligible to sign on January 15, 2028.
Exodus of baseball players
Last week it was announced that the grandson of legendary baseball player José Raúl Delgado and son of the late Yoanis Delgado, also arrived in the Dominican Republic, from where he will seek to sign a contract with the Major Leagues.
Jonathan Raúl, young catcher and also a member of the last Cuba U-15 teamwill continue his career off the Island and pursue an opportunity with an MLB team.
“The 15-year-old switch hitter and member of the last Cuban U-15 team is in the Dominican Republic and will now begin a new stage in his career. It was in the Dominican Republic where Jonathan Raúl participated in March of this year with the national U-15 team in the Pre-World Cup where the Cubans did not qualify for the World Cup in this category,” Romero said.
Delgado has baseball in his blood, as his grandfather is José Raúl Delgado, a catcher for 20 seasons in the National Series and a member of the Cuban team between 1989 and 1993, with which he won the gold medal at the Barcelona 92 Olympic Games.
Yoanis Delgado Pedroso, Jonathan’s father, died of coronavirus and was also a renowned baseball player. He was also the cousin of the legendary Cuban slugger Lourdes Gurriel and second cousin of his children Yuniesky, Yulieski and Lourdes Jr.
