Elián Leyva Delgado (born 17 March 1989) is a Cuban and Spanish professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

who is a free agent. He has previously played in the

Chinese Professional Baseball League The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL; ) is the top-tier professional baseball league in Taiwan. The league was established in 1989 and played the first season in 1990. CPBL eventually absorbed the competing Taiwan Major League in 20 ...

(CPBL) for the

Rakuten Monkeys The Rakuten Monkeys (), formerly known as La New Bears (2004–2010) and Lamigo Monkeys (2011–2019), are a professional baseball team in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) in Taiwan. Owned and administered by the Japanese technol ...

. Leyva has represented both

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

and

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

in international baseball competitions, including playing for Cuba in the

2023 World Baseball Classic The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball tournament and the fifth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. It began on March 8, 2023, and ran until March 21. It was originally scheduled to take place in ...

. In addition to his native Cuba, he has played professionally in Spain, Venezuela, the United States, Mexico, Italy, Taiwan and the Dominican Republic.

Early career

Leyva was born on 28 December 1996 in

San José de las Lajas San José de las Lajas is a municipality and the capital city of the newly formed Mayabeque Province of Cuba, after the segmentation of La Habana Province in 2011. It is located in the center north of the province, and is bisected by the Carrete ...

La Habana Province La Habana Province , formerly known as Ciudad de La Habana Province, is a province of Cuba that includes the territory of the city of Havana, the Republic's capital. The province's territory is the seat of the superior organs of the state and i ...

(now

Mayabeque Province Mayabeque Province is one of two new provinces created from the former La Habana Province, whose creation was approved by the Cuban National Assembly on August 1, 2010, the other being Artemisa Province. The new provinces came in to existence on J ...

), Cuba. He originally played football before switching to baseball at age 13, drawn by its popularity as Cuba's favorite sport. After being spotted by scouts, he was invited to enroll in the Escuela de Iniciación Deportiva Escolar (Sports Initiation School) in Havana, where he developed as a pitcher and was regarded as one of the best youth pitchers in the country.

Career

Cuban National Series

Leyva made his debut in the

Cuban National Series The Cuban National Series (, or SNB) is a domestic baseball competition in Cuba. Formed after the dissolution of the Cuban League in the wake of the Cuban Revolution, the National Series is a part of the Cuban baseball league system. For most ...

in the 2007–08 season with the Vaqueros de La Habana, aged 17. He would go on to play with La Habana for two more seasons. In 2009, the Vaqueros won the Cuban National Series, defeating the

Naranjas de Villa Clara The Azucareros de Villa Clara (Villa Clara Sugarmakers) is a baseball club that plays in the Cuban National Series. Based in Santa Clara, the Naranjas have been one of the league's most successful Cuban squads over the last 30 years; winning ...

in the final series. On 1 January 2011,

was split into two new provinces:

Artemisa Province Artemisa Province is one of the two new provinces created from the former La Habana Province, whose creation was approved by the Cuban National Assembly on August 1, 2010, the other being Mayabeque Province. The new provinces came into existen ...

and

. This also led to the creation of two new baseball teams that replaced the Vaqueros: Cazadores de Artemisa and

Huracanes de Mayabeque Huracanes de Mayabeque (English: Mayabeque Hurricanes) is a Cuban baseball team based in San José de las Lajas. They are a member of the Cuban National Series and play their home games at Nelson Fernández Stadium, opened in 1960 and with a capa ...

; Leyva was assigned to the latter. He played with Mayabeque for four more seasons, including three games as a reinforcement for the

Industriales Industriales is a professional baseball team in the Cuban National Series. Located in Cerro, La Habana, it is known as the only team representing the country’s capital, Havana. Industriales is historically the most successful team in the Nat ...

during the 2013–14 season. In 2015, following the end of the 2014–15 season, Leyva left Cuba and migrated to Spain, where he later established residence with the goal of pursuing a professional baseball career. In seven seasons in the Cuban National Series, he finished with a 5.68 ERA in innings pitched.

CB Barcelona

In 2016, Leyva joined

CB Barcelona Club Béisbol Barcelona, commonly known as CB Barcelona, is a División de Honor de Béisbol baseball club located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The club was formed in February 2012 after breaking from the FC Barcelona sports club. The club curr ...

of the Spanish

División de Honor de Béisbol The Spanish Baseball League (formerly Division de Honor de Béisbol) is the highest level of baseball in Spain. The league is overseen by the Royal Spanish Baseball and Softball Federation (RFEBS). It is played principally on weekends. The teams ...

. He finished the season with a 4–2 record, posting a 0.70 ERA with 82 strikeouts in 64 innings pitched.

Atlanta Braves

On 11 November 2016, Leyva signed a minor league contract with the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

organization. On 6 October 2017, he was assigned to the rookie-level

Gulf Coast League Braves The Florida Complex League Braves are an American baseball team. They are the Rookie-level affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast Lea ...

, but he did not play a single game with the affiliate. On 8 April 2018, he was assigned to the

Mississippi Braves The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they were referred to locally, were a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson, from 2005 to 2024. They were the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and competed in ...

of the Double-A Southern League. He spent the 2018 season playing for the Mississippi Braves and the Triple-A

Gwinnett Stripers The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia ...

, appearing in 34 games, posting a 4–3 record with 79 strikeouts in 87 innings pitched and a 2.69 ERA. Leyva made nine appearances for Gwinnett during the 2019 campaign, recording a 5.00 ERA with 16 strikeouts and one save over 18 innings of work.

Sultanes de Monterrey

On 15 May 2019, Leyva was loaned to the

Sultanes de Monterrey The Sultanes de Monterrey (English: Monterrey Sultans) are a professional baseball club in the Mexican League (LMB) based in Monterrey, Mexico. Established in 1939 as Carta Blanca, the Sultanes have won ten LMB titles, most recently in 2018. Fro ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

. He appeared in ten games for Monterrey, posting a 4–2 record and 4.61 ERA with 44 strikeouts across innings pitched.

Fortitudo Baseball Bologna

In 2020, Leyva was signed by

Fortitudo Baseball Bologna Fortitudo Baseball 1953, commonly referred to as Fortitudo Bologna, also known as Longbridge 2000 Bologna or UnipolSai Bologna for sponsorship reasons, is a baseball club based in Bologna that competes in Serie A1 (baseball), Serie A1, Italy's pr ...

of the

Italian Baseball League The Italian Baseball League (IBL, ), officially known as the Serie A (), is the top-level baseball league in Italy. Founded in 1948, it is governed by the Italian Baseball & Softball Federation (FIBS), which has its headquarters in Rome. Many o ...

. He finished the 2020 season with a 0–2 record in three appearances and a 3.50 ERA over 10 innings pitched, winning the Italian championship with Fortitudo. He returned in 2021, appearing in two games and finishing with a 0–1 record and a 3.60 ERA over 5 innings pitched.

Algodoneros de Unión Laguna

On 27 March 2021, Leyva was signed by the

Algodoneros de Unión Laguna The Algodoneros de Unión Laguna (English: Laguna Union Cottoneers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League (LMB). Based in Torreón, Coahuila, they play in the North Division of LMB. History Early years The team was established ...

of the

. He appeared in six games for the team, struggling to a 1–4 record and a 11.25 ERA with 14 strikeouts over 24 innings of work. Leyva was released by the Algodoneros on 29 June.

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos

On 1 July 2021, Leyva signed with the

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos The Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos (English: Two Laredos Owls), formerly known as the Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo (English: Nuevo Laredo Owls), are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League. The Tecolotes are a binational baseball team, spli ...

of the

. Leyva played in only one game for Dos Laredos, taking the loss after allowing four runs on nine hits with three strikeouts over innings pitched.

Piratas de Campeche

On 17 July 2021, Leyva was signed by the

Piratas de Campeche The Piratas de Campeche (English: Campeche Pirates) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League (LMB) based in Campeche, Campeche, Mexico. History In 1980, the Alacranes de Durango moved to Campeche, and played their home games at Ven ...

of the

. He made his debut with the team on 23 July against the

Tigres de Quintana Roo The Tigres de Quintana Roo (English: Quintana Roo Tigers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The team is part of the Southern Division (). The team has won twelve championships to date: ...

, losing the game after pitching innings and allowing five runs. In four appearances (three starts) for Campeche, Leyva logged a 2-1 record and 3.32 ERA with 17 strikeouts over 19 innings pitched. Leyva made 11 starts for the Piratas during the 2022 campaign, registering a 4-6 record and 5.34 ERA with 50 strikeouts across innings pitched. On 5 July 2022, Leyva was placed on the reserve list by Campeche.

Leones de Yucatán

On 12 July 2022, Leyva was traded to the

Leones de Yucatán The Leones de Yucatán (English: Yucatán Lions) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League. The team plays its home games at Parque Kukulcán Alamo in Mérida, Yucatán. The Leones have won the Mexican League title five times in 1957 ...

. He appeared in three games for Yucatán, recording one win with a 1.88 ERA with 19 strikeouts across innings of work.

Rakuten Monkeys

On 19 February 2023, Levya signed with the

of the

. He finished the season with a 4–3 record in 12 games, posting a 3.88 ERA and 56 strikeouts over innings pitched.

Leones de Yucatán (second stint)

On 11 April 2024, Leyva signed with the

for his second stint with the team. He made 13 starts for Yucatán, posting a 6–2 record with 45 strikeouts and a 3.86 ERA across innings pitched.

Charros de Jalisco

On 9 April 2025, Leyva was signed by the

Charros de Jalisco The Charros de Jalisco () are a professional baseball team who compete in both the Mexican League (LMB) and the Mexican Pacific League (LMP), based in Zapopan, Jalisco, in the Guadalajara metropolitan area. Their home ballpark is Estadio Pana ...

of the

; Leyva previously played for the Charros in the

Mexican Pacific League The Mexican Pacific League (, or LMP), also known as the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico for sponsorship reasons, is a professional baseball Winter league baseball, winter league based in Northwestern Mexico. The league comprises 10 teams. It wa ...

from 2018 to 2021, winning the Triple Crown in the 2018–19 season. In seven appearances for Jalisco, he posted a 1-0 record and 7.77 ERA with 15 strikeouts across 22 innings pitched. Leyva was released by the Charros on 10 June.

International career

Spain national baseball team

Leyva is eligible to play for

since he is a Spanish resident. He was first called up to represent the national team during the 2020 Summer Olympics qualification tournament held in Italy. He made one appearance as a reliever, pitching a scoreless inning against the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

, in Spain's 3–7 loss. He appeared in two games in the

2021 European Baseball Championship The 2021 European Baseball Championship was an international baseball tournament organized by the Confederation of European Baseball. The 2021 Championship was held September 12–19, 2021, in Turin, Italy. Qualification The 12 teams of the 20 ...

, played in Italy. He started in the 15–2 group stage victory against

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, pitching 4.1 scoreless innings and striking out eight batters. He then started in the bronze medal game against

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, which ended in a 0–2 defeat, delivering 6.0 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. In February 2025, Leyva was chosen to represent Spain at the

2026 World Baseball Classic qualification The World Baseball Classic qualification, qualifying round of the 2026 World Baseball Classic, officially called the World Baseball Classic 2025 Qualifiers, was held from February 21 to March 6, 2025. The top four teams in 2023 World Baseball Clas ...

. He started the opening game against hosts

Chinese Taipei "Chinese Taipei" is the term used in various international organizations and tournaments for groups or delegations representing the Republic of China (ROC), a country commonly known as Taiwan. Due to the One China principle stipulated by the ...

, pitching 2.1 innings, allowing one run; he was awarded the win in Spain's 12–5 victory, finishing with a 3.86 ERA.

Cuba national baseball team

Leyva was selected to represent

at the

, an opportunity he described as "a dream come true". During the tournament, he appeared in two games. He started in Cuba's 7–1 victory over

, pitching 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and two walks, while striking out four batters; he was credited with the win. He then played as a reliever in the semifinal game against the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, which Cuba lost 2–14, pitching 1.1 innings, allowing one walk, three hits, one home run, and three runs, finishing the tournament with a 7.36 ERA.

Career statistics

International

References

External links

Elián Leyva Mexican League profileElián Leyva CPBL profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leyva, Elián 1989 births Living people Algodoneros de Unión Laguna players Baseball players from Mayabeque Province Charros de Jalisco players Cuban expatriate baseball players in Mexico Cuban expatriate baseball players in Taiwan Cuban expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Cuban expatriate baseball players in the United States Cuban expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Cuban expatriate sportspeople in Italy Cuban expatriate sportspeople in Spain Gwinnett Stripers players La Habana (baseball) players Leones del Escogido players Leones de Yucatán players Mexican League baseball pitchers Mississippi Braves players Naranjeros de Hermosillo players Navegantes del Magallanes players Piratas de Campeche players Rakuten Monkeys players Sultanes de Monterrey players Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos players Tiburones de La Guaira players 2021 European Baseball Championship players 2023 World Baseball Classic players