Jaider Miguel Suarezleader in home runs of the last Under-15 National Championship ball game in Cuba, left the country this week for Dominican Republicwhere he will seek to sign with a Major League Baseball (MLB) organization as soon as possible, according to sports journalist Francys Romero.
The prospect, born in Ciego de Ávila, is currently 14 years old and given his date of birth -December 2008- he will not be eligible for the Major Leagues until January 15, 2025.
Jaider, who was part of the Cuba team in the last Under-15 World Cup held in Mexico at the end of 2022, was qualified by Romero in his Web of “multi-tool player” who “possesses the power, the speed, the arm, the offensive consistency with the bat and the defense”.
The source also adds that so far “he is a natural shortstop with excellent movement to either side.”
The teenager was the leader in home runs in the last Under-15 National Championship with three home runs and finished as the leader in stolen bases (17) tied with Robert Marzo, from Guantánamo. He hit .355 average this tournament and posted an 1.100 OPS.
“His patience at home plate is remarkable. He produces consistently for any part of the field and is aggressive and competitive when he should be,” says Francys Romero, who believes that in a couple of years, if he keeps progressing and works more on the potential of his talent, Jaider can successfully land in the MLB.
Suárez will train at the Javier Rodríguez Academy, a renowned coach who has signed many talents in the last decade
Francys Romero specified that with the departure of Jaider from Cuba, 14 of the 20 players who made up the U-15 World Cup in September-October 2022 have left the country.
“Since 2012 there has been a systematic tendency to emigrate in lower categories such as Under-15 and Under-18. However, these 14 left less than a year after the end of the category event, represents a new record,” concluded the sports journalist.
Before Jaider Suárez in recent months, the following have already left the country in the Under-15 category: Alex Santiago, Pedro Danguillecourt, Dulieski Ferrán, Ernest Machado, Yosniel Menéndez, Roberto Peña, Segian Pérez, Alejandro Prieto, Danel Reyes, Ronald Terrero, Jonathan Valle, Yunior Villavicencio and Cristian Zamora.
The constant flight of players has had an impact on the quality of Cuban baseball. In March, just after the World Classic, the Cuban team was ranked seventh in the ranking with 3,151 points from a list of 36 teams led by Japan (with 5,323 points), the US (4,402) and Mexico (4,130). .
This Tuesday, according to the ranking of the World Baseball and Softball Confederation, Cuba fell one place. Its 2,880 points place it in the eighth placefollowing the Netherlands (3,187) and Venezuela (3,744).
