MLB History: Top five seasons by Cuban players
By Tim Haberin
As MLB looks toward a new future in regard to Cuba, take a look back at five of the best seasons by Cuban-born players in the league’s history.
Major League Baseball is paying Cuba a historic visit this week as part of a larger U.S. delegation marking the normalizing of relations between the two nations. The Tampa Bay Rays are set to take on the Cuban national team in Havana on Tuesday, the first game played there by an MLB club since the Baltimore Orioles in 1999.
Much has been made of what this means for the future relationship between Cuba and Major League Baseball. Commissioner Rob Manfred is hopeful that a formal system can be established to allow Cuban players to join the league without defecting from their native country, although that issue certainly has some hurdles to face.
While this week’s events highlight the exciting future possibilities for MLB and Cuba, it’s also a great time to look back at the many Cuban-born players who have already made an indelible mark on the league over the years. Here are the top five individual seasons put together by Cuban players in Major League Baseball’s rich history.
Honorable Mentions:
Bert Campaneris – Oakland Athletics, 1968 – 62 stolen bases, 177 H, 6.6 WAR
Mike Cuellar – Baltimore Orioles, 1969 – 23-11 record, 2.38 ERA, 18 CG, 4.5 WAR, AL Cy Young co-winner
5. Minnie Minoso – 1954, Chicago White Sox
.320/.411/.535, 19 HR, 116 RBI, 8.2 WAR
The late Minnie Minoso wasn’t nicknamed the “Cuban Comet” for nothing. He led the league in stolen bases three times and finished with a career total of 205. Minoso also brought legitimate power to the table, rare for a player known for his speed. He swatted 186 homers in his 17-year career and eclipsed 100 RBIs four times.
Minoso’s best season as a professional came in 1954 with the White Sox. He slashed .320/.411/.535 with 19 homers and 116 RBIs. Perhaps more impressively, he led both leagues by legging out 18 triples and collected an AL-most 304 total bases.
4. Tony Oliva – 1964, Minnesota Twins
.323/.359/.557, 32 HR, 94 RBI, 6.8 WAR, AL Rookie of the Year, AL batting champion
Tony Oliva had only made 19 big league plate appearances before 1964, but you would hardly have known it by his performance that year. The right fielder enjoyed one of the best rookie seasons ever in Major League Baseball.
Oliva put up a .323/.359/.557 slash line, winning the batting title with an MLB-most 217 hits and 374 total bases. He also led the AL with 43 doubles and 109 runs scored. And, oh yeah, he belted 32 homers and drove in 94 runs for good measure. It was a brilliant beginning to one of the finest careers never honored with a Hall of Fame induction.
3. Tony Perez – Cincinnati Reds, 1970
.317/.401/.589, 40 HR, 129 RBI, 7.2 WAR
One of the cornerstones of the Big Red Machine, Hall of Famer Tony Perez spent 23 seasons in the majors, helping guide the Reds to back-to-back World Series championships in 1975-76. The first baseman ended his career with 2,732 hits, 379 home runs and 1,652 RBIs.
In 1970, Perez earned his fourth of seven career All-Star nods by slashing .317/.401/.589. He also belted 40 homers and plated 129 RBIs (both career highs), demonstrating his all-around ability to get on base at a high clip while hitting for power and driving in runners.
2. Dolf Luque – Cincinnati Reds, 1923
27-8, 1.93 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 10.6 WAR
While comparisons between players from very different eras are tricky, the numbers Dolf Luque put up in 1923 are quite staggering to behold. At 5’7″ and 160 lbs, his frame hardly conjured up images of a dominant big league ace.
“The Pride of Havana” boasted a 27-8 record at the end of the season along with a 1.93 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. Of his 37 starts, 28 were complete games and six were shutouts. The most astonishing stat might be that he surrendered just two home runs in 322 innings. And lest you think the league was completely devoid of power at the time, Cy Williams of the Phillies connected on 41 homers that year.
1. Luis Tiant – Cleveland Indians, 1968
21-9, 1.60 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 8.4 WAR
Luis Tiant is serving as one of MLB’s ambassadors on this week’s trip to Cuba, and it’s not difficult to understand why. The right-hander is undoubtedly one of the finest hurlers to come from the island nation.
Though Tiant may be more well-known for his time with the Boston Red Sox, he began his major league career in Cleveland and it was there he experienced his best individual season in 1968. He went 21-9 that year with a 1.60 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 9.2 K/9. He allowed just 152 hits in 258.1 innings of work and twirled a league-leading nine complete game shutouts.
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