Sources: Cuban prospect RHP Cristian Rego left the country
Rego, 16, was the most advanced pitcher in Cuba's 2024 U-18 class.
Pitching prospect Cristian Rego left Cuba in recent hours seeking to sign with an MLB organization, sources confirmed.
Rego, 16, arrived in the Dominican Republic this Sunday.
He was part of the Cuban U-18 team that participated in the 2024 Pan-American Championship in August, which qualified for the World Cup in that age group. Rego stood out as the most promising Cuban pitcher, showcasing a fastball between 88-90 MPH and a strong slider.
He led the Pan-American Championship in Panama with a 0.00 ERA, pitching 13.1 innings without allowing any earned runs. Opponents hit just .122 against him.
One of the best qualities I've seen in his skill set is command. Rego can control his fastball and secondary pitches around the strike zone.
I believe he has the potential to be a starting pitcher and sit in the mid-90s mph range.
Rego is a native of Havana.
He was the only player on the Cuba U-18 team born in 2008, making him the youngest on the entire squad. In fact, Rego was pitching in the tournament at just 15 years old, as he hadn’t turned 16 yet.
He comes from a family of tall and strong individuals. One of his areas for improvement will be developing better athleticism in his body, which will elevate his performance as a pitcher as he pursues a professional contract.
The young prospect is eligible to sign in the 2024-2025 class, which opens on January 15, 2025.
In addition to the opportunity to enter the MLB system, Cuba is experiencing one of the worst crises in the last 60 years, which has led to the emigration of the entire society, including baseball players.
Rego will be training at the JM Baseball Academy in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic.