José Iglesias

José Iglesias, known as "Candelita," is a Cuban-born infielder who spent 13 seasons in Major League Baseball. Born in Havana on January 5, 1990, he left Cuba as a teenager and signed with the Boston Red Sox, making his MLB debut on May 8, 2011. Over his career he played for the Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Angels, Colorado Rockies, New York Mets and San Diego Padres, finishing second in the 2013 American League Rookie of the Year voting and earning an All-Star selection. He also represented the Cuban national baseball team before leaving the island. Beyond baseball, Iglesias has pursued a music career under the "Candelita" persona, releasing singles including "OMG," which topped the iTunes Latin pop chart in 2024. In 2026 he is set to make his Broadway debut as the Narrator in "Buena Vista Social Club" at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in New York, becoming the first Cuban Major League Baseball player to perform on Broadway.