New Beginnings: How Cuban-Born Pitcher Keyler Gonzalez Found Success in the United States
4/9/2026 4:22:00 PM | Baseball
In January of 2017, a 12-year-old Keyler Gonzalez took a walk around his new but small apartment while his mother was searching for jobs. He instantly inspected his Southern Florida surroundings so he didn't even bother changing the clothes he had on at the airport. After walking a couple blocks, he saw kids playing baseball, his passion in Cuba.
"I walked in, and I asked the coach, 'Hey, can I take some swings?,'" Gonzalez said.
The team practicing on the field was a local travel team called the Metros. After the coach agreed to throw him some batting practice, it didn't take long for Gonzalez to make an impression, as a couple balls landed on the other side of the fence. The coach for the travel team not only offered him a spot on the roster, but he also paid for all of the playing expenses.
"A kid that nobody knows coming from Cuba … doing good at that young age was a good turning point," said Gonzalez, a first-year member of the Mizzou pitching staff.
This was just the spark for what Gonzalez's future held in the United States. From the very first day he arrived, he noticed all the opportunities that were available. From there on out, he didn't let one of them go to waste.
On April 7, Gonzalez found his first opportunity to really make a mark at the DI level against in-state rival Missouri State. The righty hadn't seen three-consecutive innings with the Black & Gold entering the evening, but the junior found himself in a high-pressure scenario walking into a tied game with two Mo State (No. 11 RPI entering April 7) runners on-base in the third.
The Cuban junior was lights out in relief, tossing six scoreless innings and racking up a DI career-high nine strikeouts while allowing just two hits.
KEYLER GONZALEZ ?? ?? ??
— Mizzou Baseball (@MizzouBaseball) April 8, 2026
He's sat down five of the last six on strikes and eight total K. #MizzouNOW pic.twitter.com/ZHJyu8XdZV
"When we recruited him, we knew he was a strike-thrower," Mizzou coach Kerrick Jackson said. "We knew he was a competitor."
Humble Beginnings
Born in Santa Clara, Cuba, Gonzalez started from humble beginnings. Growing up, Gonzalez and his family didn't have very much money, which meant he had to use makeshift items to play baseball.
"Sometimes we didn't have any baseballs," Gonzalez said. "It was just tape…we had a rock and we will tape them."
With bats and gloves, he oftentimes had to share one with the rest of his team. However, at the age of 10, he came back home from school to find his first glove and pair of cleats on his bed because his dad had saved enough money to surprise him with the new gear.
When he wasn't playing baseball, Gonzalez and his mother tried to find new beginnings by immigrating to the United States. On their first attempt, they were rejected, but Gonzalez's half-brother Ramses Machado made it to the United States through a family petition with his father. Gonzalez and his mother knew at that point that there was a chance they could cross the border via family petition if Machado earned full-citizenship.
Planting New Roots
While Gonzalez and his mother were trying to make things work in Cuba, Machado was working hard with his job in the United States in hopes to earn full-citizenship status. However, it was a mental hurdle for Machado to leave his closest family behind.
"It's hard," Machado said. "My goal was being able to bring them here."
Through years of working, saving money and grinding through the rigorous U.S. citizenship process, Machado eventually accomplished his goal of getting his mother and younger brother to the United States via a family petition.
"I remember when they arrived at the airport. I told them how things are here, and all my best advice and everything," Machado said.
On January 29, 2017, Gonzalez and his mother accomplished their dream of making it to the United States. While they flew into Miami, a different city than the home of "The Most Magical Place on Earth," Gonzalez still felt the magic three and a half hours south of Orlando.
"Even when I was in the plane, seeing all the lights…I was impressed seeing that many cars," Gonzalez said. "It was something new for me. It was literally like a Disney movie."
Mirroring a Legend
Just a block down from where Gonzalez grew up in Santa Clara, Cuba, lived two-time All-Star pitcher and 2013 NL Rookie of the Year Jose Fernandez. Their family roots run way before the two prominent pitchers were born.
"His grandpa was a barber, and he cut my grandpa's hair and my dad's hair," Gonzalez said.
Not only that, Gonzalez had the same coach and trained in the same facility in Cuba that helped lead Fernandez to success in the big leagues. The coach that mentored both athletes was Nedel Turino, who trained them both at "Natilla" Jimenez Children's Stadium.
They also mirrored their latter parts of their childhood with both of them living in the Miami area through their high school years. While they never officially met, Gonzalez followed in similar footsteps to the late-great MLB pitcher, which earned Fernandez the title of Gonzalez's all-time favorite pitcher. Unfortunately, on September 25, 2016, the young phenom Fernandez died tragically at the age of 24 in a boating accident.
Hearing stories about the journeys that Gonzalez and Fernandez made to their eventual success in the United States leads to the question of how many other prominent Cuban prospects didn't get the chance to live out their dreams in the United States.
"There's a lot of good players over there, but it's hard for them to show the world who they are," Gonzalez said.
Time to Shine
Gonzalez learned independence quickly once he got to the United States, as he didn't have any of his close family traveling with him to tournaments.
"I feel super proud of him, because he made it by himself," Machado said.
His travel team, the All-Stars, traveled all over the United States. This team also covered all of his expenses in order for him to play and train. While his expenses were covered, his family couldn't afford to travel to games, because they were busy supporting themselves with their jobs.
This led to him having to rely on his teammates and their families to make him feel comfortable while he was on the road playing baseball. He had one familiar face around, as current Mizzou teammate Mateo Serna also played with Gonzalez on the All-Stars.
Through a connection with his pitching coach, Williams Durruthy, Gonzalez transferred to Doral Academy and played high school baseball there. Doral Academy is widely considered one of the top high schools in Florida for baseball.
"He played a huge role in my career from the beginning. He helped me develop my pitching and really taught me how to compete and understand the game better," Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez experienced plenty of success with the Firebirds, winning a state championship his junior year as well as making a final four appearance his senior year. He earned First Team All-Miami Dade honors in 2022.
"[Durruthy] brought about 10 guys to the team, and we ended up winning," Gonzalez said. "It was a really important season in my journey."
However, a serious blood clot injury in his arm during his senior year stalled his dream of playing at the Division I level out of high school. He then turned his eyes to Division II schools that also expressed interest during his prep years. He ultimately made the decision to attend NOVA Southeastern, a local Division II school in Southern Florida that would give him ample opportunities to show his skills on the mound.
"It's a great place," Gonzalez said. "The coaching staff is amazing. The people there were super welcoming. They were always trying to help."
Gonzalez left a strong impression on NOVA Southeastern Head Coach Adrian Morales from the start.
"He was a guy who was really good in the classroom, really good in the weight room, really good in the community," Morales said.
Gonzalez was brilliant his freshman year at NOVA Southeastern, as he had a 2.68 ERA through 43.2 innings pitched. His first collegiate appearance was what really set him apart from the rest of the players on the team. Gonzalez had bases loaded against a top-5 team in the country and he was behind in the count 2-0.
"I call timeout, and I run out to him, because I know it's a big moment for him," Morales said. "I told him, 'Hey, you need to just trust yourself and be the bulldog that you are, and punch out a guy.'"
A couple pitches later, he got a ground ball to shortstop for a double play to end the inning. That instantly led to a great first-game impression to the coaching staff and teammates.
"He was a bulldog and a fireman, and he was very special that freshman year," Morales said.
Gonzalez stayed at NOVA Southeastern his sophomore year but after another successful season, he knew it was time to accomplish his original goal of playing Division I baseball.
Gonzalez credits Coach Morales for where he is today, performing against top-tier college talent in the Southeastern Conference. Morales is familiar with the SEC, having played two seasons and winning two national championships at South Carolina.
"I was behind him once he made the decision, and I was very happy for him that he landed in the SEC," Morales said.
As a result of his stellar performance on Tuesday, Gonzalez earned a game ball and the right to take part in the team's new tradition of placing a black brick on their stack, representing a non-conference victory. For a kid who grew up dreaming of pitching in the United States at the highest levels, this is almost a dream come true for the young righty.
"Pitch by pitch, that's the mentality," Gonzalez said following the win, "And it worked."
