From role player to starring role: Former Met José Iglesias heads to Broadway

Key Points:

• José Iglesias, a 13-season MLB veteran and former shortstop, has been cast as the narrator in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical "Buena Vista Social Club," making him the first Latino MLB player to perform on Broadway.
• Iglesias, who performed music under the stage name Candelita during his baseball career, will join the show for a six-week run starting August 27 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in New York, and expects to sing at least one song.
• The musical celebrates the legacy of an Afro-Cuban band Iglesias grew up listening to, and he described joining the cast as a "dream come true," despite initial nerves and the challenge of adapting to theatrical performance.
• Iglesias had hoped to continue his baseball career in 2026 but remained unsigned, leading him to embrace this new artistic opportunity after 29 years of continuous baseball play.
• Iglesias hopes his transition will inspire other baseball players to explore their artistic talents, highlighting the positive crossover between sports and the performing arts.