The Cuban National Series operated as a winter league for most of its history, generally playing a regular season stretching from early August until late January.

In Havana, most of the top tier players take the field for Industriales, traditionally the strongest team in the league.

In March 1982, the league was marred by a gambling-related corruption scandal, which saw at least 17 players and coaches suspended and arrested.

Representation in the Caribbean Series was transferred to the Cuban Elite League, which plays a winter schedule, following its 2022–23 premiere season.

Source:[3] The 1977–78 season followed the nation's administrative restructuring of the provinces of Cuba, announced in December 1976,[4] resulting in changes to multiple teams within the league.

Also, aluminum bats similar to those used in American college baseball debuted, and use of the designated hitter was initiated.

The league returned to 16 teams beginning with the 2012–13 season when the Metropolitanos (long seen as a farm club of the powerhouse Industriales) were disbanded after nearly four decades of play.

In 2020–21, the phase format was removed from the league, and the league determined qualifiers based on a single table of standings, with the top teams at the end of the regular season advancing to the postseason, thereby ending divisional play.

To accommodate the 2013 World Baseball Classic, contested in March, the league took a six-week break after the all-star game of February 3.

The change to a summer league schedule was made official, and starting with the 2023 season, the league runs from March to July with a schedule of 75 games per team in the regular season, followed by three playoff rounds culminating in a championship.

The Cuban Elite League was initiated to maintain active competition during the winter months.

The 1962–63 and 1971–72 seasons saw two teams finish tied for first, so three-game tie-breaker series were played to determine a champion.