The Major League Baseball season is coming down to the final stretch. With less than one-quarter of the season left to play, every game and series going forward is ultra critical. Three division winners and two wild card teams will be featured in both the American League and the National League.

Ever since Louis Castro joined the Philadelphia Athletics in 1902, Latin American baseball players have thrived in Major League Baseball. Countries and territories such as the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Mexico and many others have been at the forefront.

Today's game features 28.4 percent of its players from the Latino community. With so many flourishing Latin American baseball players and the regular season coming down to the final stretch, here are five players to keep an eye.

1. Jose Abreu

Abreu is having one of the greatest rookie seasons of all-time. The Chicago White Sox have been struggling lately, but their fans can rest easy knowing they have one of the best sluggers in the game. There's a great chance we will see Abreu receive the American League Rookie of the Year.

The 27-year-old Abreu has the second most home runs in all of baseball so far with 33. There's a chance we could see him break the rookie record. His 93 runs batted in lead the entire league, and he's batting .305 at the plate.

2. Nelson Cruz

Dominican born outfielder Nelson Cruz has powered the Baltimore Orioles into first place in the American League East. His 34 home runs are the most in Major League Baseball. This is Cruz's first season playing for the Orioles, and he's done a great job adjusting.

Although Cruz is only batting .258 at the plate, he's driving in runs at a very high rate. The Orioles currently have an eight game lead over the New York Yankees in the division, so we will most certainly see Cruz in the playoffs this season.

3. Albert Pujols

It's great to see Albert Pujols play like he's capable of. One of the greatest players of the 21st century, Pujols had a disappointing season last year with just 17 home runs and a .258 batting average. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim spent a lot of money, only to miss the playoffs.

This year has been very different. The Angels find themselves in first place in the grueling American League West, even ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pujols currently stands at 23 home runs and his 137 hits couldn't be more valuable for a team trying to win the World series.

4. Johnny Cueto

The Cincinnati Reds have been in a tremendous slump over the last two weeks. The team is a dismal 1-9 over their last 10 games, but the playoffs are still in sight. Dominican pitcher Johnny Cueto has been in the National League Cy Young conversation all season long.

Most likely Clayton Kershaw will receive that honor, but Cueto does lead the majors in wins and his ERA (2.20) does rank third in the league. The Reds are going to need Cueto now more than ever if they're going to be playing in October.

5. Felix Hernandez

It's unlikely the Seattle Mariners will win the AL West, but they're still in the driver's seat for a wild card spot. Much of that is due to Venezuelan pitcher Felix Hernandez, who is a former Cy Young Award winner.

Hernandez ranks second in baseball with a 2.07 ERA, and his 204 strikeouts are good enough for fourth best in the league. The Mariners haven't made the playoffs since 2001, meaning Hernandez has never pitched in a single playoff game in his career. It will be interesting to see if Hernandez is up for the challenge.

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