It was less than a week ago that injuries to Hanley Ramirez, Matt Kemp, and Carl Crawford forced the Los Angeles Dodgers to call up their 22-year-old uber-prospect Yasiel Puig. His play ever since has raised the question of why they didn’t do it sooner.
In 5 games with the team, Puig has hit 4 home runs, (including a grand slam). This makes him only the second player since 1900 to pull the feat of hitting 4 homers in 5 games. The only other player was Mike Jacobs of the New York Mets in 2005.
In his first 5 games, Puig has 10 RBIS. This also puts him in the history books, tying Jack Merson (1951, Pittsburgh Pirates) and Danny Espinosa (2010, Washington Nationals) in completing that feat.
Puig is the hottest player in all of baseball in the past week and other teams have taken notice. The Atlanta Braves even intentionally walked the slugger in the late innings on Friday night.
The start has made Puig the toast of Los Angeles, and many are now comparing his callup to the recall of Mike Trout just one year ago by the cross-town rival Los Angeles Angels and the impact that he had on the club last season in winning Rookie of the Year, and competing for the AL MVP award. Puig, like Trout before him is being touted as a future superstar, and the saviour of the Dodgers.
What happens next is anyone’s guess though. While the story of Trout obviously gives Dodgers fans hope, they should also look up the careers of Jacobs, and Merson, as well as the last few years of Espinosa to show that a hot first week is obviously no guarantee of a long and productive major league career.
No matter what happens though, Puig’s name has hit the history books, and following his progress over the next several months will be exciting for Dodgers fans, and all baseball fans. With the expansion of interleague play this year developping a personal rivalry with Trout would be great news and bring excitement to all Los Angeles baseball fans.
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