Yoenis Céspedes
Yoenis Céspedes Milanés, nicknamed "La Potencia", is a Cuban-born former professional baseball outfielder. He made his Major League Baseball debut on March 28, 2012, for the Oakland Athletics, and has also played in MLB for the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, and New York Mets. Primarily a left fielder in his early career, he split between left and center field on the Mets. A right-hand batter and fielder, he stands tall and weighs.
From Campechuela, Cuba, Céspedes played eight seasons until 2010 for the Alazanes de Granma in the Cuban National Series. In that time, he batted.319,.404 on-base percentage,.565 slugging percentage, 169 home runs and 557 runs batted in over 528 games. He was also a member of the Cuba national team, winning gold medals in three tournaments. In MLB, he won the Home Run Derby in both 2013 and 2014. He is a two-time All-Star, and in 2015, played in his first World Series as member of the National League champion Mets.
Early life
Céspedes was born in the small town of Campechuela, in Granma Province, Cuba. Céspedes is the son of Estela Milanés, a softball pitcher who appeared in the 2000 Summer Olympics for Cuba, and Cresencio Céspedes, a former Cuban League catcher who separated from Milanés when Yoenis was one year old. At age 10, he was sent by his mother to a state-run school where he could focus on baseball.Cuban career
Before defecting, Céspedes' first name was generally spelled Yoennis. Céspedes debuted in the Cuban National Series with the Alazanes de Granma during the 2003–04 Cuban National Series, hitting.302/.382/.503. He was considered for the Cuban National Series Rookie of the Year Award, but lost out to Frank Montieth.He batted.313/.403/.540 in the 2004–05 season.
In the 2005–06 season, he hit.351/.444/.649 with 23 home runs, 89 runs and 78 runs batted in in 88 games played. He tied Yuli Gurriel for the National Series lead in runs and was four home runs behind Gurriel for the lead, placing second. He tied for seventh in doubles, was second in total bases and was 4th in slugging. He hit.481/.481/.741 for Cuba in the 2006 Haarlem Baseball Week. Despite his strong performance, Céspedes was left off Cuba's roster for the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006. Joe Kehoskie, at the time an agent who followed Cuban baseball closely, told Toronto's The Globe and Mail that Céspedes was the best player left at home by Cuba.
He produced at a.303/.402/.541 rate in the 2006–07 season with 17 home runs and 79 runs in 89 games. He again led in runs. He was also fifth in doubles, tied Yosvani Peraza for third in home runs, was fourth in total bases, tied Alfredo Despaigne for fourth in RBI, tied for fourth in steals and was sixth in slugging. He was 1-for-7 with a steal and a run in the 2007 Pan-American Games in his debut for the Cuban national team.
He hit.284/.342/.552 in the 2007–08 season. He was among the league leaders in RBI, tied Yoandry Urgellés for fourth in runs, was second in home runs and fourth in 202 total bases.
Céspedes batted.323/.411/.601 in the 2008–09 season with 24 homers and 83 runs in 87 games. He tied Leonys Martín for fourth in the league in runs and tied Rolando Meriño for third in home runs. He was seventh in total bases, ninth in RBI and 10th in slugging. He made the All-Star outfield alongside Giorvis Duvergel and Despaigne.
Céspedes was the starting center fielder for Cuba in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He hit.458/.480/1.000 with a double, three triples, two home runs, five runs and five RBI in six games. He led Cuba in slugging and was second to Frederich Cepeda in average, OBP and OPS. He tied Cepeda and Gurriel for the team lead in runs and tied Gourriel for second in homers, behind Cepeda. He broke a 1–1 tie against Australia with a 6th-inning solo homer off Damian Moss and started a 16–4 romp over Mexico with a leadoff triple against Pablo Ortega. Céspedes tripled off Hisashi Iwakuma in Cuba's last game of the tournament, a 5–0 loss to Japan, but did not score. Earlier in that game, he dropped a fly from Michihiro Ogasawara to let the first two Japanese runs score. Cuba thus missed the final four of an event for the first time ever; the Cuban team had also made the finals of every global baseball competition since 1959. Céspedes was named a member of the 2009 All-WBC team following the tournament.
Céspedes started the 2009 Baseball World Cup as Cuba's starting center fielder, but struggled and only hit.194/.275/.333 while being caught in his only steal attempt; Martín replaced him as the event went along. In the gold medal game, Céspedes pinch-hit for Yorbis Borroto successfully with a ninth-inning single off Brad Lincoln in Cuba's 10–5 loss to Team USA, settling for a silver medal.
He hit.345/.426/.617 in the 2009–2010 season with 87 runs and 22 homers in 87 contests. He was third in the league in runs, 10th in hits, 8th in home runs, 4th in total bases and was ninth in slugging. He was not picked as an All-Star outfielder as Despaigne, Cepeda and Bell took the three slots.
Céspedes went 11 for 22 with 12 runs, 14 RBI, two doubles and four homers in six games at the 2010 World University Baseball Championship. He drove in six against South Korea and five against China. In the gold medal game, he was 0-for-4 with a strikeout as Cuba's fifth batter in a 4–3 win over Team USA. He made the tournament All-Star outfield alongside Mikie Mahtook and Shota Ishimine. He played for Cuba when it finished second in the 2011 Pan American Games Qualifying Tournament. In the 2010 Intercontinental Cup, he was 3-for-10 with a double, three runs, four RBI and a walk as a backup. In the 4–1 win over the Dutch national team in the gold medal game, he was the second of three left fielders Cuba used. He replaced Yoandry Urgellés, was retired by Berry van Driel and then replaced by Despaigne.
He put up a.333/.424/.667 batting line with 89 runs, 33 home runs and 99 RBI in 90 games in the 2010–2011 season. He led the league in runs, tied Abreu for the home run lead, tied Cepeda for the most total bases, tied Ramón Tamayo for seventh in steals, led in RBI and finished fifth in slugging. He was named the All-Star center fielder, joining Despaigne and Cepeda in the outfield.
2023 World Baseball Classic
Céspedes once again represented Cuba at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, the first such competition in which event organizers allowed the Cuban team to roster players who had previously defected from Cuba. He played in two of the team's four Pool A games in Taichung, going hitless with two walks in eight plate appearances. Following the pool stage, Céspedes returned to the United States rather than traveling to the quarterfinals in Tokyo with the team, stepping away from the team for personal reasons.Major League Baseball career
In the summer of 2011, Céspedes and six others took a 23-hour speedboat ride departing Cuba and heading for the Dominican Republic. After arriving in the Dominican, he met Dominican agent Edgar Mercedes, who established residency for him in Santiago, which allowed him to bypass the MLB draft and become a free agent.Céspedes was considered a five-tool outfielder going into free agency. Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus declared Céspedes "arguably the best all-around player to come out of Cuba in a generation".
Oakland Athletics
2012
After interest from numerous Major League teams, Céspedes agreed to a four-year, $36 million contract with the Oakland Athletics on February 13, 2012, with the deal becoming official the following month. Céspedes began the 2012 season for the Athletics at his usual position of center field, but was later moved to left field upon the return of veteran center fielder Coco Crisp.On March 28, in his major league debut, he went 1-for-3, and was also hit by a pitch. The following day, he hit his first major league home run, a two-run shot off Seattle Mariners reliever Shawn Kelley. Céspedes had hit his first walk-off home run on June 21 against the Los Angeles Dodgers with the final score of 4–1, resulting in a three-game sweep. The Athletics would go on to win the American League West, with Céspedes batting.316 with a.381 OBP in the postseason.
2013
On July 15, 2013, Céspedes won the 2013 Home Run Derby. A last-minute addition by team captain Robinson Canó to represent the American League squad, he hit 32 home runs total in the exhibition, including 17 in the first round. He defeated the National League's Bryce Harper in the final round by hitting 9 home runs, with five swings to spare. He was the first winner of the contest who had not been selected to that year's All-Star Game. Céspedes hit.240 for the year and had 26 home runs along with 80 RBIs. Though Céspedes had a great postseason, the A's were eliminated by the Detroit Tigers. He suffered several injuries throughout the season, including wrist, hamstring, and knee injuries.2014
Céspedes had a great start to the season, hitting.273 with 14 homers and 55 RBIs through July 1, 2014, and was third in the All-Star voting for the AL behind José Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays and Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.Céspedes was known for having a great throwing arm. After getting three assists against the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles, Céspedes gunned down Chris Iannetta and Kole Calhoun at home plate in the same inning in a game against the Angels on May 31. He would have an even more memorable throw, again against the Angels, when he threw out Howie Kendrick at home on June 10. Céspedes bobbled a hit off the bat of Mike Trout, prompting Kendrick to attempt scoring on the play. Céspedes corralled the ball and uncorked a 300-foot rocket to nail Kendrick at the plate. He would once again terrorize Angel baserunners as he threw out Albert Pujols trying to advance to third when the ball got by Céspedes in the next game. This put Céspedes at 11 outfield assists on the season, which led the league.
On July 1, Céspedes suffered a hamstring injury while running against the Tigers on a RBI hit by Brandon Moss. Céspedes along with five other A's players were chosen to play in the 2014 MLB All-Star Game in Target Field. In the final week of fan voting to select starters for the All-Star Game, he was passed by Adam Jones. On July 14, Céspedes won the Home Run Derby for a second time, becoming the first player to win consecutive Derby titles since Ken Griffey Jr. accomplished the feat in 1999. Céspedes played in the 2014 All-Star Game where he went 0-for-2.