Yasiel Puig facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yasiel Puig |
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Puig with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016
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| Free agent | |||
| Right fielder | |||
| Born: December 7, 1990 Cienfuegos, Cuba |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: June 3, 2013, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| KBO: April 2, 2022, for the Kiwoom Heroes | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2019 season) |
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| Batting average | .277 | ||
| Home runs | 132 | ||
| Runs batted in | 415 | ||
| KBO statistics (through May 18, 2025) |
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| Batting average | .261 | ||
| Home runs | 27 | ||
| Runs batted in | 93 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Yasiel Puig Valdés (born December 7, 1990) is a professional baseball player from Cuba. He plays as a right fielder and is currently a free agent. Puig has played for teams in Major League Baseball (MLB), including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, and Cleveland Indians. He also played in the KBO League for the Kiwoom Heroes. People sometimes call him "The Wild Horse", a nickname given to him by famous Dodgers announcer Vin Scully.
Puig also played for the Cuba national baseball team. He helped them win a bronze medal in the 2008 World Junior Baseball Championship. In 2012, he left Cuba to pursue his dream of playing in the MLB. He then signed a big contract with the Dodgers. He made his first MLB appearance on June 3, 2013. In his first season, Puig hit very well. He was even chosen for the "All-Rookie team" by Baseball America.
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Early Life and Cuban Baseball
Yasiel Puig was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba. He is the older of two children. His father worked as an engineer in a sugar factory. Puig started playing baseball when he was nine years old.
Playing for Cuba
Puig played for the Cuba national baseball team as a young player. They won the bronze medal at the 2008 World Junior Baseball Championship. After that, he played for the Cienfuegos team in the Cuban National Series. In his first season (2008–09), he hit .276 with five home runs.
Puig had a fantastic season in 2009–10. He hit .330 with 17 home runs. He also had 47 runs batted in (RBIs) and scored 78 runs. Puig also played for the Cuban national team in the 2011 World Port Tournament. He tried to leave Cuba during this time. He was then not allowed to play in the 2011–12 seasons.
Journey to Major League Baseball
Starting in 2009, Puig tried many times to leave Cuba. He wanted to become a legal resident in Mexico. This would allow him to sign a contract with a Major League Baseball team. It was a very difficult and dangerous journey. He faced many challenges and attempts to leave were not always successful.
After a challenging journey, Puig successfully reached Mexico. This allowed him to pursue his dream of playing professional baseball in the United States.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting in the Minor Leagues
The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Yasiel Puig on June 28, 2012. It was a seven-year deal worth $42 million. The Dodgers first sent him to their Arizona Rookie League team. He played well, hitting .400 with four home runs in nine games.
On August 13, 2012, Puig moved up to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. This team is in the Class A-Advanced California League. He played 14 games there and hit .327. Later, he had surgery for an infection in his elbow. After recovering, he played winter baseball in Puerto Rico to stay in shape.
Puig had a great spring training with the Dodgers in 2013. He hit .526 in practice games. Many people thought he might join the main Dodgers team right away. However, he was sent to the Chattanooga Lookouts in the Class AA Southern League. He continued to play well there, hitting .313 with eight home runs in 40 games.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2013–2018)
2013: A Strong Start
On June 2, 2013, the Dodgers called Puig up to the main team. He made his first MLB appearance on June 3. In his very first time at bat, he hit a single. He also showed off his strong arm by helping with a double play to end the game.
In his second game, Puig hit two home runs and a double. He also brought in five runs. He was the first Dodger ever to hit two home runs in one of his first two games. In his fourth game, on June 6, he hit a grand slam. Puig was named the National League Player of the Week.
Puig had 27 hits in his first 15 games. This tied him for second all-time with baseball legends like Joe DiMaggio. He also set new Dodger records for hits and total bases in his first 20 games. By the end of June, Puig had 44 hits. This broke a team record for most hits by a rookie in one month. He won both the National League Rookie of the Month Award and the National League Player of the Month Award. He was the first player to win both in their first month in the Majors.
Even though he started in June, fans voted for Puig for the 2013 All-Star Game. He received over 840,000 write-in votes. In 2013, Puig hit .319 with 19 home runs and 42 RBIs in 104 games. He was named to Baseball America's "All-Rookie team." He finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.
2014: All-Star Season
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On May 17, 2014, Puig set a new Dodger record. He had eight games in a row with an extra-base hit and an RBI. He was named the NL Player of the Week and the National League Player of the Month for May. He hit .398 with eight home runs and 25 RBI that month. Puig was voted as a starter for the 2014 All-Star Game. He was the youngest Dodger starter for an All-Star game since 1982. Puig also took part in the Home Run Derby.
On July 25, 2014, Puig had a career-high four extra-base hits. He tied a Dodgers record with three triples in one game. Puig finished the 2014 season with 16 home runs and 69 RBI. His batting average was .296. After the season, Puig traveled to Japan. He played with a team of MLB All-Stars against Japanese All-Stars.
2015–2016: Injuries and Changes
Puig had hamstring problems in the 2015 season. These injuries caused him to miss many games. He was placed on the disabled list twice. He played in 79 games, hitting .255 with 11 home runs and 38 RBIs. These were career lows for him.
In 2016, Puig again dealt with hamstring issues. This limited his playing time and performance. He hit .260 with seven home runs in 81 games by the end of July. On August 2, he was sent to the AAA Oklahoma City Dodgers. This happened when the Dodgers traded for Josh Reddick to play right field. Puig rejoined the team in September. He finished the season hitting .263 with 11 home runs and 45 RBIs in 104 games.
2017–2018: Strong Defense and World Series
On June 13, 2017, Puig made an inappropriate gesture to fans after hitting a home run. He was suspended for one game, but the suspension was later changed to a charitable donation. For the season, he hit .263 with a career-high 28 home runs and 74 RBI. He also stole 15 bases. He won the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award for his excellent play in right field. He played very well in the postseason. However, in the 2017 World Series, he struggled at the plate. The Dodgers lost the series in seven games to the Houston Astros.
In 2018, Puig had a hip injury in April. He was placed on the disabled list. On August 11, Puig hit his 100th career home run. On August 14, Puig had an argument with another player, Nick Hundley. This led to a brief on-field argument. Both players were removed from the game. In 2018, he had the lowest fielding percentage among all Major League right fielders. In the playoffs, Puig hit a three-run home run in Game 7 of the NLCS. This helped the Dodgers win and reach their second straight World Series. In Game 4 of the 2018 World Series, Puig hit another three-run home run. The Red Sox won the series in five games.
Cincinnati Reds (2019)
On December 21, 2018, the Dodgers traded Puig to the Cincinnati Reds. Other players were also part of this trade. Puig was involved in on-field arguments in two games against the Pittsburgh Pirates. One argument on April 7, 2019, led to him being removed from the game and suspended for two games. Another argument happened on July 30, just before he was traded again.
Cleveland Indians (2019)
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Puig was traded to the Cleveland Indians on July 31, 2019. This was a three-team trade involving the Reds, Indians, and Padres. On August 1, 2019, Puig was suspended for three games. This was because of his role in the earlier argument while playing for the Reds. He accepted the suspension and served it starting August 12, 2019.
Playing in Other Leagues (2020–2025)
Puig did not sign with an MLB team in 2020. In July 2020, he tested positive for COVID-19. During the winter, he played for Toros del Este in the Dominican Republic.
On April 21, 2021, Puig signed with El Águila de Veracruz in the Mexican League. He played 62 games, hitting .312 with 10 home runs and 43 RBI. He was named the Defensive Player of the Year for his strong play. He played for Toros del Este again in the winter.
On December 8, 2021, Puig signed a one-year contract with the Kiwoom Heroes in the KBO League (South Korea). In 2022, he played 126 games. He hit .277 with 21 home runs and 73 RBI.
On March 16, 2024, Puig signed again with El Águila de Veracruz in the Mexican League. In 64 games, he hit .314 with 18 home runs and 43 RBI.
On November 14, 2024, Puig announced he had signed again with the Kiwoom Heroes for the 2025 season. He played 40 games for Kiwoom in 2025. On May 19, 2025, Puig shared that the Heroes had released him. He returned to the United States for treatment on a shoulder injury.
International Baseball Career
Puig represented the Cuba national under-18 baseball team. He helped them win the Bronze Medal at the 2008 World Junior Baseball Championship.
Personal Life
Yasiel Puig has four sons. On August 14, 2019, Puig became a citizen of the United States.
Philanthropy
Puig started the Wild Horse Children's Foundation in 2016. The foundation's name comes from his nickname, "The Wild Horse." This foundation helps children and families in communities that need support. It promotes healthier lives through education, sports, and community programs.
On April 19, 2018, Puig's foundation worked with the City of San Fernando, California. They helped to fix up Pioneer Park and an old house nearby.
In May 2019, Puig met a young fan in New York City. The fan was about to have his 40th surgery for a health condition. The next month, Puig invited the fan and his family to a Reds game.
In August 2019, Puig took a helicopter trip to Camp Simcha. This is a special camp for kids with cancer. He spent four hours with the children there. Puig later said it was "one of the best days of my life."
See also
In Spanish: Yasiel Puig para niños
- List of baseball players who defected from Cuba
