Yoenis Céspedes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yoenis Céspedes |
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Céspedes with the New York Mets in 2015
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| Outfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: October 18, 1985 Campechuela, Granma Province, Cuba |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| March 28, 2012, for the Oakland Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| August 1, 2020, for the New York Mets | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .273 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 165 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 528 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Yoenis Céspedes Milanés (born October 18, 1985) is a former professional baseball player from Cuba. He was an outfielder known for his powerful hitting and strong arm. People often called him "La Potencia", which means "The Power" in Spanish.
Yoenis started his Major League Baseball (MLB) career on March 28, 2012, with the Oakland Athletics. He also played for the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, and New York Mets. He was usually a left fielder, but sometimes played center field for the Mets. He bats and throws with his right hand.
Before joining MLB, Céspedes played for eight seasons in Cuba. He was also a key player for the Cuba national baseball team, winning three gold medals in international tournaments. In MLB, he won the Home Run Derby twice, in 2013 and 2014. He was also chosen as an All-Star two times. In 2015, he played in the 2015 World Series with the New York Mets.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Yoenis Céspedes was born in Campechuela, a small town in Granma Province, Cuba. His mother, Estela Milanés, was a softball pitcher who even played in the 2000 Summer Olympics for Cuba. His father, Cresencio Céspedes, was a former Cuban League catcher.
When Yoenis was just one year old, his parents separated. At age 10, his mother sent him to a special state-run school. This school helped him focus on developing his baseball skills.
Cuban Baseball Career
Céspedes started playing in the Cuban National Series with the Alazanes de Granma team during the 2003–04 season. He quickly showed his talent, hitting well from the start.
He played for Granma until 2010. During this time, he hit 169 home runs and had 557 runs batted in (RBI) in 528 games. He was known for hitting many home runs and scoring lots of runs. In the 2005–06 season, he hit 23 home runs, which was one of the best in the league.
Playing for Cuba's National Team
Céspedes was also a big part of the Cuba national baseball team. He won several medals with the team:
- A gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games.
- A gold medal at the 2010 Intercontinental Cup.
- A gold medal at the 2010 World University Baseball Championship.
He also played in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He hit very well in that tournament, earning a spot on the All-WBC team. However, in one game against Japan, he made a mistake that led to runs for the other team.
Leaving Cuba for MLB
In the summer of 2011, Céspedes decided to leave Cuba to pursue a career in Major League Baseball. He took a 23-hour speedboat ride to the Dominican Republic. Once there, he became a resident, which allowed him to become a free agent. This meant he could sign with any MLB team without going through the MLB draft.
Baseball experts saw Céspedes as a "five-tool player". This means he was excellent at hitting for average, hitting for power, running, throwing, and fielding. Many believed he was one of the best players to come out of Cuba in a long time.
Major League Baseball Career
Oakland Athletics Years (2012–2014)
On February 13, 2012, Céspedes signed a four-year contract worth $36 million with the Oakland Athletics. He made his MLB debut on March 28, 2012. In his second game, he hit his first major league home run.
In 2013, Céspedes won the Home Run Derby. He hit 32 home runs in total during the contest, beating Bryce Harper in the final round. He was the first player to win the Derby without being selected for the All-Star game that year.
In 2014, Céspedes continued to show off his strong throwing arm. He made several amazing throws from the outfield to get runners out at home plate. One famous throw was against the Angels, where he threw the ball 300 feet to stop Howie Kendrick from scoring. He led the league with 11 outfield assists that season.
Céspedes was chosen for the 2014 MLB All-Star Game. On July 14, 2014, he won the Home Run Derby for a second time. This made him the first player since Ken Griffey Jr. to win the Home Run Derby in back-to-back years.
Boston Red Sox (2014)
On July 31, 2014, the Athletics traded Céspedes to the Boston Red Sox. He hit his first home run for the Red Sox on August 10. In his time with Boston, he hit 5 home runs and had 33 RBIs. For the entire 2014 season, he finished with 22 home runs and 100 RBIs.
Detroit Tigers (2015)
The Red Sox traded Céspedes to the Detroit Tigers on December 11, 2014. In his first game with the Tigers, he made a great defensive play, robbing a home run from Kurt Suzuki.
In 2015, Céspedes won the American League Rawlings Gold Glove Award for left field. This award recognizes the best defensive players at each position. He was only the second player in MLB history to win a Gold Glove after being traded between leagues in the same season.
New York Mets (2015–2020)
On July 31, 2015, Céspedes was traded to the New York Mets. He had an amazing impact on the Mets, helping them win many games. On August 21, he hit three home runs in one game for the first time in his career. His powerful hitting helped the Mets take a big lead in their division.
In the playoffs, Céspedes continued to shine. In the National League Championship Series, he made a great throw to home plate to save a run. He also surprised the other team by stealing third base, which led to a go-ahead run.
The Mets reached the 2015 World Series, but they lost to the Kansas City Royals. Céspedes struggled a bit in the World Series. After the season, he became a free agent.
Re-signing with the Mets
On January 26, 2016, Céspedes re-signed with the Mets for three years. He continued to hit big home runs, including one that tied for the longest ever hit at Citi Field, the Mets' home stadium. He was named to the National League All-Star team again in 2016, but couldn't play due to an injury.
Céspedes signed another four-year contract with the Mets on November 30, 2016. In 2017, he hit three home runs in a single game on April 11. However, he dealt with hamstring injuries that cut his season short.
In 2018, Céspedes was confident about the Mets' chances. He hit a grand slam on April 18. But his season ended early again due to surgery on both of his heels. This meant he would miss a lot of time.
He missed the entire 2019 season because he fractured his right ankle on his ranch.
Final Season (2020)
Céspedes returned to play for the Mets in the 2020 season opener. He hit a home run in his first game back. However, the season was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On August 2, Céspedes decided to stop playing for the rest of the season due to concerns about the pandemic. This ended his time with the Mets.
In November 2024, Céspedes shared that he was interested in trying to play in MLB again, possibly with the Mets.
Personal Life
During the baseball season, Yoenis Céspedes lives in Manhattan, New York. In the off-season, he has a ranch in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
He has a son, Yoenis Jr., whom he has not seen since he left Cuba. He can only talk to him on the phone and has been trying to bring him to the United States. His half-brother, Yoelkis Céspedes, also plays baseball.
Céspedes loves exotic cars. He has a collection of custom sports cars and trucks, including a Lamborghini Aventador. In 2016, he famously bought a 270-pound pig from a local fair for $7,000!
Awards and Achievements
Yoenis Céspedes has won many awards and achieved great things in his baseball career:
Championships and Wins
- 3× Cuba national team gold medalist (2007 Pan Am Games, 2010 International Cup, 2010 World University)
- 2× Home Run Derby champion (2013, 2014)
- National League champion (2015)
Individual Awards
- All-World Baseball Classic Team (2009)
- American League Rookie of the Month (Sept. 2012)
- 2× MLB All-Star (2014, 2016)
- 2× MLB Player of the Week (July 15, 2012; September 13, 2015)
- Rawlings Gold Glove Award at left field (2015)
- Silver Slugger Award at outfield (2016)
Statistical Leader
- Assists at outfield leader (2014)
- Total zone runs at left field leader (2015)
See also
In Spanish: Yoenis Céspedes para niños
- Detroit Tigers award winners and league leaders
- List of baseball players who defected from Cuba
- List of Major League Baseball players from Cuba
- New York Mets award winners and league leaders
