Yasiel Puig will play this winter with the Estrellas Orientales of the Dominican Winter League after having been inactive during the summer. In preparation for his incursion the LIDOM, the man from Cienfuegos was interviewed by the program Abriendo el Juego, a space that follows the current events of the players from the land of merengue and, above all, they closely monitor the winter league. The 32-year-old Cuban had some interesting things to say in this interview that lasted 1 hour and 44 minutes.
When asked what his greatest wish, Puig did not hold anything back and expressed all his feelings. “My greatest desire is to return to the Major Leagues and show that I still have the talent to play even though I have been out of the league for a little bit. That’s why I would like to have the opportunity to play for some team and not have people dwell on my past , I just want the opportunity to prove myself.”
¡Yasiel Puig en Abriendo El Podcast! 🔥https://t.co/OuqTR892mb pic.twitter.com/F5Igf07AGH
— Abriendo Sports (@AbriendoSports) September 28, 2023
Puig was quite a sensation when he debuted in the big leagues in 2013. His best season in MLB was in 2017 when he hit 27 longballs, knocked in 74 runs and had a .263 average. In 7 years on the grand stage he hit .277 with 834 hits, 132 homeruns 159 doubles,,415 RBIs and 79 stolen bases. Puig was also known for he stellar defense and howitzer for an arm from right field.
“The Wild Horse” also elaborated about the World Series that his team at the time, the Los Angeles Dodgers, lost to the Houston Astros in 2017 and that years later he was at the center of controversy after it was proven that the sidereal team stole signs. during that season. “If they cheated, I didn’t find out,” Puig declared. “If you cheat, from my perspective, you win in 4 games. We went to 7 games, we ourselves were the ones who lost the World Series.”
He also had words of praise for Shohei Ohtani, whom he referred to as an unmatched player and recounted when they faced each other in a friendly game in 2014 in Japan. “In the first at-bat he struck me out but then I was able to hit a double against him in a later at-bat.” All in all the interview was an interesting one and gave you the impression that the outfielder is a more mature version of himself and ready to make his way back to Major League Baseball.