Monday, June 30, 2014

Abreu in good company with hot start to career


       
            On Friday night White Sox rookie first baseman Jose Abreu knocked two solo home runs out of the Rogers Centre as the ‘south-siders’ topped the Blue Jays by a score of 5-4.

            The two long balls were Abreu’s 24th and 25th home runs of the season. The Cuban first baseman became the quickest player in Major League history to reach the milestone of 25 career home runs, having played only 67 games.

What does this mean for White Sox nation? Is the twenty-seven-year-old a prodigy on his way to Major League stardom and successes, or is his bat just sizzling hot before he regresses to the mean?

Well if we take a look at what history tells us, we get some positive projections on the future for this White Sox slugger.

Back in 1934, Rudy York hit his 25th home run in his first 72 games as a major leaguer with Detroit. York went on to be a seven-time All-Star over his 15-year career in the Major Leagues. He would go on to hit 277 home runs and drive in 1,152 runs over his career.

Another former big leaguer who hit the 25 home run milestone very early on in his career was Mark McGwire. McGwire reached the milestone after his first 77 games in the Majors with Oakland. McGwire, who hit 583 home runs over his career, would have reached Cooperstown were it not for PED allegations which tainted his legacy and career.

                While the future is not certain for Abreu, he is most definitely in good company when it comes to his hot start in the Majors. Abreu’s future seems most promising and White Sox fans will come to embrace him as a cornerstone of the franchise in the seasons to come. The White Sox have the Cuban slugger locked up through 2019 but you can expect other franchises to draw up some interest in the new-found gem in the near future.




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