Baseball fans were treated to a glimpse of something special Monday night as 22-year-old Cuban phenom Yasiel Puig made his Major League debut in a 2-1 Dodgers victory over the Padres.
On paper Puig flourished both on offense and in right field, going 2-for-4 in the leadoff spot.
But watching him play was something amazing, unrivaled by anything else seen this season during an abysmal campaign by the Dodgers.
Two weak hits allowed him to get on base, but it was on one occasion where Nick Punto sent a bloop single into the outfield, allowing Puig to show off his blazing speed, advancing from first base to third like nothing.
Still, that wasn’t the most amazing thing about the debut.
In the sixth inning Chase Headley singled to right, allowing Puig to show off the cannon he possesses for an arm. With Alexi Amarista digging fast to score from second base, Puig hurled the ball from his position to home plate, a perfect throw. While it wasn’t in time, allowing the Padres to score their lone run, it was foreshadowed the spectacular finish fans would be treated to.
Brandon League has had his struggles, and after walking Chris Denorfia with one out in the 9th inning, he was bailed out by Puig.
On the box score it reads:
Does that excite you?
I didn’t think so.
The batter was Kyle Blanks, who flew out to the warning track, where Puig recorded the out, then from the brink of the wall blazed a throw over to Adrian Gonzalez at first — another perfect throw, but this one for the out and the game-ending double play.
As Padres first base coach and former Dodger centerfielder Dave Roberts argued the call, Dodger fans and players celebrated with glee because their top prospect had finally arrived.
Even if the wait was only a couple months, it seemed much longer, and it was just game one.
What can we expect in game two?
Against the soft-tossing southpaw, Clayton Richard, I would like to guess that he shows off his power tonight, blasting his first Major League home run.