Yoenis Cespedes, the Oakland Athletics' slugger, won the 2013 Home Run Derby. Below are six facts about the second-year pro.
1. Yoenis Cespedes, 27, was born on October 18, 1985 in Campechuela, Cuba. His mother, Estela Milanes, was a softball pitcher for Cuba's national team and appeared in the 2000 Summer Olympics. Milanes was Yoenis' first baseball coach, and he still receives hitting tips from her.
His father, Cresencio Cespedes, was a former Cuban League catcher. Cresencio separated from Milanes when Yoenis was 1, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
2. Even at a young age, his talent was apparent. When Yoenis was 10, his mother sent him to a state-run school in Cuba to focus on baseball. He played eight seasons in Cuba's winter league, and he achieved notoriety in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, where he batted a .458 in six games.
3. Despite his performance in the World Baseball Classic, Yoenis wasn't invited to play on Cuba's first or second national team. He soon after defected from Cuba and, with the help of an agent, established residency in the Dominican Republic in order to eventually enter the MLB as a free agent.
A Youtube video called "The Showcase" — which featured Yoenis hitting homeruns, sprinting shirtless and bench-pressing 350 pounds — garnered the attention of MLB scouts.
4. Yoenis officially became a resident of the Dominican Republic in January 2012. In February, the Oakland Athletics signed Yoenis to a four-year, $36 million contract. He was granted an athlete visa and attended training camp the following month.
5. He bats right-handed and plays leftfield. He finished second in voting for the AL Rookie of the Year, posting a .292 batting average and 23 homeruns in his first season.
6. In his second year, Yoenis is batting .225 with 15 homeruns and 43 RBIs. Yoenis won the 2013 Home Run Derby, defeating Bryce Harper 9-8 in the final round with five swings to spare, according to ESPN.
*To read more about Yoenis' defection from Cuba, and the struggles of his family to reach the United States, click here.
