Former Seattle Mariners Star Makes More History Among Venezuelan-Born Players
The Arizona Diamondbacks were beaten by the Houston Astros on Saturday afternoon. The Seattle Mariners needed the help from Arizona if they wanted to stay close in the American League West race, but they are now 5.5 games back in the division from Houston.
Despite the loss, former Mariners star Eugenio Suarez did his part to help the cause, going 2-for-4 with a home run. It was his 25th blast of the season and moved him up a prestigious list in history for Venezuelan-born players.
Per @StatsCentre:
Most career 25+ home run seasons among Venezuelan players in MLB history:
12- Miguel Cabrera
7- Andres Galarraga
6- Eugenio Suarez (Via a solo blast in a losing cause for the @Diamondbacks on Saturday vs the Astros)
6- Magglio Ordonez
5- Carlos Gonzalez
4- Tony Armas
4- Salvador Perez
Suarez is hitting .244 this season with the 25 homers and 88 RBI. He's posted a .772 OPS.
The Mariners traded him to Arizona last offseason in a salary-dump move that netted them backup catcher Seby Zavala and a promising relief prospect. The M's had acquired Suarez before the 2022 season and he became an instant-fan favorite for his good attitude and ability to hit home runs.
Suarez had 31 homers and 87 RBI for the M's in 2022 as they broke the drought and advanced to the playoffs. He added 22 homers and 96 RBI for the 2023 team that missed the playoffs by just one game. Trading him was billed by the front office as a way to cut down on strikeouts (he led the American League in strikeouts each of those years), but it was clearly just a way to cut his $11 million salary this past offseason, another in a string of frustratiny penny-pinching moves.
Suarez is a one-time All-Star who has played 11 years with the Cincinnati Reds, Mariners, Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers.
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