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Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu blasted two home runs against the Texas Rangers on Opening Day to help his team to a 5-2 victory. The Venezuelan has a slow start in Spring Training due to a viral illness, losing a considerable amount of weight as a result. However, he didn't let it affect his performance on Opening Day and shared the secret behind his power.
Wilyer Abreu originally signed with the Houston Astros in 2017 and made his way up the minors in the following years. He was then traded to the Boston Red Sox in 2022 and made his major league debut the next year. In his first full season in majors in 2024, where he played 132 games and recored a .253 average with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs, winning his first Gold Glove award.
After helping the Red Sox to a victory in the first game of the season, Abreu spoke to reporter Jahmai Webster and opened up on his stellar performance (via NESN):
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"I feel very good. I never thought that the virus or the weight that I lost was going to be an issue for me to start the year. So, I feel very good... I just tried to focus, not make the situation bigger then it is and try to look for a pitch closer to me that I can do some damage and I was able to do that."
When asked if the birth of his twins played a part in his performance, he replied:
"Yeah, of course. That's where the strength came."
Wilyer Abreu's first homer was a solo blast into right field in the fifth inning, tying the score at 2-2 on the night. He then went on to add a go-ahead three-run shot in the ninth, winning the game for the Red Sox.
It's clear that the recent birth of his twins inspired Abreu's performance, but it remains to be seen how long he can carry this run.
Wilyer Abreu opens up on playing at Texas Rangers' Globe Life Field
Wilyer Abreu has hit two home runs in a game only twice in his MLB career, and both have come against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. When ESPN's Will Flemming asked what it's about the ball park that brings the best out of him, the Boston Red Sox outfielder replied:
"I don't know, this is a great field to be. I feel very confortable hitting here. I don't know; the things just happen."
The last time Abreu hit two homers in Texas, he had dedicated them to his grandmother, who he had just lost. This time, he came to the ballpark as a father to twins and credited his double blast to them.
