There is no doubt about it, the Los Angeles Dodgers' new outfielder, Yasiel Puig, makes tuning into a Dodger game actually worth it. That is coming from an avid Dodger hater, no less. After just two games, Puig is officially MLB’s latest phenom, and baseball fans and experts everywhere are very vocal about how impressed they are with him.

Before I went to bed on Sunday, I saw a post by MLB Memes (my “favorite” baseball news source) claiming that the Dodgers called up top prospect Yasiel Puig, and an ever so punny “Manbearpuig” photo. Being the not-Dodger fan that I am, I immediately dismissed the post and this Puig character. About 24 hours later, I very much regretted that decision.

I was haphazardly watching the end of the Dodgers’ game per the request of my friend and anxiously awaited it to be over so I could turn on the end of the Astros’ game. Then it happened. Puig made an incredible throw to Adrian Gonzalez for a game-ending double play to secure a 2-1 win over the Padres. Pair that with the single he hit in his first at-bat and he had himself a pretty impressive major league debut. Let the hype (and the puns) begin.

Cut to day two. Hanley Ramirez was set to return to the lineup Tuesday, and that was supposed to be the focus for Los Doyers, but Puig was not ready to give up the limelight just yet. After starting with a double in the first inning, Puig came out in the fifth inning and hit one into deep left center to bring in three runs tying up the game at 5-5. He hit another homer in the bottom of the sixth to add two runs to the Dodgers’ 7-6 lead giving the team a comfortable three-run lead. Ramirez, on the other hand, added just a lone sacrifice fly in the fifth to his name, so once again Puig was the only one center stage for curtain call.

It is safe to say the hype surrounding Puig is not unwarranted by any means. He may have only played two games so far, but the man has five hits and a .625 batting average. In spring training, he had a .517 BA. He also hit the longest home run by a Dodger this season: 443 feet. He has drawn comparisons to Mike Trout, Vladimir Guerrero, and even Bo Jackson.

While Puig may not hit two home runs or make amazing game-saving throws every time he steps onto the field, he is certainly going to be a powerful hitter, a fast runner, and an outstanding outfielder this season, which will be very helpful to a Dodger organization trying to climb its way up from the bottom of the NL West. There is a lot of momentum behind Yasiel Puig right now, and after seeing his performance back in spring training and now, it is clear he’s not going anywhere, anytime soon.

 

Reach Staff Writer Jordan Gary here, or follow her on Twitter here.