Sjarif Goldstein: Seeing how local players fare early in MLB season is always fun
Baseball season is here, with hopes of a World Series alive in the hearts of 30 fanbases (and in the minds of maybe 20). We won’t know who the true contenders are for a couple of months, and one of my favorite parts of the early season is seeing which Hawaii-connected players make the major league cut and where the ones who are sent down land. Of this year’s three locks — Isiah Kiner Falefa, Kirby Yates and Cade Smith — two are on new teams.
IKF, a Mid-Pacific graduate, signed with the Boston Red Sox in February and started at second base in the season-opening win over the Cincinnati Reds. Yates, a relief pitcher out of Kauai, joined the Los Angeles Angels but has opened the season on the injured list (knee). First-year Angels manager Kurt Suzuki seems to expect Yates back soon, telling reporters last week, “Nothing too concerning.
We’re just playing it cautious, make sure that he’s right. We don’t want to rush him into the season and lose him for two months instead of taking care of it now for a little IL stint. ” Which brings us to another exciting thing to watch early this season — the Maui-born Suzuki’s arrival as an MLB manager.
The Angels turned to Suzuki after finishing in the AL West cellar the past two seasons and out of the playoffs the past 11. Suzuki played the last two of his 16 big league seasons with the team and subsequently served as a special assistant to the GM but has never been a manager at any level. The Baldwin graduate is the first MLB manager born and raised in Hawaii and he notched his first win quickly, as the Angels beat the Houston Astros 3-0 Thursday on Opening Day.
Back to the current players, along with the three locks, two of the three Hawaii players on the bubble to make major league rosters also got good news: >> Kailua’s Joey Cantillo earned a spot in the Cleveland Guardians’ rotation and will try to build on an up-and-down rookie season. The 26-year-old had some impressive moments last season and averaged 10. 2 strikeouts per nine innings in 34 appearances (the last 13 as the starter), but like many young pitchers, consistency will determine whether he keeps his rotation spot or winds up in the bullpen.
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