LaMonte Wade Jr. is in his third MLB season and his first with the San Francisco Giants.
Let’s just say that Wade Jr. is making a great impression in his first season with his new team. Our MLBbro has been swinging a good stick lately and has given the staff multiple reasons to keep him in the lineup.
In his recent game against the Philadelphia Phillies, he went 0-for-4 at the plate. But that was before he had a two-game hitting streak in the series.
During those two games, he went 4-for-9 with two runs scored. Wade Jr. has looked a lot more comfortable at the plate throughout the season.
What a night for LaMonte Wade Jr.
2-for-4 with a 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, and he throws out Bryce Harper trying to stretch a single into a double 🔥#ProTerps 🐢 pic.twitter.com/iZbitWMzhw
In his last seven games, he’s batting .259 with seven hits, one home run, and five RBI. His batting average is now up to .265 on the season.
The talented outfielder has been spending valuable time with hitting coaches Donnie Ecker and Justin Viele. Wade Jr. has put in the work with them since spring training and it’s starting to pay off.
“I feel like starting in Spring Training with Eck and JV, we’ve been working on getting the ball more out in front and not letting the ball travel too deep on you,” Wade told mlb.com. “I feel like I’ve still got a little ways to go to try to be more consistent with it, but I think we’re going in the right direction.”
Unexpected contributions like Wade Jr.’s are why the Giants are 1.5 games up on the COVID World Champion Dodgers and a solid 5 games ahead of everybody’s popular World Series pick, San Diego Padres.
The 27-year-old can be used in multiple positions in the batting lineup. He’s an impactful leadoff hitter that can also spark the bottom of the lineup.
Wherever he’s at in the lineup he’ll make an impact.
Giants’ manager Gabe Kapler has been pleased with Wade Jr.’s performance recently.
“LaMonte continues to have high-quality at-bats and go after pitches that he can drive, so he’s especially aggressive on those,” Kapler said. “He’s also working deep counts and drawing walks along the way, which is kind of why we feel so comfortable with him in the leadoff spot.”
Wade Jr. has also been a force in the field as well. That’s another reason he’s been in the lineup more consistently.
“I feel like it definitely helps you get in a rhythm anytime you’re out there on a consistent basis and you can get in a groove,” Wade said. “I’m just grateful for the opportunity to be able to contribute. It’s a tough game, but anytime you can contribute and help the team win, it always makes you feel good and that’s what I’m trying to do right now.”
Our brother has been putting in the work since the start of the season and he’s making a name himself.
People are starting to find out what Wade Jr. is all about and so far he is not disappointing. He will play a significant role for the Giants throughout the season and he might have found himself a new home for the next few seasons.
Jala Norman gives her take on MLB legend Barry Bonds and his sister Cheryl Dugan entering a miniature schnauzer named Rocky, in the Westminster Kennel Club Show this past weekend.
LaMonte Wade Jr. is a hidden gem in San Francisco Giants organization. The 27-year-old outfielder is in his first season with the Giants and he has immediately made an impact on the team.
In his last game, he hit his first home run of the 2021 season as that helped the Giants defeat the LA Angels 6-1.
Through nine games this season, Wade Jr. has been on a tear. He’s batting .350 while slugging .550.
He missed some time during the season due to an oblique strain, but he returned in full force. Giants manager Gabe Kapler did not waste any time putting Wade Jr. in the lineup when he returned from his injury.
“We’re going to give Wade a chance to play and see how he looks,” Kapler said in an article from the San Francisco Chronicle. “He was swinging the bat very well when he went on the IL, and we want to give him an opportunity to show us what he can do.”
This guy has some versatility as well. Not only can he play the outfield, but he can also play first base. He’s already made it known that he knows how to hit. His debut with the Giants was one to remember.
MLBbro went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk in his first game against the Colorado Rockies. Now that’s how you make an appearance to your new team right there.
When Wade Jr. has heard his name called, he’s stepped up so far this season. He’s on a five-game hitting streak and though he’s not an everyday player, he’s making a name for himself.
The Giants will have no choice but to find a place for Wade Jr. in the lineup if he continues to have this kind of success at the plate.
The Giants won their first game of the season against the Dodgers!
LaMonte Wade Jr. delivered the go-ahead hit in extras.
In 2019, Wade Jr. made his MLB debut. The Twins promoted him to the big league roster and he appeared in his first game on June 28 against the Chicago White Sox. He played in 26 games, finishing with a .196 batting average.
The next season he saw his batting average increase during the shortened season. He finished with a .231 batting average through 16 games.
The Twins selected Wade Jr. in the ninth round of the 2015 draft. Our MLBbro put together an impressive performance during his time in the minors. In 2016, he started in the Midwest League All-Star Game. That season he finished the season batting .293 and hit eight home runs.
The years later he was named a Southern League mid-season All-Star and was promoted to the Rochester Red Wings of the Class AAA International League in June of 2018.
This man was one of the top prospects in the Twins’ organization and he put the work in to get that recognition.
The Twins traded Wade Jr. to the Giants earlier this year and right now it’s certainly looking like the Giants are benefitting from that trade.
Don’t be surprised to see more of Wade Jr. in the lineup for the Giants as he continues to swing a hot stick.
The game is changing right in front of our eyes, and the New MLB City Connects are going to be a huge part of it.
Two years ago a billion-dollar deal brought two of America’s most synonymous brands together; Major League Baseball and NIKE.
This new age era of baseball acknowledges showmanship and flair in the game as an important part of MLB’s future. Bat flips, dugout celebrations, and even pitchers breaking out their best dance moves after strikeouts on a nightly basis have been fun to watch.
On the other side, we have seen NIKE becoming the official uniform brand of both the NBA and NFL recently.
In January of 2019, NIKE announced a billion-dollar deal that included $3 million in the pockets of each team, bringing the swoosh to all baseball jerseys in 2020.
This morning, baseball unveiled one of 7 teams that City Connects collections will be fitting this year.
In a statement, NIKE announced these jerseys would honor each team’s city, history, fans and culture. The Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs and White Sox, LA Dodgers, Florida Marlins and Giants will be releasing their looks at a later date.
One of the most iconic franchises, Boston Red Sox were up first, and in my eyes, hit a home run with their Boston Marathon-themed fashion choice.
The idea behind City Connect is that the jerseys explore, not just a team’s historic look, but something significant about that team’s broader hometown and culture. For the Miami Heat, Nike created a blue and pink, 1980s neon throwback for the team that screamed Don Johnson, bucking tradition for the otherwise red, black, and yellow franchise. The strategy has worked well. Nike’s Miami Heat jersey became the best selling jersey in the NBA in several seasons, according to Nike.
These jerseys stray away from the normal Red Sox white and blue, choosing to go with blue yellow jerseys in honor of the finish line of the Boston Marathon.
The yellow is complemented with the word “Boston” across the chest in blue. The city area code 617 is on the sleeve.
The new looks are going to take some getting used to. Baseball’s color schemes continue to evolve out of the traditional looks, but we have seen these types of designs recently with the NBA City collection jerseys in recent years.
“Nike is uniquely suited for our relationship with the MLB because we like pushing the edges of creativity across the board, but it’s always done out of a place of supporting the players and advancing the sport,” said Nike Vice President of North America League partnerships Sonja Henning.
Although we are not sure when the next team’s jerseys will be released, we do know the dates that they will debut on the field.
The Red Sox will be worn April 17th, Florida Marlins May 21st, Chicago Cubs June 12th, Arizona D-Backs June 18th and San Francisco Giants on July 9th.
The White Sox and MLB Bro Tim Anderson will be wearing their new drip on June 5th in a Saturday night matchup against the hottest young talent in baseball, Akil Baddoo, and the Detroit Tigers.
2018 MVP and multiple World Series champion Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers will rock theirs in late August.
I’m ready to see these jerseys on the field. Like it or not a cultural change is coming to MLB and these classic jerseys will be a major part of the process.
Kevin Mitchell was an unapologetically Black diamond-miner who made a mighty impact in his prime years, finishing his 13-year MLB career with 234 homers, an MVP, and never a dull moment. His peak was good enough for him to be considered the best player in the National League in 1989.
Respects to Kevin Mitchell. He was nice and had the spice. He probably rolled dice.
