José Abreu (baseball)

Abreu set a Cuban home run record in 2010–2011 and was named league MVP. He had played five seasons in the Cuban Serie Nacional through 2007–2008, hitting .295 and slugging .467. After 48 games in 2008–2009, he was batting .345/.368/.600, earning the infielder a spot on Cuba's provisional roster for the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He did not make the final cut and finished the season with a .346/.441/.630 batting line. He led the 2008-09 Cuban National Series with 30 times hit by pitch. He tied Yenier Bello and Alex Guerrero for 8th in homers (19), was 8th in slugging and 4th in strikeouts (69).

Abreu was 2 for 10 in the 2009 World Port Tournament, backing up Ariel Borrero at first base. In the 2009 Baseball World Cup, he hit .250/.333/.469 in his first major tournament. He was listed in the IBAF's Final Report as being one of the All-Star outfielders alongside teammate Alfredo Despaigne and Jon Weber, but other sources list Puerto Rico's Miguel Abreu, who had better statistics. He was not even used as a starter in the outfield, playing alongside Ariel Borrero at first. In the Gold Medal game, he did not appear as Borrero saw the action.

Abreu in the 2013 World Baseball Classic

In 2009–2010, Abreu had his best year yet, hitting .400/.555/.822 with 82 runs, 30 homers, 76 RBI and 74 walks to 49 strikeouts in 89 games. He tied Leonys Martín for 6th in the Serie Nacional in runs, tied for third with 25 doubles, tied Yulieski Gourriel for second in home runs (one behind Alfredo Despaigne in a to-the-wire home run race), was third with 235 total bases (behind Despaigne and Gourriel), again led with 30 times hit by pitch, tied Enrique Esteban Díaz for 4th in walks, led with 32 intentional walks (12 more than runner-up Yosvany Peraza), was second in average (.005 behind Despaigne), led in slugging (.008 over Despaigne) and probably led in OBP. He was named the All-Star first baseman.

Abreu was Cuba's starting first baseman when they won the 2010 Intercontinental Cup, their first Gold in an international tournament in three years. He hit .292/.320/.500. In the finale, he went 1 for 3 and scored the first run in the victory over the Dutch national baseball team; he doubled off Rob Cordemans in the third and came home on a Yorbis Borroto hit. He helped Cuba finish second at the 2010 Pan American Games Qualifying Tournament. In the 2010 World University Baseball Championship, he posted the best average by going 10 for 18 with 2 walks, a double, triple, four homers, 9 runs and 12 RBI in six games as Cuba won the Gold. He was 0 for 4 in the finale, as Cuba edged Team USA. He was named the event's All-Star 1B.

Abreu continued to improve in 2010–11 Cuban National Series with one of the greatest seasons in Cuban history. He hit .453/.597/.986 with 79 runs, 93 RBI and 33 home runs in only 66 games.[1] Despite missing 23 games due to bursitis in his shoulder, he broke Despaigne's home run record (as did Yoenis Céspedes – both hit their 33rd on the season's last day). Despaigne would reclaim the record a year later. Abreu led the league in average (.052 over Michel Enríquez), slugging (a whopping .212 over runner-up Frederich Cepeda), intentional walks (21) and homers (tied with Yoenis Céspedes), was second in RBI (6 behind Céspedes), tied for 8th in runs with Donal Duarte, was 7th in total bases (209) and 4th in times hit by pitch (21). Had he not been injured, he would have likely easily won a Triple Crown. He won Cuban National Series Most Valuable Player Award. He was the second MVP from Cienfuegos, following Pedro José Rodríguez, Sr. by 31 years.

Abreu was named to the Cuban national baseball team for the 2013 World Baseball Classic.[1] In Cuba's six games, he batted .383 and hit three home runs while recording nine RBIs.[2]

In August 2013, Abreu defected from Cuba to test the MLB free agent market.[3] His defection was later confirmed by former teammate Henry Urrutia.[4] He established residency in Haiti. He then made his way to the Dominican Republic, where Henry Urrutia's agents planned to showcase him. [5] In October, he signed a six-year contract with the Chicago White Sox worth $68 million.[2][6] On the White Sox, Abreu joined fellow Cuban players Alexei Ramírez, Dayán Viciedo, and Rule 5 draft pick Adrian Nieto.

Abreu with the White Sox in 2017

Abreu recorded his first major league hit on March 31, 2014, against the Minnesota Twins. On April 8, 2014, Abreu hit the first two home runs of his career at Coors Field, helping his team defeat the Colorado Rockies 15-3. On April 25, 2014, he captured his eighth home run of the year off Chris Archer, tying the rookie record for homers in March/April. Later that night, Abreu recorded his third multi-homer game with a walk-off grand slam off Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Grant Balfour giving him nine homers in his first month in the Major Leagues, surpassing the record of eight shared by Albert Pujols (2001), Carlos Delgado (1994), and Kent Hrbek (1982). Two days later, Abreu broke the rookie record for RBI in the month of April with 31, and extended the April rookie home run record to 10.[7] For his performance, Abreu was awarded a share of the AL Player of the Week Award with Seattle Mariners' third baseman Kyle Seager. During this week, Abreu batted .310 with 5 home runs, 14 RBI and an .862 slugging percentage .[8]

On May 18, Abreu was placed on the 15-day disabled list with tendinitis in his left ankle.[9] On June 2, Abreu returned from the DL to face the Los Angeles Dodgers. In his second at bat after his return, Abreu hit a two-run home run off Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw.

On July 6, Abreu was selected to the 2014 MLB All-Star Game along with teammates Alexei Ramírez and Chris Sale. At the All-Star Break, Abreu had a .292 batting average with 73 RBIs and an MLB-leading 29 home runs. During the season, Abreu was named both player of the month and rookie of the month for April & July. Nobody in baseball had ever won both awards in the same month twice in one season. Having won the rookie honor in June, Abreu became only the fourth player to win the Rookie of the Month honor three or more times in a season.[10]

Abreu finished the season with a White Sox rookie record 36 home runs.[11] He won the 2014 Sporting News American League Rookie of the Year Award.[12] He was awarded the AL Silver Slugger Award for first basemen, becoming the only White Sox first baseman besides Frank Thomas to ever gain the honor. Abreu was unanimously named the 2014 AL Rookie of the Year by the BBWAA on November 10, 2014.[13]

2017 was an incredible year for Abreu in which he held many of the top 20 ranks within Major League Baseball. In 2017, Abreu was 8th in the Major League's for batting average, batting .304 for the season. He additionally led the league in total bases. Abreu created a total of 116 runs throughout the season, placing him at fifth in the League. He was third in the league for triples hitting 6 over the course of the regular season, and had 82 total extra base hits, making him 82nd in the league.

In 2018, Abreu again was selected to play in the 2018 All-Star Game as part of the American League team as a first baseman. After the 2018 season, he was also awarded his second Silver Slugger Award for first basemen. He batted .265/.325/.473 in 2018, each the lowest figure of his Major League Baseball career.

In 2019, Abreu batted .284/.330/.503 with 33 home runs and led the American League in RBIs (123) and sacrifice flies (10), and led the major leagues in grounding into double plays (24).[14] On defense, he had a -4 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) rating, the lowest in the American League among first basemen.[15]

On November 14, 2019, Abreu agreed to the White Sox's qualifying offer of a one-year, $17.8 million contract.[16] On November 22, Abreu signed a three-year contract with the White Sox worth $50 million, superseding his previously accepted qualifying offer.[17]

Abreu had another strong offensive season for the White Sox in 2020 as he batted .317/.370/.617, equalling a career high in batting average while setting a new career best for slugging. Abreu led the American League in slugging percentage, RBIs (60), games played (60), hits (76), extra base hits (34), total bases (148), double plays grounded into (10; leading the league for the second consecutive year), and errors by a first baseman (5), while also finishing in the top 10 in home runs (19, 2nd) and doubles (15, 9th).[18] Abreu's strong season helped to lead the White Sox to their first postseason berth since 2008. For his efforts, Abreu was named the AL MVP, becoming the first White Sox player to win the award since Frank Thomas in 1994. Abreu became the fourth different White Sox player to win AL MVP joining Thomas, Dick Allen, and Nellie Fox.[19]