After a long, fruitful season in the United States, Cleveland Guardians outfielder Oscar Gonzalez finally returned home, to the Dominican Republic, to spend some quality time with his family and friends and to get some much-needed rest.
MLB writer and analyst Hector Gomez posted a wholesome video in which Gonzalez is seen greeting and hugging a sizable number of people at the airport back home.
“Oscar got a hero’s welcome upon his return to the DR. (via @hgomez27),” the Guardians tweeted, with the video.
Oscar got a hero's welcome upon his return to the DR. 🥰
(via @hgomez27)pic.twitter.com/2YKd5HsKeO
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) October 20, 2022
In a brief time, Gonzalez became one of the fan favorites on the Guardians roster.
From his entrance song to his childish, fresh approach to life and to the game, he quickly captivated people in Cleveland and even in other locations.
A Year Of Progress And Consolidation
Of course, his on-field production was marvelous from day one.
The rookie started the year in Triple-A, where he hit a solid .282/.308/.506 with nine home runs in 182 plate appearances.
His 106 wRC+ indicated above-average offensive performance, but also some room to improve.
Upon being called up to the big league team, he did just that: improve.
Gonzalez slashed .296/.327/.461 with 11 home runs in 382 trips to the plate in Cleveland, good for a much better 122 wRC+.
He had some incredible moments in the postseason, hitting the home run that sent the Guardians to the American League Division Series and earning another walk-off hit against the New York Yankees.
He needs to work on his plate discipline, but there is no denying it was a great year for him.
The 2022 campaign was a smashing success for the Guardians, in large part because they could identify players like Gonzalez: he will now be a core contributor for Cleveland for years to come.
NEXT: Guardians Star Is Set To Undergo Offseason Surgery