BRONX, NY — Eugenio Suárez of the Arizona Diamondbacks was named the National League Player of the Week this past Monday afternoon by Major League Baseball, the first NL POTW of the 2025 MLB regular season.
Just over 24 hours later, the Venezuelan right-handed slugging third baseman flipped the whole complexion of the D-Backs-Yankees series opener in the Bronx on an eighth inning go-ahead grand slam.
While Arizona was trailing 4-3, with two down, and the bases juiced in the visiting frame of the eighth, as the Yanks opted towards right-handed reliever Mark Leiter Jr., Suárez, 33, of Puerto Ordaz, Bolívar, Venezuela, unloaded on a 2-2, 84-MPH splitter to the left field seats of Yankee Stadium, to give the Diamondbacks a commanding 7-4 lead, which ultimately ended on a final of 7-5.
“I mean, that was awesome,” said Suárez following the win, Arizona’s third (3-2) of 2025. “We never give up, we play our game. I think that’s us, that’s the kind of team that we are and that’s the team that we’ve been through the first five games…
We have good at-bats, today is a big example–bases loaded and two outs–I had the opportunity to come in and help my team win the game. That’s more important to me.”
With his clutch 376-foot ‘grand salami’ on an exit velocity of 109 MPH, Suárez’s fifth home run and also, fifth overall hit of the 2025 campaign, now slashing .278/.381/1.111 across 18 at-bats so far on the year, he became the first Venezuelan-born player in MLB history to record five home runs and 11 RBI in their first five games of a MLB season—surpassing Álex González and Andrés Galarraga who each totaled four HR and nine RBI in April of 2003, respectively with the Florida Marlins and San Francisco Giants (Stat courtesy of Francys Romero).
Eugenio Suárez’s grand slam on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium marked his sixth career grand slam – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
“If it were that easy, I would take all the homers,” explained Suárez regarding his home run streak as all five of his hits in 2025 have left the yard.
“But it’s not easy. I know that all my hits right now are homers, but it’s out of my control. I just go out to put together my best at-bats and not try to do too much. I know that I have the power, I know that if I put my best swing on it and get it on the barrel, I know I’ve got a chance to hit a homer–but I don’t go with that plan to the plate. I just make it simple and not try too hard.”
From Barquisimeto, Venezuela to the Big Leagues
Gabriel Moreno and Oswald Peraza catch up during D-Backs-Yanks pregame
Just imagine growing up in a city of over 1.2 million people while you and four other individuals within the same/similar age range have the opportunity of each living out their childhood dreams—playing in the Major Leagues.
Gabriel Moreno and Oswald Peraza spending time together during Diamondbacks-Yankees pregame on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium (WATCH) – Image Credit: Latino Sports
That’s the case at hand with Diamondbacks’ 25-year-old catcher Gabriel Moreno and Yankees’ 24-year-old utility infielder Oswald Peraza, both natives of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, along with Yankees’ RHP Carlos Carrasco (38), Blue Jays’ second baseman Andrés Giménez (26), and Phillies’ LHP Ranger Suárez (29).
For Venezuela on the grand scheme as a country, Moreno, Peraza, Carrasco, Giménez, and Suárez are five of sixty-three (63) MLB Venezuelan-born players appearing on 2025 MLB Opening Day team rosters—the second most among countries and territories outside of the United States—behind the Dominican Republic with 100 total.
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