Jose Azoka (28), an outfielder who was recently announced on waivers from San Diego, has moved to the New York Mets, who are competing for the National League wild card.
ESPN, a U.S. sports channel, reported on the 7th (Korea Standard Time) that “the New York Mets recruited Jose Azoka, a young outfielder with excellent focus, from San Diego through a waivers claim.”
Azoka was recently removed from the 26-man roster of the Major League in a move to make room for San Diego outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr., who returned from an injury. However, the recruitment by the New York Mets allowed him to continue his major career.
Originally from Venezuela, a South American country, Azoka made his Major League debut as a member of the San Diego Padres in 2022. He posted a batting average of 0.257 and 10 RBIs and five steals, displaying his potential. His OPS was 0.629, which was the combination of on-base plus slugging percentage.
Azoka also played in a total of 55 games last year, posting a batting average of 0.278, two homers, nine RBIs and eight steals. Although he did not receive many opportunities due to the high-end San Diego outfielders led by Fernando Tatis Jr. and Juan Soto (26. New York Yankees), he showed promise by showing good performance.
However, he played in a total of 61 games before being waived this year, but showed poor performance with a batting average of 0.219, two RBIs and five steals. His OPS also managed a mere 0.516.
“Ajoka is not the type of fielder who hits many home runs at bat, but he is useful because of his young age and fast focus,” the media said. “In particular, he has the advantage of being able to cover all positions in the outfield, and can be used as a pinch runner in the second half of the game. He can grow further if he gets enough chances.”
The New York Mets, who have become Azoka’s bird’s nest, are recording 76 wins and 64 losses and 0.543 percentage points this season. Though they cannot advance to the postseason by winning the National League East, they can try out the “Autumn Baseball” through competition with the Wilt Card. 먹튀검증
The New York Mets are tying for third with Atlanta in the National League wild card race, following the San Diego-Arizona teams. As the team has 22 games to play until the end of the regular season, the team is expected to continue its wild card race until the end of the season.
The New York Mets will not face the San Diego Padres for the remainder of their scheduled matches. However, if the two teams win wild cards, they will likely have to engage in an inevitable match to advance to the National League Division Series.
Attention is focusing on how Azoka, who moved to the New York Mets in recognition of its various utilization, will insert a dagger in his old team in the future.