José Dariel Abreu is a professional baseball player from Cuba. He is in Major League Baseball (MLB) and plays the first baseman for the Chicago White Sox. In addition to the MLB, Abreu has also played in the Cuban National Series for his hometown team, the Cienfuegos.
He defected in 2013 and in October of that year, he was signed by the Chicago White Sox. He has had a lot of successes while in the MLB, including being named to the All-Star team, three times. He has also won the Silver Slugger Award, thrice and was named the American League MVP in 2020.
Player Bio and Personal Life
Abreu was born on January 29, 1987, in Cienfuegos, Cuba. His full name is Jose Dariel Abreu and his smother’s name is Daysi Correa. His mother chose his jersey number 79 – so that it would be easier to remember. His parents did not defect until 2014.
| Team |
Chicago White Sox
|
| Height / weight | 1.9 m / 106 kg |
| Born | 29 Jan 1987 |
| Nationality |
Cuba
|
| Nickname | Oso |
| Team History | |
|
Chicago White Sox
|
2014 - present |
Jose stands 6 feet 3 inches or 190 cm tall. His listed weight is 235 lb. or 190 cm. He is a right-handed player and bats with his right and also throws with his right.
Cuban National Series and Defection
Abreu played for five seasons in the Cuban National Series or the Cuban Serie Nacional. He also represented his home country at the 2009 Baseball World Cup and the 2010 Intercontinental Cup. He also played for Cuba during the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
In 2013, he successfully defected and started living in Haiti before heading to the Dominican Republic. In October of the year, he signed to play for the Chicago White Sox with a contract of $68 Million.
Major League Baseball
Abreu debuted in the MLB in the same year that he signed. In March 2014, he made his first MLB hit. In that year, he was named to the All-Star Team. He would be named an All-Star two more times in 2018 and again in 2019.
2014 was his rookie year and for his performance, he was named the American League Rookie of the Year. It was also in 2014 that he received his first Silver Slugger Award. He would get another Silver Slugger in 2018 and again in 2020.
2020 was a great year for Abreu as he was named to the All-MLB Second Team. He was also named the AL MVP and received that year’s Hank Aaron Award. He was also given the Sporting News Player of the Year Award for 2020.
In 2021, he tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. After recovery, he went back into the game and in August, he hit his first official Major League Home Run.
Career Highlights and Awards
- 2014, 2018, 2019 - All-Star
- 2014 - AL Rookie of the Year
- 2014, 2018, 2020 - Silver SluggerAward
- 2019, 2020 - AL RBI leader
- 2020 - All-MLB Second Team
- 2020 - AL MVP
- 2020 - AL Hank Aaron Award
- 2020 - Sporting News Player of theYear Award
Medals
- Silver – 2009 Nettuno Baseball WorldCup – Team Cuba
- Gold – 2010 TaichungIntercontinental Cup – Team Cuba
