Yoan Moncada explains his emotions playing in the WBC originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Yoán Moncada had a spectacular outing with Team Cuba in the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
He recorded 10 hits on 23 at-bats, good for a .435/.519/.739 slash line at the plate. He added five RBIs, four runs and struck out just three times. At times, too, Moncada was uncharacteristically emotional, expressing a fiery side that fans aren’t used to seeing.
“Honestly, that’s just who I am,” Moncada said through translator Billy Russo. “And in those moments, I think just the feeling you get representing your country, those layers that you have at your chest. It means a lot. Those layers mean a lot.
“And, just the emotions of when you’re playing there, every game counts, every moment counts and just excitement. It’s important because it’s your country. In those moments when you saw my emotions there, it’s because I couldn’t control them . It’s just the moment was so big and the stage was so big. It’s just like a playoff games atmosphere. And then you just let your emotions go.”
RELATED: Tim Anderson talks playing in WBC, moving to second base
Similar to Moncada, Tim Anderson’s feelings about the WBC atmosphere were synonymous. He called the championship game his “World Series at the moment.” He said the energy was “crazy” and the whole thing was a “cool experience.”
The hope, from Moncada’s experience, is his hot bat and energy-filled gameplay will translate over to the White Sox.
Over the past two seasons, Moncada has been complacent from the batter’s box. His output has not been the same since 2019. Coming off a 2019 season when Moncada slashed .315/.367/.548, he hit .225 in a shortened 2020 season. His main reason for faltering was his experience of having the Covid-19 virus that season and enduring the taxing toll it took on him physically.
In 2021, however, things did not improve. He played in 144 games, hitting just 14 home runs while slashing .263/.375/.412 from the plate. And last season in 2022, he sunk back into a lowly state, hitting .212 in the box. Moncada started the season on the injured list because of an oblique strain and did not return until May. He played 104 games last season, reminiscent of the majority of the core’s absence due to injury.
Now, however, coming off an impressive slew of games in the WBC, Moncada is focused on keeping the energy and momentum on the field.
“You focus on the season and the things that you need to do every day in order to stay healthy and perform every day and have a successful season,” Moncada said. “That’s what you focus on right now.”
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