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The Cuban Andy Pagés connected his fifth home run of the 2026 season on Monday against pitcher David Peterson of the New York Mets, becoming the first player in Major League Baseball to reach 20 RBIs for the year.
According to Pelota Cubana, the hit occurred in the third inning of the game between the Dodgers and the Mets at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium, with a three-run homer to left field that brought in Kyle Tucker and Freddie Freeman.
According to Statcast data, the home run traveled 364 feet with an exit velocity of 97.0 miles per hour and an angle of 30 degrees, hit off a hanging curveball from Peterson with a two-strike count.
The player from Pinar now has five home runs and 20 RBIs so far this season, figures that solidify him as one of the hottest hitters in the National League.
Before this game, Pagés was batting .429 with an OPS of 1.181, 24 hits in 56 at-bats, and a hard contact rate of 52.4%, numbers that reflect sustained dominance since day one of the season.
The start of 2026 for the center fielder of the Dodgers stands in stark contrast to his performance in the 2025 postseason, when he hit just .078 with an OPS of .211 in 51 plate appearances.
During the week of April 7, Pagés was named Player of the Week in the National League after batting .583 in 24 at-bats with two home runs, two doubles, seven RBIs, and an OPS of 1.532, leading all of MLB in hits and total bases.
On April 9, he led the batting average across all of MLB with .413 in the first 12 games of the season.
The Dodgers, with a record of 11-4, lead the National League West and enter this part of the schedule as one of the strongest teams in the league.
David Peterson, the starting pitcher for the Mets who gave up the home run, came into the game with a record of 0-2 and an earned run average of 6.14 for the season.
As noted by FanGraphs in their analysis of the Cuban's start, with this hot beginning, Pagés has turned the page on a disappointing postseason.
Pagés has also confirmed his participation with the Cuban national team in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, adding another dimension to a season that already appears historic for the player from Pinar del Río.
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