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Wilyer Abreu took two of the biggest swings for Venezuela during the World Baseball Classic.
And thanks in large part to the Boston Red Sox star, Venezuela is now the WBC champion.
Abreu's name may not have been well known outside of Boston or his home nation before the tournament. Now, many baseball fans have learned just how special a player he is.
His biggest moment will remain that three-run home run against Japan in the quarterfinal.
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Venezuela trailed, and Abreu got a heater up and in, not a spot he'd had a lot of success against in his MLB career. But he's never stopped putting in the work, and it showed there.
Abreu's swing crushed a long home run to take the lead, and Venezuela moved on.
Fast forward to the final, and Venezuela was holding a 1-0 lead when Abreu came to the plate in the fifth.
This time, he went dead center, getting enough of it to double the lead to 2-0 with a solo shot.
Abreu's face, pictured above, said it all as he rounded the bases and headed for home.
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That run was crucial, as it turns out, in what ended up being a 3-2 win for Venezuela.
Venezuela certainly wasn't cheated out of this title. They beat the two finalists from 2023, Japan and the U.S., and in the semifinal had knocked off Italy, the darlings of this year's tournament.
It sure helps to have a guy like Abreu, who is a great defensive outfielder, too.
It'd be hard for Abreu to get better momentum for the MLB season than this. So don't be surprised if he starts the year red hot for the Red Sox.
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