When you see the 19-year-old frame of Yoelkis Cespedes Maceo, you may have to do a double take, especially when the familiar shape of the eyebrows take to form. You may have heard of his older half-brother, two-time All-Star slugger Yoenis Cespedes.
But Yoelkis is making a name for himself in Cuba according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.
“The right-handed batter with the familiar stance hit a single to center field to load the bases in the fifth inning, and he later scored from second later in the inning on double by center fielder Roel Santos to give Cuba a 4-0 lead,” according to Sanchez. He finished 1-for-4 with a run scored.”
Yoelkis receives constructive criticism from his brother as well saying he gets calls from him telling him what he’s doing wrong. He also said he’s constantly being compared to his older brother who has five seasons of big league experience under his belt, but it only helps him.
“Yes, I’m pressured by that,” Yoelkis said of the comparisons to his brother. “Like I said before, they compare me to my brother, and that motivates me to be a better player.”
The teenager continues to be one of the top prospects in Cuba, sporting a .304 batting average with five bombs, eight doubles and 25 RBIs in 45 games in the first half of the season for Granma. He finished the second half of the season with a .329 batting average.
As far as his future goes? For now, the sky is the limit with veterans praising him. Until then, he will be faithful to his country.
“Well, as of now, I’ve never thought of leaving my country,” Yoelkis said. “I only think about leaving the country only when it’s with the Cuban team.”