There wasn’t a better story in April than Yermín Mercedes emphatically breaking onto the baseball scene, with his chains flopping as he rounded the bases and infectious smile making him an instant fan favorite.
He’s a 28-year-old rookie who battled his way through the minor leagues. Then, when given his first extended chance in the major leagues, he started the season a historic 8-for-8 and launched a 485-foot home run en route to being named the AL Rookie of the Month.
It had all the makings of a Disney movie. His baseball cards went from being $10, to selling for more than $200 on eBay — somehow more than Luis Robert autographed cards.