CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 24: Rougned Odor #18 of the New York Yankees celebrates after hitting a solo homer during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on April 24, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
To Yankees fans, Rougned Odor’s not just the man who punched Jose Bautista in the face anymore.
Now, he’s the diminutive spark plug who’s helped light a fire under the Bronx Bombers with his home run prowess and signature bat drops.
At the time Brian Cashman pulled the trigger on a trade for Odor, it felt like a student waking up at 6 AM on the day a big project is due trying to fashion a diorama out of leftover items in the bathroom trash.