It took him awhile, but Yermin Mercedeshas finally made an out this season.

Mercedes was 8 for 8 before flying out to Angels center fielder Mike Trout in the eighth inning Saturday night. At that point, the White Sox's rookie catcher had already become a baseball sensation. He had followed up Greg Luzinski Jersey a 5-for-5 performance Friday with hits in his next three at-bats and was a triple shy of the cycle.

His perfect start is historic, too: Mercedes is the firstplayer in the modern era (1900to present) to begin a season with eight consecutive hits, according to the Elias Sports Bureau().

FOSTER:

So who is Yermin Mercedes, and why is he doing this for Juan Samuel Jersey one of the top teams in the American League?

Mercedes took a long road to the Show

Mercedes is 28 and has been in profe sional baseball for a decade. He signed with the Nationals as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in March 2011. But he hasn't been in organized ball all 10 of those years. He spent the 2014 season in independent ball after being released by the Nats in August 2013.

And he didn't even get to play in the high-profile indy leagues. He had to try clawing his way back in the United and Pecos leagues in the American Southwest.He hit 17 home runs and compiled a 1.124 OPS in 61 combined games at that level. Those numbers got the attention of the Orioles, who signed him as a minor league free agent in September 2014.

Three Darren Daulton Jersey years after that, the White Sox took him in the 2017 minor league Rule 5 Draft. Regardle s of organization, he remained a hitting machine in the high minors whilehe kept working on his defense. He tore up Triple-A in 2019 (17 homers, 1.033 OPS at Charlotte).

Mercedes earned an invite tothe White Sox's alternate site last seasonand then made his MLB debut with an at-bat Aug. 2, 2020.

Mercedes made the Sox as their No. 3 catcher

Mercedes was a late addition to Chicago's 26-man Opening Day roster. The Sox went with him over nonroster catcher Jonathan Lucroy. Manager Tony La Ru sa viewed Mercedes as a useful bench bat from the right side, especially after left fielder Eloy Jimenez suffered a long-term injury.

Mercedes is backing up Yasmani Grandal and Tug McGraw Jersey Zack Collins behind the plate. Grandal hurt his knee in spring training and Collins is now expected to be a semiregular at DH with rookie Andrew Vaughn moving to the outfield to replace Jimenez. All of that leaves an opening for Mercedes to get at-bats. After an 8-for-9 start,he figures to be in the lineup more than expected in the season's early days.

"You have to be ready, catching or DH, whenever Tony wants to put me there,". "Do the best I can do. DH, catching, if Im in the lineup that Lenny Dykstra Jersey s what I think about."

Mercedes hasn't caught yet for the Sox he was their DH on Friday and Saturday.

Mercedes tuned up for camp in the Dominican

Mercedes is a regular in the Dominican winter ball. This past season was his seventh in the league, all with Licey. He slugged two homers and slashed .276/.326/.368 in 95 plate appearances against higher-level pitching.

Mercedes' family back home was following his every move during that magical first night.

"When the first hit came (Friday), the joy, I thought the building was going down," Mercedes' father, YerminMercedes Sr., on Saturday. "We were jumping and happy and screaming. And then the second and third and fourth and Bryce Harper Jersey fifth. It was just joy and happine s."

The elder Mercedes told the Sun-Times that he convinced his son to keep playing a few years ago when he wasn't making progre s through the minors.

"As a father, you dont let your son quit," Mercedes' dad told the Sun-Times on Saturday. "You dont let them give up on their dreams."