The new Dominican ‘Big 3’ in MLB
Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres is a reality, finally, and with it comes one of the most powerful trios in all of MLB as the outfielder joins Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. returns from his rehab process. Three Dominican hitters of spectacular caliber will come together in the same lineup and while it’s not the first time this has happened, it certainly should be one of the most striking combinations, at least in recent memory.
PEDRO MARTINEZ, MANNY RAMIREZ & DAVID ORTIZ – BOSTON RED SOX
No such list would be complete without starting with the trio responsible for breaking the infamous Boston Red Sox “Curse of the Bambino,” which saw the team go 84 years without a championship crown.
The trio reunited in 2003 with Ortiz’s arrival in Boston after being released by the Minnesota Twins. Despite coming very close to the World Series that year (they lost in seven games to the Yankees in the American League Championship Series), it was in 2004 that they finally achieved glory.
Unfortunately, 2004 would mark the final year of the three together, with Martinez landing a contract with the New York Mets. Ortiz and Ramirez would go on to win a second championship ring in 2007.
JOSÉ BAUTISTA, EDWIN ENCARNACIÓN and JOSÉ REYES – TORONTO BLUE JAYS
Bautista came to Toronto in 2008, Encarnacion in 2009 and Reyes in 2013 and were part of the fondly remembered “Dominican Blue Jays,” a team that for the first time in history placed six Dominicans as starters in a single-game lineup.
All three players had solid years with the Blue Jays, albeit relatively short ones. Injuries wreaked havoc, especially to Jose Reyes, but 2014 was the trio’s most successful year.
MOISÉS ALOU, SAMMY SOSA and ARAMIS RAMÍREZ – CHICAGO CUBS.
This is perhaps one of the trios that went unnoticed due to the low profile of two of the players, but the incorporation of Aramis Ramirez in the 2003 season, was very helpful, forming another important trio of Dominicans in the Major Leagues.
2004 was the best year of the group and unfortunately it was also the last, as both Sosa and Alou would leave the team the following year, but the 2003-2004 Cubs were definitely an interesting experiment, which led the team to win its division for the first time since its formation in 1994.
On several occasions it has happened that three renowned Dominicans have had the opportunity to come together under one team with positive results for that squad.
MOISÉS ALOU, PEDRO MARTÍNEZ y HENRY RODRÍGUEZ – MONTREAL EXPOS
Martinez and Alou make another appearance on the roster, but this time alongside the Expos of the 1995 season. Henry Ramirez arrived that year from the Dodgers and although the results were not immediate, especially considering that the league was coming off a strike, they did shine quite brightly in 1996, the trio’s best year.
Two of the three went to the All-Star Game (Martinez and Rodriguez) and Alou, who was a finalist for the National League Most Valuable Player award, put up another solid year that was unfortunately limited to 93 games by injuries.
THE ALOU BROTHERS: FELIPE, MATEO and JESUS – SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
The historical significance of the Alou brothers comes not from their results on the field, but from becoming the first, and so far only, trio of brothers in MLB history to play for the same team at the same time.
The three made history on September 15, 1963, when they occupied all three outfield positions in the same game. Felipe was a regular Giants player, while Mateo entered the game as a defensive replacement and Jesus was called up to make his debut that month, as is customary with certain prospects.
