Franmil Reyes is the homer-mashing, 'I Will Always Love You' - singing baseball hero we need
There's something happening in San Diego. Led by a stable crop of young sluggers and phenom pitchers like
But the Padres sport a two-way star who is deserving of your attention. Not a two-way star in the vein of the Angels'
I'm talking about
It's becoming a bit of a thing for the 6-foot-5, 275-lb slugger, his calling card, so to speak. And in the Padres' 5-2 win over the Marlins on Friday night, his dual talents were put on display once again. First, the dinger:
Then, after the game, Reyes was asked about his singing by FOX Sports San Diego's Annie Heilbrun, and he brought the house down with a stadium-rattling refrain of the iconic song:
We will continue posting this (so, always) until it no longer warms or fills our heart (so, never)@La_Mole_13 • #FriarFaithful pic.twitter.com/gJAH5WCymF
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 1, 2019
That takes guts. I can't even sing in front of my friends, so belting out a chorus as challenging as "I Will Always Love You" in front of thousands of strangers? That's a gear I don't have.
Look. Bat-flipping is awesome. It's a fantastic way to show your emotion after crushing a prodigious blast to the bleachers. But Franmil has his own thing happening and it's precisely what the game of baseball needs. Smiling, singing, slugging superstars is the way to my heart, and Reyes is well on his way to taking up residency there.
Not to mention, he already has 16 homers this season, spending half of his time at the cavernous, "pitcher-friendly" confines of Petco Park. He's a double threat of raw talent, really, and it's a ton of fun to watch.
Adrian Garro joined MLB.com in 2016. Throughout his travels, both Bartolo Colon and Vin Scully have placed their hands on his shoulders. Not at the same time, though. That'd be amazing.
