San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts hit his sixth postseason home run on October 6 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is the only Aruban player ever to hit a postseason home run.
XANDER BOGAERTS ONCE AGAIN CELEBRATING AT DODGER STADIUM LIKE OLD TIMES pic.twitter.com/8SEdaFKzPB
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) October 7, 2024
There have only been six players born in Aruba to reach Major League Baseball. Of those six, only three have hit a home run, let alone in October.
Bogaerts first postseason home run of 2024 came as the Padres already had a healthy lead over the Dodgers. Bogaerts first postseason home run came in 2017 against the Houston Astros in the American League Division Series. In fact, all of his postseason home runs have come in the Division Series except one.
The only other Aruban-born players to hit a home run in MLB are Chadwick Tromp and Gene Kingsale. Tromp hit five home runs in his five seasons, and Kingsale hit three in his seven seasons.
Bogaerts is in his 12th season as a big-league player. That is tied for the most seasons played in the majors by an Aruban player. Sidney Ponson played 12 seasons as well. Bogaerts is the most acomplished Aruban player ever. He has 186 career home runs, two World Series championships, four All-Star selections, and five Silver Sluggers.
Bogaerts is looking to win his third World Series and his first with the Padres. Bogaerts played for the Boston Red Sox from 2013-2022.
______
