Showing Gratitude for these 10 things in historic 2019 season

As we close out 2019, a strong case can be made that this was the best ever for Latino baseball players, fans, managers and even executives.

There was so much greatness, it’s impossible to determine where to start, so we’ll go in chronological order with the historic National Baseball Hall of Fame election announcement made in January.

We’ll start with a closer, pun intended, as Mariano Rivera became the first player ever voted into the Hall of Fame unanimously by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Baseball’s all-time saves leader became the second Panamanian elected into the Hall of Fame, joining Rod Carew.

While Rivera cruised in as a unanimous selection, Boricua Edgar Martinez joined him in the 2019 Hall of Fame class on his 10th and final year of eligibility on the BBWAA ballot. They both exhaled when the announcement was made in January.

Combined, Rivera and Martinez became the first duo of Latinos elected into the Hall of Fame in the same class.

As expected, Panama and Puerto Rico were well represented in Cooperstown, N.Y., during induction weekend in July.

It was a banner year for sons of Puerto Ricans, considering that Dave Martinez survived the proverbial hot seat and a 19-31 start to guide the Washington Nationals to the franchise’s first World Series title.

There was much to celebrate between the time Rivera and Edgar Martinez were voted into the Hall of Fame and the time Martinez became the second consecutive Boricua manager to win a World Series.

Here are 10 things we were thankful for in 2019.

Panama glory

Rivera shared the cover of Panamanian newspapers with Pope Francis’ visit to his hometown, and that’s all you need to know about how much his induction meant to his countryman.

He joined Carew and made history with his unanimous selection.

Edgar Martinez’s wait ends

Despite being the best designated hitter of his generation if not all-time, Edgar Martinez languished on the Hall of Fame ballot until he finally earned induction on his 10th and final year on the ballot.

FERNANDO TATIS JR.

The San Diego Padres showcased his brilliance from the start by making the Opening Day roster and debuting on March 28.

The 20-year-old shortstop lived up to the hype. He was slowed by injuries, but this kid is special.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

The son of the Hall of Famer carried more expectations than any rookie in baseball, and he didn’t disappoint after finally making his debut on April 26 with the Toronto Blue Jays at only 20 years old.

Yordan Álvarez

The Astros were good enough to keep him in the minors until June, but he was more than ready. He homered in his big league debut on June 9 and just kept slugging the rest of the year.

He finished with 27 home runs in only 87 games, posting a record-setting OPS of 1.067 and a .655 slugging percentage to become the American League Rookie of the Year.

Mr. Smile Hosts All-Star Game

Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor was all over his adopted hometown while playing host throughout the All-Star Game festivities.

The Puerto Rican shortstop showed his dynamic personality and proved that a Latino can be the face of one of Major League Baseball’s jewel events.

Vladi Derby

Although he wasn’t voted onto the AL All-Star team, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. accepted an invitation to participate in the Home Run Derby a day before the Midsummer Classic.

He finished second, but his record-setting second round of the Derby will be remembered for generations.

Induction Fiesta

Not surprisingly, Cooperstown had a distinct Latino flavor as Mariano Rivera and Edgar Martinez became the first Latino duo inducted together on the BBWAA ballot in July.

Panamanian and Puerto Rican flags were everywhere. Even former boxing great Roberto Duran and the president of Panama attended the induction.

Anthony Rendon

Finally away from Bryce Harper’s large shadow, Anthony Rendon led the Nationals to historic glory. He earned his first All-Star nod in July although he preferred to skip the game to rest.

Then he capped his time with the Nationals by beating his hometown Astros in the World Series.

Juan Soto

In a year defined by young Latino talent, Soto made a strong case to be the best of them all.

He’s made for prime time with style and substance. Soto was the La Vida Baseball Person of the Year, and we cannot wait to see what is next for him in 2020.