The Dodgers and Rays will meet at Dodger Stadium for the first time ever this weekend, in a battle of two of baseball's hottest teams. The Dodgers, who were on ESPN twice already this week, will be on ESPN Sunday Night Baasball this weekend against Tampa Bay, the first of two Sunday home games on ESPN in the next three weeks. ESPN is using Yasiel Puig as the centerpiece of advertising for the game.
In a commercial for Sunday's game against the Rays, Puig is called "the most electrifying player in baseball" by ESPN.
After a series of Puig highlights, the commercial announcer concludes, "He's Yasiel Puig, he's creating new levels of awesomeness, and he's about to take the stage."
Puig is hitting .372/.433/.591 with 11 home runs and 12 doubles, and despite playing just 56 games he is tied for second on the team with 25 multi-hit games.
But aside from the hits - Puig's 80 hits are the most by a Dodger in their first 56 career games, at least since 1916 - Puig has shown incredible patience of late. He walked three times last night and has walked 12 times in the last 14 games, all while hitting .400 during that span. After seeing 3.32 pitches per plate appearance before the All-Star break, Puig is up to 3.97 since the break.
Since June 22, the Dodgers lead MLB with a 33-8 record. The Rays are second at 28-11.