Eddie Rosario will be remembered throughout Braves history for what he accomplished over the last week.
Rosario went on a surge in the National League Championship Series, going 14-for-25 (.560) with a double, triple, three home runs and nine RBIs. The Braves defeated the Dodgers in six games to earn a World Series spot for the first time since 1999. Rosario was named NLCS MVP.
“It’s truly a great moment, not just in my career, but in my life as well,” Rosario said via team interpreter Franco Garcia. “But I want more. I want to win the World Series.
“I always believed in myself. I always knew that I could win an MVP trophy like this and it was something I always hoped for, regardless of what anyone said or thought of me. But I want more. Also, this is obviously my greatest accomplishment of my career so far, this trophy and this award, so it’s something to definitely be proud of.”
Rosario capped his series with a three-run shot off Walker Buehler with two outs in the fourth inning of Game 6 that proved the difference in a 4-2 win.
The Braves acquired Rosario from Cleveland in a salary dump during the trade deadline — a day that changed the Braves’ fortunes. Rosario was sidelined by an abdominal injury, so the team had to wait a month to reap the benefits of its acquisition. In the meantime, Joc Pederson, Jorge Soler and Adam Duvall were already helping the team, meaning whatever Rosario could provide was a bonus.
Rosario was essentially a flier. He was having an underwhelming season in Cleveland but helped the Braves in September, when he hit seven homers with 14 RBIs. He was the unlikely star of the NLCS, standing out in a series loaded with All-Stars and MVP-worthy talents.
“What he did this series, it’s historic,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “To come up in that situation and hit a three-run home run with two outs, it’s really unheard of. It seems like every — even his out (in) his last at-bat was a bullet (to center field). So hopefully these two off-days go quick so we can get going again.”
The list of other Braves NLCS MVPs since the honor was established in 1980:
- 1999: Eddie Perez
- 1996: Javy Lopez
- 1995: Mike Devereaux
- 1992: John Smoltz
- 1991: Steve Avery
And now, Rosario, who will always be a significant part of Braves history.
