BSN Exclusive: Noel Cuevas makes MLB debut with friends and family in desperate need of food and water

DENVER – The Colorado Rockies called up outfielder Noel Cuevas to make his MLB debut against the Chicago Cubs Sunday. And he will do so while many of his friends and family back home in Puerto Rico are still in need of basic necessities.

Amidst all the pomp and circumstance of an important day in his life, Cuevas has his thoughts focused on playing baseball, but never completely away from those in need. While he is living the dream, some are living a nightmare.

(For more on how you can help Puerto Rico get back on its feet, click here.)

We have been getting to know Cuevas a bit more over the last few years and it is clear he is a family man. He’s also an intriguing player who could carve out a vital role for this club, but one you might not have heard about since he has never topped the national prospect lists. So, who is he and—other than the PR—where does he come from?

Cuevas was acquired as a player to be named later in the trade that sent Juan Nicasio to the Dodgers on Dec. 16, 2014. The arrival is a long time coming for the 26-year-old, who has spent the last eight seasons in the minor leagues.

He showed promise since he was drafted in the 21st round of the 2010 draft, and cracked the Rockies’ top-30 prospect list last season. He fell off it this year, despite a solid 2017 campaign. And while his promotion might be overshadowed at the simultaneous call-up of top prospect David Dahl, he should not be forgotten.

16 games, he’s clipped .333/.419/.571, starting mostly at right field, where he was on Sunday. In the high-scoring Pacific Coast League, Cuevas has still managed to stand out, producing 13 RBIs on a pair of home runs. He’s also put his speed on display as well, to the tune of three triples early in the season.

Now he looks to bring his production to the confines of Coors Field and a help a Rockies offense that has had some trouble scoring runs and a real dearth of righty bats. As the team tries to find ways to score other than the home run, his legs will likely be a factor.

While the Isotopes were in Salt Lake City, he spoke to BSN Denver reporter Patrick Lysons about how his speed would help him earn a promotion to the MLB club.

“I think it’s an asset that I have and I can bring to any team I’m with,” he said. “Being able to put the ball in play and beat out a single or put the ball in the gap and instead of getting a double, getting a triple. I think it’s an asset for me to be able to keep doing that, keep my legs healthy and I think it’s going to help me get to the next level.”

Cuevas has used that speed at the Double-A and Triple-A levels the last three seasons, swiping 16 bases last season in 19 tries. This year, it’s been standout to Isotopes manager Glenallen Hill.

“The power and speed speaks for itself,” Hill said of Cuevas. “We have some guys that have a lot of that athletic ability and some guys that can run. So we have to push that gas pedal down to the floor, and encourage them to run and stay aggressive, pay attention to what’s going on in the game. So it’s good to see that we’re so aggressive on the bases, and having a guy like Cuevas on the team really helps us.”

Cuevas himself is similarly pleased with using his speed as a weapon.

“I think it’s an asset that I have and I can bring to any team I’m with,” he says. “Being able to put the ball in play and beat out a single or put the ball in the gap and instead of getting a double, getting a triple. I think it’s an asset for me to be able to keep doing that, keep my legs healthy and I think it’s going to help me get to the next level.”

Hill will have to make do without his slugging speedster, at least for the next while, as Cuevas fills in for the injured Carlos Gonzalez, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list, and Mike Tauchman, who was optioned to make room for the new tandem.

Cuevas joins the list of promising young outfield talent to crack the major leagues for Colorado in the past three seasons, along with Dahl, Tauchman and Raimel Tapia, and hopes to continue his output in the purple pinstripes.

“It feels good,” Cuevas said of the work his bat has been doing early in 2018. “Any time you can come up and be productive at the plate, especially with men on base and men in scoring position is always a good thing. It gives the team a chance to win.”

This promotion means big things for him, but for his family too.

“Things have been going well lately,” he says. “Family’s well. We’re in a good position right now, being able to help out whoever needs help. So, I’m happy about that and I’m happy that we’re able to help out others, as well.”

A native of Puerto Rico, Cuevas spent much of the offseason concerned over the aftermath of a hurricane that has left much of the island still without power. It was difficult to balance all of that with his preparations for a season in which, as it would turn out, he would be making his MLB debut.

“Yeah, this past offseason I actually went to Mexico because there was no league in Puerto Rico, and I played two months in Mexico,” he says. “I wish I could’ve been playing back home, but obviously with the things that happened, sports was not the priority at the moment. There was a lot of stuff that needed to be taken care of, a lot of people that needed food and water. That was the priority. So I was able find an opportunity and go to Mexico and better my game, basically. I think that going out to Mexico is going to propel me to the next level and be able to go to the big leagues.”

Indeed it has.

And the competition down there was a bit stiffer than you might expect.

“The league’s really good,” he says. “The pitching over there is a little different. They like their offspeed a lot more, and their offspeed is a lot slower than what we’re used to in the states. But there’s a lot of good arms in Mexico. The biggest thing was that every single game in Mexico was about winning, no matter how. So that is a great thing that I learned being down there. You needed to be productive either on the defensive end or the offensive end on a nightly basis. And that’s basically what the big leagues is about, so I’m glad I was able to get that opportunity and live that experience, and it’s going to be helpful whenever I get up.”

It’s time to start putting that experience to use and it’s clear that, despite this promotion coming a bit later in his career than other more highly-touted players, Cuevas has been getting ready for this moment for a very long time.

“I had a good year last year,” he says. “And I was a little down that I didn’t get the opportunity to go up in September. But everything happens for a reason. I kept working, and I was able to be on the 40-man. The GM, Jeff Bridich, gave me a call when I was in Mexico, actually, and he told me, ‘Hey, we selected you to be on the 40-man.’ So I said, ‘Man, that’s awesome, I’m looking forward to coming in next year strong and being able to help out however I can.'”

Sports won’t be his top priority until those closest to him are finally taken care of. (Here is another link where you can help.)

But if he can figure out how to hit at this level just enough, the Colorado Rockies can absolutely use his left-handed bat and plus athleticism. He will likely find himself in a bench role, but his path from Puerto Rico to Mexico to Colorado may be at a final destination; the Big Leagues.