{"id":56546,"date":"2025-05-21T08:06:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T08:06:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=56546"},"modified":"2025-05-21T08:06:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T08:06:16","slug":"ex-yankee-alex-verdugo-nears-30th-straight-game-with-zero-home-runs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=56546","title":{"rendered":"Ex-Yankee Alex Verdugo Nears 30th Straight Game With Zero Home Runs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><main id=\"main-container\" role=\"main\"><\/main>fter a disappointing season with the New York Yankees, outfielder Alex Verdugo entered free agency \u2014 and got no takers. None, that is, until the Atlanta Braves\u00a0signed him as an outfield depth piece\u00a0with just a week left in spring training.<\/p>\n<p>After\u00a0making $8.7 million\u00a0in his one year with the Yankees, Verdugo was offered just $1.5 million from Atlanta, and the Braves told him he would need to start the season in the minor leagues.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-videoplayer hidden-print\">\n<div class=\"videocontent-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"videocontent\">\n<div id=\"tvplayer\" class=\"tvplayer\">\n<div id=\"vjs-player-0\" class=\"fusion-player ibtplayer video-js vjs-default-skin vjs-paused vjs-controls-enabled vjs-workinghover vjs-v8 vjs-user-active vjs-player-0-dimensions vjs-fade-out\" lang=\"en\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"region\" translate=\"no\" aria-label=\"Video Player\"><video id=\"vjs-player-0_html5_api\" class=\"vjs-tech\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"application\" src=\"blob:https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/7cf1af96-b598-4e1b-8514-f6fbf5692e60\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\" preload=\"auto\" muted=\"muted\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><div pseudo=\"-webkit-media-controls\" class=\"sizing-small phase-pre-ready state-no-source\">\n<div pseudo=\"-webkit-media-controls-enclosure\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/video><\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-text-track-display\" translate=\"yes\" aria-live=\"off\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><button class=\"vjs-big-play-button continue\" title=\"Play Video\" type=\"button\" aria-disabled=\"false\"><span class=\"continue-span\">01:20<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"top-title\">LA Dodgers Defeat NY Yankees To Claim Eighth Championship<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"byline\">By\u00a0<span class=\"author\"><a class=\"author-name\" rel=\"author\" data-id=\"reporter_0\">Jon Vankin<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"user-title\">Contributing Sports Writer<\/div>\n<div class=\"trust-project\">\u00a0Newsweek Is A Trust Pro\u00a0 ject Member<\/div>\n<div class=\"btn-cont\"><button class=\"follow-btn\">FOLLOW<\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"social-share\"><span id=\"trustModal\" class=\"trust-category\">news article<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-comments\" data-comment-count-social=\"article-2074974\"><i class=\"comment-icon\"><\/i><span class=\"comment-count\">0<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"share-container-new\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"translate-container\"><button id=\"translate-btn\" class=\"ai-tts translate-button\" aria-label=\"translate\"><i class=\"translate-icon\"><\/i><span class=\"translate-text\">Translate<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body article-real-content v_text\">\n<p>After a disappointing season with the New York Yankees, outfielder Alex Verdugo entered free agency \u2014 and got no takers. None, that is, until the Atlanta Braves\u00a0signed him as an outfield depth piece\u00a0with just a week left in spring training.<\/p>\n<p>After\u00a0making $8.7 million\u00a0in his one year with the Yankees, Verdugo was offered just $1.5 million from Atlanta, and the Braves told him he would need to start the season in the minor leagues.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"imageBox\">\n<div class=\"innerBox ar23-innerBox\"><picture class=\"mapping-embed\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2648447\/atlanta-braves-outfielder-alex-verdugo.webp?w=790&amp;f=1b38627de80463c00d80a6c74bc24527 1x\" type=\"image\/webp\" media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2648447\/atlanta-braves-outfielder-alex-verdugo.jpg?w=790&amp;f=1b38627de80463c00d80a6c74bc24527 1x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2648447\/atlanta-braves-outfielder-alex-verdugo.webp?w=900&amp;f=1df7a39083fd622b97e1f51a4833a72a 1x\" type=\"image\/webp\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2648447\/atlanta-braves-outfielder-alex-verdugo.jpg?w=900&amp;f=1df7a39083fd622b97e1f51a4833a72a 1x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2648447\/atlanta-braves-outfielder-alex-verdugo.webp?w=790&amp;f=1b38627de80463c00d80a6c74bc24527 1x\" type=\"image\/webp\" media=\"(min-width: 481px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2648447\/atlanta-braves-outfielder-alex-verdugo.jpg?w=790&amp;f=1b38627de80463c00d80a6c74bc24527 1x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" media=\"(min-width: 481px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2648447\/atlanta-braves-outfielder-alex-verdugo.webp?w=450&amp;f=ca26b1f5575fa3d8d7864c3cfc7eb460 1x\" type=\"image\/webp\" media=\"(min-width: 0px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2648447\/atlanta-braves-outfielder-alex-verdugo.jpg?w=450&amp;f=ca26b1f5575fa3d8d7864c3cfc7eb460 1x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" media=\"(min-width: 0px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2648447\/atlanta-braves-outfielder-alex-verdugo.webp?w=1200&amp;f=ed837dab71cc02eb58009c999d2a8fad\" type=\"image\/webp\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i2648447\" class=\"mapping-embed imgPhoto\" src=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2648447\/atlanta-braves-outfielder-alex-verdugo.jpg?w=1200&amp;f=ed837dab71cc02eb58009c999d2a8fad\" alt=\"Atlanta Braves outfielder Alex Verdugo.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" \/><\/picture><\/div><figcaption class=\"caption ar23-caption\"><span id=\"short-cap-description\" class=\"cap\">ATLANTA, GA &#8211; MAY 06: Alex Verdugo #8 of the Atlanta Braves at bat during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Truist Park on May 6, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"credit ar23-credit\">Kevin D. Liles\/Atlanta Braves\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>With the\u00a0suspension of Jurickson Profar, who the Braves had signed to a three-year, $42 million free agent deal, Verdugo suddenly found himself more than a depth piece. He has served as Atlanta&#8217;s regular leadoff hitter since he was called up on April 18.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, Verdugo has picked up more or less where the left off with the Yankees. After posting a .233 batting average and .647 OPS for New York, with 13 home runs, the 29-year-old has now played 26 games for the Braves with a .661 OPS and .264 batting average.<\/p>\n<p>Verdugo has yet to hit any home runs at all for Atlanta.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, going back to his final days with the Yankees, Verdugo, ahead of\u00a0Tuesday&#8217;s game against\u00a0the Washington Nationals,\u00a0has played 28 games\u00a0without going deep. The 29-year-old has appeared at the plate 123 times in that span.<\/p>\n<p>His current homer-less streak, however, is not even the longest of his career. In fact,\u00a0it is the seventh-longest, both in terms of games played and plate appearances.<\/p>\n<p>In 2023, his last of four seasons with the Boston Red Sox \u2014 who acquired him\u00a0in the February, 2020, trade\u00a0that sent 2018 American League MVP Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers \u2014 Verdugo went 45 games and 205 plate appearances without a homer. That was the lengthiest streak with no home runs of his career.<\/p>\n<p>He hit 13 in total that year, the same number he hit with the Yankees in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Verdugo&#8217;s lack of production at the top of the lineup does not seem to be holding the Braves back, however. When he made his debut on April 18, Atlanta sat in the National League East basement at 5-13.<\/p>\n<p>Since then, with Verdugo playing in 26 of their 29 games, the Braves\u00a0have went 19-10, raising their record above .500, at 24-23, for the first time all season. They sit in third place, five games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East, and\u00a0just 3 1\/2 games\u00a0out of a Wild Card spot.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alex Verdugo, the outfielder dumped by the Yankees, has picked up with the Atlanta Braves where he left off after a dismal season in New York.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":56548,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Ex-Yankee Alex Verdugo Nears 30th Straight Game With Zero Home Runs - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=56546\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ex-Yankee Alex Verdugo Nears 30th Straight Game With Zero Home Runs - 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