Spring Training Flashbacks: West Palm Beach - 2019

 

Welcome to the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches on March 20th, 2019 with the Astros hosting the Yankees.  The newest Grapefruit League outpost on the Atlantic side of Florida opened in 2017, the same year Houston went on to its first World Series championship.
While Palm Beach County is officially the Astros' second home, the area's large concentration of expat New Yorkers made it feel like a Yankee home game.
Among the Yankees who took that three-hour cross-state bus ride. two players -- and two runners-up for Rookie of the Year -- the organization hoped would be core players for years to come... But the story would turn sour for Gary Sanchez and Miguel Andujar. 
(Below) Slugging 1st baseman Luke Voit made a strong impression after the joining the Yanks in the middle of the previous season.

(Above) Gleyber Torres finished third for AL Rookie of the Year in 2018... preparing for what's still his most prolific season, with 38 homers and 90 RBI.
(Below) Not yet Nasty Nestor, Cortes would make 32 of his 33 appearances in 2019 as a reliever.

Alex Bregman (above) and Jose Altuve (below) remain cornerstone players for the Astros.

(Above) Altuve chats with fellow 2nd baseman and Venezuelan Gleyber Torres.
(Below) Carlos Correa swings... and misses.



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