Thairo Estrada enters his third year in the San Francisco Giants organization with the same motivation to earn his place on the roster that will start the new MLB season, scheduled for March 30.
Like each of his colleagues at the club, the man from Bejuma (Carabobo) aspires to repeat the good performance he offered throughout the previous harvest and part of this constant learning comes from the advice he receives every day from Wilmer Flores, one of the references of the Californian club.
“He has something that I would like to have, or that anyone would like to have. He is a líder, not just for showing up and showing that he is a líder and speak out loud. No, he's a líder calm in the sense that it makes you want him and makes you want to imitate what he does on the field. Especially for me, it is a great honor because he is a compatriot from Venezuela. What more can I ask for? is that líder Don't worry, everyone wants me to be your friend”, this is how the infielder referred to his countryman in an extensive interview conducted by journalist Evan Webeck from the Mercury News website.
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Estrada also stated that Wilmer is the first to congratulate him when he does his job both defensively and with the wood, and that allows him to gain more confidence in himself.
For Thairo, Flores is like his "older brother" and Wilmer emphasized the same. “It reminds me of when I was a rookie. I'm always joking with him just to make him relax. … I think I'm the only one he jokes with. With everyone else, he is quiet. Very serious,” he said.
In 2022, Estrada was the first San Francisco player since Hunter Pence (2013) with at least 14 home runs and 20 stolen bases. And as an added bonus, the Bay Area infielder hasn't had a 20-20 infielder since Orlando Cepeda in 1959.
In San Francisco, they trust that Estrada's level will lead him to take a step forward that will consecrate him as a star.
