Even though the San Diego Padres have not found their final footing just yet and have suffered some painful losses in 2023, one of the bright spots has undoubtedly been Nelson Cruz.
He is currently the second oldest player in the league at 42-years-old and is the oldest on a Friars squad that is full of younger stars. The Padres recently took home a big series against the Atlanta Braves and in their final game against them last Sunday, Cruz put up a masterclass performance that included six RBI's.
He is a prime example of how experience and hard work can outweigh age in certain moments. It's easy to forget that even the most talented of groups will hit roadblocks and you need that veteran presence that can walk them through it and help them get back to their best form.
However, Cruz doesn't even have to say anything at times to help his team's mindset. He leads by example by working just as hard as everybody else everyday that he's a part of the Padres and his Sunday success inspired one of San Diego's newest additions: Xander Bogaerts.
When catching with The San Diego-Union Tribune after the game, Bogaerts had some high praise for Cruz's commitment to the game of baseball over the years and revealed that it's inspired him to last that long as well.
“That’s something to strive for,” said Bogaerts. “I mean, this guy can still do it.” (Via San Diego-Union Tribune)
X-Man himself is easily playing the best brand of baseball for the Friars in his first ten games with the clubhouse and he's shined the brightest out of their big names.
He has already received MVP love from top experts so it's great that he views Cruz's success as a means to go even harder.
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