White Sox: Adam Engel shows why he is the man of steal
After Sunday’s White Sox game against the Indians, there is no doubt that Adam Engel can play defense.
In a gravity-defying feat, the White Sox outfielder nabbed a home run from Yonder Alonso.
Knowing that Engel’s Twitter handle is @manofsteal, it is easy to see why he uses that moniker. He is also using the name on the back of his Players’ Weekend jersey.
It is clear that the “steal” in his nickname is not from stealing bases, but from stealing home runs. He’s robbed three of them this week alone.
For the record, Engel has stolen 12 bases this season. It might not be the most in the league, but it is the second-most on the team. Tim Anderson has the most with 22.
His first stolen home run of the week was on Monday. It belonged to Greg Bird with the Yankees. The second was on Tuesday. It was hit by Kyle Higashioka, Bird’s teammate. All three of the nabbed home runs were highlight-reel plays that most centerfielders only get a few times a season, not a few times each week.
Check out this video highlight from MLB.com:
With his three nabs, he prevented seven runs from scoring. Both Bird and Alonso hit what looked like no-doubter three-run dingers, while Higashioka’s was a solo.
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In Sunday’s game, Engel not only robbed the Indians of a home run. He also worked hard on the offense side of the game. Unfortunately, his two-run triple was not enough to rob the lead from the Indians. But, he did get to show off his footwork as he rounded the bases. His speed is impressive.
Engel also hit his third home run of the season. He went 3-4 with 3 three RBI on Sunday.
Engel might not lead the Sox in any offensive stats, he is showing his value in the field. Of course, there is a stat for his work in the outfield. It’s called “Outs Above Average” and is maintained by the people at Statcast. So, when it comes to OAA, Engel is the third best outfielder in the MLB. The only two ahead of him are Harrison Bader of the Cardinals and Billy Hamilton of the Reds. No other Sox outfielders are close to him in this stat. In fact, Daniel Palka is one of the worst in the league. As Engel has 14 OAA, Palka has -13. (But, his bat makes up for it).
Next. Hawk Harrelson belongs in the Hall of Fame. dark
Keep your eyes on Engel. If you blink, you just might miss another stolen home run. The Man of Steal certainly lives up to his name.