Cleveland Indians catcher Yan Gomes quotes Philippians 4:13 in his Twitter bio — “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength” — an admirable display of humility considering his many accomplishments.
In 2012, when Gomes made his Major League Baseball debut with the Toronto Blue Jays, he became the first Brazilian-born player in MLB history.
Forget about it!
Yan Gomes hits his 2nd home run in as many days to put the @Indians up by 7.#RallyTogether pic.twitter.com/vYNwNM4ybX
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) June 10, 2018
His family moved to the United States when he was 12, and Gomes further discovered his baseball talent at Miami Southridge High School. He then played collegiate baseball at the University of Tennessee and Barry University (in Miami) before being drafted by the Blue Jays his junior season in the 10th round of the 2009 MLB Draft. Following a rollercoaster journey in the minors and his MLB debut in 2012, the Blue Jays traded Gomes later in 2012 to the Cleveland Indians, and he has been there ever since.
In 2013, Gomes helped the Brazilian national team qualify for its first-ever World Baseball Classic. And in 2014, Gomes and the Indians finalized a six-year, $23 million extension.
Despite his up-and-down journey in baseball, Gomes says that his faith has helped him remain steady amidst the demotions to the minor leagues and despite his recent injuries.
“We’re on the biggest stage of sports, and we get to share our faith and talk to people about what we believe in,” Gomes says. “I love Jesus, and He has kept me this way.”
In 2018, Gomes has hit eight home runs in his first 41 games, including two dingers this past weekend for a Cleveland team that is sitting atop the AL Central and looking to go the postseason for the third straight season.
(A portion of this post was taken from this 2016 Sports Spectrum article)
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