"Nasim Nuñez had something to prove. Less to the people he encountered on social media, who say he can't hit. More to himself, the man he was in July, who wanted to quit hitting from the left side as he toiled in Class AAA Rochester. To the coaches, whose faith he wanted to reward when they told him not to concede that side of the batter's box just yet."
"All season, the 25-year-old shortstop's emotions have oscillated between confidence and doubt. On Wednesday, after a 10-5 win over the Miami Marlins that saw Nuñez hit the first two home runs of his big league career, he stood at his locker with a silver chain that spelled out "NAS" in large letters. The ball from the first home run, which landed in the hands of bullpen catcher Jarrett Gonzales, was already in a case in his locker."
""The moment of contact - that's what we live for," said the 5-foot-8 Nuñez, who had just nine homers in a little more than 1,500 minor league at-bats . "I'm just glad it went over the fence, because I pimped it a little bit." Up here, for now, there is no longer a reason to lack confidence. On Wednesday, it was the bottom of the lineup card that came up big in the Nationals' first three-game sweep since beating the Baltimore Orioles in May."
Nasim Nuñez confronted criticism and his own wavering confidence after considering quitting switch-hitting while in Triple-A Rochester. The 25-year-old shortstop delivered two home runs in a 10-5 win over the Miami Marlins, marking the first big-league homers of his career. He celebrated with a silver "NAS" chain and preserved the first homer ball in his locker. Nuñez emphasized the importance of contact and expressed renewed confidence after the performance. The Nationals received contributions from the bottom of the lineup in their first three-game sweep since May, including homers and key runs.
Read at The Washington Post
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