Eliézer Alfonzo described the emotions of recording his first MLB hit at Yankee Stadium and being congratulated by Shohei Ohtani, speaking during a press conference on July 19, 2026.
Asked about the moment, Alfonzo said, "I feel really good. First thing I say as soon as I saw the ball going through." He noted the hit carried extra significance because Yankee Stadium is home to his grandmother's favorite team, saying it is "the American League favorite, my grandmother's favorite team."
Alfonzo's teammates had encouraged him before the game to reach that milestone, and he delivered in his first at-bat. He recalled them telling him, "let's go, let's get the first hit today," adding that he did it "on the first battle." Shohei Ohtani then walked directly over to congratulate him immediately after the hit. Alfonzo described the moment: "he come straight to me and I, he says congratulations to you."
Alfonzo said he has not yet retrieved the ball from his first hit but plans to keep it, stating, "I haven't get it yet, but for sure I'm going to have taken it back a little." He also credited his teammates for their support since joining the club, noting they have been "supporting me, wishing me my hard like every day."
On the game itself, Alfonzo felt he caught a bullpen contest well despite the team falling short of the win. "I feel like we threw really good, uh, really good game. We couldn't get the victory at the end," he said. He explained that bullpen games present added difficulty, noting, "every, uh, bullpen days are a little harder because you got to do like wicked adjustment during the games."
Alfonzo confirmed he plans to keep the ball from his first career hit once he retrieves it, closing out a day defined by the milestone at Yankee Stadium and the on-field encouragement from Ohtani and his teammates.