Orlando Cepeda, a baseball legend and the first Puerto Rican star in Major League Baseball (MLB), has passed away at the age of 86. The news was announced by the San Francisco Giants on June 29, 2024. Cepeda's cause of death was not disclosed.
Born in Puerto Rico, Cepeda began his MLB career with the New York Giants in 1958 and quickly established himself as a formidable player. He was named the National League (NL) Rookie of the Year that season and went on to play nine seasons for the Giants. During this time, he set several team records in home runs, RBIs, and hits.
Cepeda's finest season came in 1961 when he led the NL in homers (46) and the majors in RBIs (142). He was also named the NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1967.
Throughout his 17-year MLB career, Cepeda played for six teams: New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, and Boston Red Sox. He finished his career with 379 home runs and a .297 batting average.
Cepeda was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999 by the Veterans Committee.
The news of Cepeda's passing came just 11 days after another Giants legend, Willie Mays, died at the age of 93. The team and fans are mourning the loss of two iconic figures from their storied history.
Logan Webb, a Giants pitcher who was affected by the news during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 29, had his best velocity of the 2024 MLB season during his start after learning about Cepeda's passing. Giants manager Bob Melvin also expressed his condolences and shared fond memories of Cepeda.
Cepeda is survived by his wife, Nydia, and their family.
