PITTSBURGH, PA – OCTOBER 04: Gregory Polanco #25 of the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrates after scoring on a RBI double in the seventh inning during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on October 4, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
By Arthur Weinstein on

Gregory Polanco never lived up to his top prospect billing with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The five-tool outfielder battled injuries and MLB pitching before being released by the Pirates in 2021.

But for fans wondering, “Whatever happened to Gregory Polanco?”, wonder no more. Polanco turned up all over Twitter Wednesday after collecting his second three-homer game of the season in Japan’s Pacific League.

The Chiba Lotte Marines star now has more three home run games than the rest of the league combined.

Polanco now has 19 home runs and a .782 OPS in 316 at-bats.

The 31-year-old Polanco played eight seasons for the Pirates, hitting 96 home runs with a .718 OPS. In 2018, his best season, he hit 23 home runs with a .839 OPS.

But Polanco was never the same after dislocating his shoulder late that season. Still, despite his MLB struggles after that, the personable Polanco remained one of the most popular Pirates in the clubhouse and with fans.

Baseball fans were happy to see Polanco finding a second baseball life overseas, and who knows — maybe an MLB team will give him another chance.


[Yakyu Cosmopolitan]

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About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.

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