Isaac Paredes fulfills promise to abuela

HOUSTON – Astros slugger Isaac Paredes was 8 years old when he first started walking with his grandmother Gloria to his first baseball practice. Gloria and the future All-Star would trek almost two miles through the Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, streets to reach their local ballpark.

Paredes, who was raised by his grandmother, considers his grandmother as his mother. She’s the one he thinks of the most on May 10, which is Mother’s Day in Mexico and several North American countries.

Under the scorching summer sun in the capital of Sonora, Paredes and his grandmother formed a daily routine. Gloria always found the time to walk her grandson to the park while also handling her daily chores. At night the two would tread carefully through the city streets. 

The right-handed slugger played for Los Juitos in his first year in Little League. Isaac Paredes was an instant sensation. A year after he started playing organized baseball, he represented Team Mexico in the youth World Cup in Venezuela as a 9-year-old. 

“The best experience I have was the first time she took me to the baseball field,” Paredes said in Spanish. “She would take me walking, and it was a beautiful experience.”

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Throughout his amatuer career, Paredes made a promise to his grandmother that he strived to keep. From Little League to the Mexico City Diablos’ baseball academy, the 5-foot-11 third baseman promised his abuela that she would see him play in the major leagues. 

A promise worth waiting for

As a 17-year-old, Isaac Paredes signed with the Chicago Cubs in 2015, which made keeping his promise to grandmother Gloria more tangible. He spent two years in the Cubs’ organization before being traded to Detroit. 

The 2024 All-Star made his major league debut during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He started half of the Tigers’ 60 games that year. While Paredes played in Detroit, Gloria watched her grandson on television. 

Paredes finally fully fulfilled his promise to his grandma on April 4, 2024, as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays. Gloria traveled to Tropicana Field to witness her grandson play baseball in person. 

“It was beautiful,” Paredes said of Gloria’s visit. “It was the first time she saw me play in the major leagues. I had promised her she would see me play, and I thank God the dream was accomplished.”

Paredes plans for his abuela to visit him in Houston and see him play at Daikin Park. 

‘Hard worker’

Paredes did everything possible to earn a promotion to the major leagues. Astros third base coach Tony Perezchica praised the young infielder for his will to learn. Perezchica first met Paredes during the 2023 World Baseball Classic. They represented Mexico, Paredes as a player, and Perezchica as a coach. 

Since their first encounter, Perezchica noticed the dedication Paredes puts into baseball. They were reunited this spring with the Astros.

“He’s a hard worker,” Perezchica said of Paredes. “When I got him this spring I’ve always known he’s been a good man. He trusted the work we were going to do that was going to help him. Now he is all in and he’s working hard.”

Paredes has a 1.000 fielding percentage, which leads all qualified third basemen.

The walks Isaac Paredes and his grandmother took daily created a loving bond. That is why when the Astros play the Cincinnati Reds on Mexican Mother’s Day, Paredes will keep his grandmother in his thoughts. She didn’t make the trip to Houston from Hermosillo, but she’s always with him in spirit.

“Mother’s Day is a special day,” Paredes said. “Even though some of our moms aren’t here, they are in Mexico, we keep them in our minds on this day. It’s one of the biggest days we have in Mexico. Our mothers are the most important people in our lives.”