Trent Oeltjen making waves for the D-Backs

Trent Oeltjen has burst onto the MLB scene with a bang!


After being called up last week when the Diamondbacks placed regular outfielder Justin Upton on the DL, he has gone an amazing 8-for-20 with 3 homeruns, a double, and two stolen bags. Plus he picked up an outfield assist in his first game, throwing out Delwyn Young at second base.

It's a pretty hot start! And well deserved. Oeltjen has slogged it out in the minors for 9 years, in recent times having some pretty solid seasons at AAA for both the D-Backs affiliate Tucson Sidewinders/Reno Aces.

It is fantastic to have an Aussie positional player in MLB again. It has been more than a year since an Aussie position player had a game at MLB level; the last being Justin Huber for the Padres on 15 June 08. While it is nice and all to have a few pitchers doing the rounds, its great to see someone getting a start close to every day. And with Upton injured, and Chris Young dropped to AAA, this looks like a sweet opportunity for Oeltjen to make a good impression and land a spot for the future. It is clear that he has worked hard over the past few years, and you can tell from the smile on his face that he is happy to be in the big show.

"The last couple of days, I have to wake up and pinch myself," Oeltjen said. "They are getting to see highlights back home. I'm getting a lot of phone calls and messages. Everyone here has made me feel comfortable. I'm glad I can go out and help the team win a few games."

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Oeltjen's parents are looking to head over to the States to join in the fun. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but SMH reported that Oeltjen's dad John said that his debut was statistically the best debut since 1954.

You can watch an interview with him after today's win against the Mets, during which he smacked his third homer here. Funnily enough, he chose the classic Down Under by Men at Work to be his welcome music. Nice one.

With a bit of luck and more hard work, hopefully Oeltjen can cement a spot on the D-Backs roster.



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