VERO BEACH, Fla. — Yoenis Cespedes has a gaggle of Mets teammates to cheer on (and hope they avoid injury), if he so chooses, in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Yet little doubt exists as to which player intrigues the Mets’ left fielder the most.
Yoelkis Cespedes, Yoenis’ 19-year-old half brother, will make his tournament debut while playing center field for Team Cuba.
“I’m very proud,” Yoenis Cespedes told The Post, through an interpreter. “I never got the chance to see him play in Cuba. He started playing in the minor leagues back there. I do have an opportunity to see the games now.
“Something that makes me very proud is that he said he’s going to work really hard to be better than I am.”
Asked whether Yoelkis Cespedes can attain his goal, Yoenis Cespedes smiled.
“That’s going to be difficult,” he said.
In a recent interview with MLB.com, Yoelkis Cespedes admitted, “Yes, I’m pressured by” comparisons to his brother.