In the minors, where players often earn meager salaries, Pérez said he didn’t see many players spraying themselves before the games. But in the majors, everything is more, from the paychecks to the fame.
“You have to look good,” said Astros infielder Aledmys Díaz, 31, a Cuban. “This is the to show.”
Before leaving Cuba in 2016, Gurriel said he used a cologne from the Antonio Banderas collection — the only cologne he could find. In the United States, he has more options and money, so he buys more often. And because he plays first base, he is visited by opponents throughout the game.
“All the players always tell me, ‘You always smell good,'” he said with a laugh.
Francisco Lindor, the Puerto Rico Mets shortstop, rotates between half a dozen scents for the matches and sometimes mixes them up. He said that when players on the field smell something they like, they ask each other what they are wearing.
Although most players on the field are often tens of meters apart, Suarez said he likes to hear that he smells good. Pérez said he can sometimes pick up the scent of Luis Severino, a Dominican pitcher for the Yankees who uses a women’s body splash, despite Severino being 60 feet and 6 inches away when he faces him.
“I’m a catcher, so I sweat a lot,” Pérez said, pointing to all his gear. “So a little perfume helps. The umpires say, “Oh Salvy, you smell good.” I say, ‘Thank you. Give me a few strokes.’”
