Andrew Velazquez | |
---|---|
![]() Velazquez with the Baltimore Orioles in 2020 | |
Atlanta Braves | |
Infielder | |
Born: The Bronx, New York, U.S. | July 14, 1994|
Bats: Switch Throws: Right | |
MLB debut | |
September 2, 2018, for the Tampa Bay Rays | |
MLB statistics (through 2023 season) | |
Batting average | .189 |
Home runs | 12 |
Runs batted in | 40 |
Teams | |
Andrew Velazquez (born July 14,1994),nicknamed "Squid",is an American professional baseball infielder in the Atlanta Braves organization. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays,Cleveland Indians,Baltimore Orioles,New York Yankees,and Los Angeles Angels.
Velazquez is from Morris Park in the Bronx,a borough of New York City. [1] His father,Kenneth,worked in the New York City Police Department as a detective and undercover narcotics officer for 20 years. His mother,Margaret,was a school teacher. [2]
Velazquez attended Fordham Preparatory School,where he played for the school's baseball team. He played as a center fielder until his senior year,when he became the team's starting shortstop. [3] In his senior year,the New York Post named Velazquez their All-Bronx Baseball Player of the Year. [4] Velazquez also competed on the Prep's track and field team,as a sprinter and high jumper. He received an athletic scholarship to attend Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) to play college baseball for the Virginia Tech Hokies. [5]
The Arizona Diamondbacks selected him in the seventh round,with the 243rd overall selection,of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft. [3] [6] He signed with the Diamondbacks,receiving a $200,000 signing bonus,bypassing his commitment to Virginia Tech. [5] That year,he made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Arizona League Diamondbacks of the Arizona League and the Missoula Osprey of the Pioneer League. [7] [8]
In 2013,Velazquez was assigned to the South Bend Silver Hawks of the Class A Midwest League. For the season,he had a .260 batting average,but had almost three times as many strikeouts as walks. [9] Returning to South Bend in 2014,Velazquez set a Minor League Baseball record with his 72nd consecutive game reaching base,breaking the record of 71 set by Kevin Millar in 1997 and tied by Kevin Youkilis in 2003. [10] [11] His streak,which lasted from April 22 to July 16,ended at 74 consecutive games. [12] [13] After the season,Velazquez was named the Midwest League Prospect of the Year. [13] While playing in the Diamonbacks system,he was given the nickname "Squid". [14]
On November 14,2014,the Diamondbacks traded Velazquez and Justin Williams to the Tampa Bay Rays for Jeremy Hellickson. [15] [16] He began the 2015 season with the Charlotte Stone Crabs of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League,but underwent surgery in May to repair a broken hamate bone. [17] He finished the season hitting .290/.343/.360 in 47 games. He returned to Charlotte in 2016,where he finished an injury shortened season hitting .262/.313/.308 in 75 games. Velazquez played for the Montgomery Biscuits of the Class AA Southern League in 2017 and Montgomery and the Durham Bulls of the Class AAA International League in 2018. [18]
On September 2,2018,the Rays promoted Velazquez to the major leagues. [19] He recorded three hits in ten at-bats playing off the bench. Despite only playing 34.2 innings and making only one start,Velazquez played at least one inning at six positions (second base,shortstop,third base,left field,center field,and right field). [20]
On July 3,2019,the Rays traded Velazquez to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for international bonus pool allotments. [21] In a corresponding move the Indians designated Chih-Wei Hu for assignment. [22] Cleveland assigned Velazquez to the Columbus Clippers of the International League,and promoted him to the major leagues on September 17. [23] He appeared in five games for Cleveland,registering one hit,a double,in 11 at bats. [24]
Velazquez was designated for assignment on February 14,2020,when they signed Domingo Santana. [24]
Velazquez was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles on February 19,2020. [25] In 2020 for the Orioles,Velazquez slashed .159/.274/.206 with no home runs and three RBI. [26] On October 29,Velazquez was outrighted off of the 40-man roster. [27] He became a free agent on November 2. [28]
On December 16,2020,Velazquez signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees organization. [29] On July 16,2021,Velazquez was released by the Yankees organization,but re-signed with the team the next day on a new minor league deal. [30] On August 9,the Yankees promoted Velazquez to the major leagues. [31] Playing for the Yankees was a dream come true for Velazquez. He had grown up idolizing Derek Jeter. [32] On August 10,Velazquez scored his first Yankees run on a wild pitch.[ citation needed ]
In seven at bats in a series against the Boston Red Sox,Velazquez tallied three run-scoring hits with 4 RBI,(one run of his own,and a stolen base). After closing out the final game with a diving catch at shortstop and a difficult throw to first base from deep in the hole,his teammates awarded him the well-deserved "game belt" in recognition of his contributions to the series sweep that saw the team move into first place of the Wild Card standings;two games ahead of the rival Red Sox. [33]
On August 21,Velazquez hit his first career home run during a home game against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium off pitcher Ralph Garza. [34] [35]
On September 11,following the team’s victory over the New York Mets,Velazquez was demoted to the Yankees’s Triple-A affiliate,the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. He was recalled to the Yankees prior to the penultimate game of the regular season on October 2. [36]
On November 5,2021,Velazquez was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Angels. [37] He opened the 2022 season with the Salt Lake Bees of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League and was promoted to the major leagues on April 12 to be the starting shortstop after David Fletcher was injured. [2] On September 13,2022,during a game against the Cleveland Guardians,Velazquez suffered a right meniscus tear,ending his season. In 125 games,Velazquez batted .196/.236/.304 with 10 home runs and 37 RBIs. [38]
On March 1,2023,Velazquez gave up switch hitting and focused primarily on being a right-handed hitter. He has since gone back to being a switch hitter. [39] Velazquez was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake to begin the 2023 season. [40] In 54 games for the Angels,he hit .173/.264/.284 with 2 home runs,3 RBI,and 13 stolen bases.
On September 5,2023,Velazquez was claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Braves. [41] In 14 games for the Triple–A Gwinnett Stripers,he hit .217/.266/.250 with no home runs and four RBI. Following the season on November 1,Velazquez was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to Triple–A Gwinnett. [42] However,Velazquez rejected the assignment and elected free agency. [43]
On November 24,2023,Velazquez re-signed with the Braves on a minor league contract. [44]
William Nathaniel "Buck" Showalter III is an American professional baseball manager. He served as manager of the New York Yankees (1992–1995),Arizona Diamondbacks (1998–2000),Texas Rangers (2003–2006),Baltimore Orioles (2010–2018) and New York Mets (2022–2023). He also is a former professional Minor League Baseball player and television analyst for ESPN and the YES Network.
Lyle Stefan Overbay is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks,Toronto Blue Jays,Pittsburgh Pirates,Atlanta Braves,New York Yankees,and Milwaukee Brewers from 2001 through 2014.
Kelly Andrew Johnson is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves,Arizona Diamondbacks,Toronto Blue Jays,Tampa Bay Rays,New York Yankees,Boston Red Sox,Baltimore Orioles,and New York Mets. While primarily a second baseman,Johnson has appeared at every position except for pitcher,catcher,and center field during his career. Johnson was the first player to appear in a game for all five American League East teams;Steve Pearce became the second in 2018. He was on the New York Mets' postseason roster in 2015,where he appeared in his first World Series.
Asdrúbal JoséCabrera is a Venezuelan-American former professional baseball infielder. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians,Washington Nationals,Tampa Bay Rays,New York Mets,Philadelphia Phillies,Texas Rangers,Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds. Cabrera,a switch hitter,is a two-time All-Star. He was primarily a middle infielder for most of his career,but transitioned to playing more third base during the 2017 season and began playing first base late in the 2019 season.
Mark Andrew Reynolds is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks,Baltimore Orioles,Cleveland Indians,New York Yankees,Milwaukee Brewers,St. Louis Cardinals,Washington Nationals,and two stints with the Colorado Rockies. A right-hander both when batting and throwing,Reynolds was known for his frequent and long home runs,high strikeout totals,and defensive versatility,having been primarily a third baseman before transitioning to first base while playing for the Orioles.
David Shelley Duncan is an American former professional baseball player. He was a left fielder,designated hitter,and first baseman. Duncan played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees,Cleveland Indians,and Tampa Bay Rays. He was the Major League field coordinator for the Toronto Blue Jays,and later served as the analytics coordinator for the Chicago White Sox.
Bryan Cody Ransom is an American former professional baseball utility infielder. He played for the San Francisco Giants,Houston Astros,New York Yankees,Philadelphia Phillies,Arizona Diamondbacks,Milwaukee Brewers,San Diego Padres,and Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball.
Gilberto Arnulfo Velazquez is an American former professional baseball infielder current coach. He is currently the defensive coordinator for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and weighs 190 pounds (86 kg). Velazquez is a graduate of Paramount High School in Paramount,California. Velazquez played in the New York Mets,Minnesota Twins,Boston Red Sox,Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Miami Marlins organizations.
Antonio Llamas Perezchica is a Mexican professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as an infielder for the San Francisco Giants and Cleveland Indians from 1988-1992. He is currently the third base coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Rubén Darío Tejada is a Panamanian professional baseball shortstop for the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets,St. Louis Cardinals,San Francisco Giants,and Baltimore Orioles.
Jeremy Robert Hellickson is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays,Arizona Diamondbacks,Philadelphia Phillies,Baltimore Orioles,and Washington Nationals. Following the 2011 season,Hellickson was named American League Rookie of the Year. In Tampa Bay,Hellickson was nicknamed "Hellboy" by local fans and media.
Eduardo Michelle Núñez Méndez is a Dominican former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees,Minnesota Twins,San Francisco Giants,Boston Red Sox,and the New York Mets. He also played for the Fubon Guardians of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) for one year. Although shortstop is his primary position,Núñez serves as a utility infielder,and played in the outfield for the Yankees as well.
Mariekson Julius "Didi" Gregorius is a Dutch professional baseball shortstop for the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna of the Mexican League. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds,Arizona Diamondbacks,New York Yankees,and Philadelphia Phillies.
Vidal Vicente Nuño [vee-dahl' nooh'-nio] is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees,Arizona Diamondbacks,Seattle Mariners,Baltimore Orioles,and Tampa Bay Rays. The Cleveland Indians selected Nuño in the 48th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. He made his MLB debut in 2013 with the Yankees.
Peter Robert O'Brien is an American professional baseball left fielder for the Pericos de Puebla of the Mexican League. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Miami Marlins.
Matthew Chou Bowman is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals,Cincinnati Reds,New York Yankees,Minnesota Twins,Arizona Diamondbacks,and Seattle Mariners.
Jorge Luis Mateo is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2020 for the San Diego Padres.
Germán Amed Valdez Rosario is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Mets,Cleveland Indians/Guardians,Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays. He made his MLB debut in 2017.
Domingo Junior Leyba Santana is a Dominican professional baseball infielder for the Olmecas de Tabasco of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Baltimore Orioles.
Benjamin Heller is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)