Kiner-Falefa was born and raised in Honolulu,Hawaii. He was introduced to baseball at the age of five by his grandfather. By the time he reached seventh grade,his talent was evident,prompting his parents to enroll him in travel teams to help him gain exposure through tournaments across the United States.[1]
Kiner-Falefa was selected by the Texas Rangers in the fourth round of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft directly out of high school.[2] He made his professional debut the same year with the AZL Rangers,posting a batting average of .322 with 11 RBIs and 12 stolen bases over 41 games. In 2014,he played across three teams—the AZL Rangers,Hickory Crawdads,and Spokane Indians—compiling a .246 average with 16 RBIs in 79 games. The following season,Kiner-Falefa split time between the Crawdads and High Desert Mavericks,improving his average to .296 with 40 RBIs in 98 games. In 2016,he joined the Frisco RoughRiders,recording a .256 average and 27 RBIs over 108 games. He remained with the RoughRiders in 2017,appearing in 129 games,batting .288 with five home runs and 48 RBIs.[3] Following the 2017 season,the Texas Rangers added Kiner-Falefa to their 40-man roster.[4] He began the 2018 season with the Round Rock Express,appearing in five games before receiving a call-up to the MLB,where he remained for the duration of the season. Throughout his tenure with the Texas Rangers organization,Kiner-Falefa demonstrated versatility by playing multiple defensive positions,including catcher,second base,shortstop,and third base.[5][6][7]
Kiner-Falefa began the 2019 season sharing catching duties with veteran Jeff Mathis.[11] He was placed on the injured list on June 7 and was recalled on August 2 to serve as a utility infielder and third-string catcher.[12] He concluded the season batting .238/.299/.322 with one home run and 21 RBIs.
In the 2021 season,Kiner-Falefa appeared in 158 games,batting .271/.312/.357 with 8 home runs,53 RBIs,and 20 stolen bases.[14] He led the MLB with 136 singles. Defensively,he moved to shortstop and led his position with 436 assists and 98 double plays.
During spring training in 2023,Kiner-Falefa competed with Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza for the Yankees' starting shortstop position.[19] Volpe ultimately won the role,[20] and Kiner-Falefa transitioned into a utility player.[21] On April 13,he made his pitching debut in the ninth inning of an 11–2 loss against the Minnesota Twins. Notably,his second pitch—a 38 mph eephus pitch—was the slowest pitch ever recorded in Yankees history.[22] On June 14,during the Subway Series against the New York Mets,Kiner-Falefa stole home off pitcher Brooks Raley,becoming the first Yankee to accomplish this feat since Didi Gregorius on August 27,2016.[23] On June 22,he made his third pitching appearance of the season in the ninth inning of a 10–0 loss to the Seattle Mariners,marking the first time a Yankees position player pitched three times in a single season.[24] He pitched a scoreless inning and recorded his first strikeout against Eugenio Suárez. Additionally,batting as a pitcher in the same game,he hit a two-run home run off reliever Chris Flexen,becoming the first Yankee to homer as a pitcher since Lindy McDaniel on September 28,1972,the final season before the American League adopted the designated hitter rule.[25] Kiner-Falefa finished the 2023 season batting .242/.306/.340.[26] Following the season,he became a free agent.
Toronto Blue Jays (2024)
On December 29,2023,Kiner-Falefa signed a two-year,$15 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.[27][28] In 82 games for the Blue Jays in 2024,he batted .292/.338/.420 with seven home runs and 33 RBIs.
On July 30,2024,the Toronto Blue Jays traded Kiner-Falefa to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Charles McAdoo.[29][30] He appeared in 50 games for the Pirates during the remainder of the 2024 season,batting .240/.265/.322 with one home run,10 RBIs,and eight stolen bases.[31]
Kiner-Falefa appeared in 119 games for the Pirates during the 2025 season,batting .264/.300/.332 with one home run,35 RBIs,and 15 stolen bases.[32]
Toronto Blue Jays (2025)
On August 31,2025,the Toronto Blue Jays claimed Kiner-Falefa off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates.[33] He appeared in 19 games for the Blue Jays during the remainder of the 2025 season,batting .233/.258/.367 with one home run and five RBIs.
In Game 7 of the 2025 World Series,with the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers tied 4–4 in the bottom of the ninth inning,Kiner-Falefa entered the game as a pinch-runner for second baseman Bo Bichette,who was limited by a knee injury. With one out and the bases loaded,Kiner-Falefa was on third base when Blue Jays batter Daulton Varsho hit a ground ball to Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas. Attempting to score the potential championship-winning run,Kiner-Falefa was tagged out at home plate on a force play. Although coaching instructed him to hold a close lead at third base to avoid a possible double play on a line drive,Kiner-Falefa faced criticism on social media after the game for taking only a small primary lead,especially since Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy was positioned far from the base. He was also faulted for not taking a larger secondary lead while Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered the pitch. Additionally,Kiner-Falefa received criticism for sliding feet-first into home plate rather than running through it,a technique generally considered faster and more common on force plays similar to those at first base. Ultimately,the Dodgers won the game in extra innings,and Kiner-Falefa was widely perceived as having possibly cost the Blue Jays the championship title.[34][35]
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