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 attended Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu. Recognizing the underrepresentation of Pacific Islanders in baseball,he traveled to Samoa during this period to instruct children in the sport,reflecting his commitment to promoting youth baseball development.[1]
Professional career
Minor leagues (2013–2018)
Kiner-Falefa was drafted out of high school by the Texas Rangers in the fourth round of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft.[2] He made his professional debut with the Arizona League Rangers that year,batting .322 with 11 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in 41 games. In 2014,he played for the AZL Rangers,Hickory Crawdads,and Spokane Indians,batting .246 with 16 RBIs in 79 games. In 2015,he played with Hickory and the High Desert Mavericks,where he batted .296 with 40 RBIs in 98 games. Kiner-Falefa spent 2016 with the Frisco RoughRiders,where he compiled a .256 batting average with 27 RBIs in 108 games.
Kiner-Falefa played numerous positions in the Rangers organization,including shortstop,second base,third base,and catcher.[3][4][5] He played in 2017 with Frisco,batting .288 with five home runs and 48 RBIs in 129 games.[6] The Rangers added him to their 40-man roster after the 2017 season.[7] He opened the 2018 season with the Round Rock Express,appearing in five games before being recalled to the major leagues for the rest of the season.
Texas Rangers (2018–2021)
Kiner-Falefa made his major league debut against the Los Angeles Angels on April 10,2018.[8] On April 14,against the Houston Astros,he hit his first career home run.[9] In June,he caught Austin Bibens-Dirkx,the first time both players in a pitching battery had hyphenated last names.[10] Kiner-Falefa appeared in 111 games during his rookie season of 2018,hitting .261/.325/.357 with 4 home runs and 34 RBI,while playing games at catcher,third base,shortstop,and second base. He opened the 2019 season with Rangers in a catching tandem with veteran Jeff Mathis.[11] Kiner-Falefa was placed on the injured list on June 7 and recalled on August 2 in the role of utility infielder and third string catcher.[12] He finished 2019 hitting .238/.299/.322 with one home run and 21 RBI.
In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season,Kiner-Falefa hit .280/.329/.370 with 3 home runs and 10 RBI in 58 games. He was awarded the AL Gold Glove Award for third basemen.[13] Over 158 games in 2021,he hit .271/.312/.357 with 8 home runs,53 RBI,and 20 stolen bases.[14] He led the major leagues with 136 singles. Defensively,he moved to shortstop and led his position with 436 assists and 98 double plays.
New York Yankees (2022–2023)
Kiner-Falefa with the Yankees during 2022 spring training
During spring training in 2023,Kiner-Falefa competed with Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza to be the Yankees starting shortstop.[19] Volpe won the starting role,[20] as the Yankees turned Kiner-Falefa into a utility player.[21] On April 13,Kiner-Falefa made his pitching debut in the ninth inning during an 11-2 loss against the Twins. His second pitch on the mound,38 MPH eephus pitch,was the slowest tracked pitch in Yankees history.[22] On June 14,during the Subway Series against the New York Mets,Kiner-Falefa stole home off pitcher Brooks Raley. He became the first Yankee player since Didi Gregorius on August 27,2016 to steal home.[23] On June 22,Kiner-Falefa was sent out for his third career pitching appearance in the top of the ninth inning of a 10–0 blowout loss against the Seattle Mariners. In the bottom of the ninth,he became the first Yankees position player to pitch three times in a season.[24] He pitched a scoreless inning,recording his first strikeout (Eugenio Suárez). He was called to bat as the pitcher in the lineup and hit a two-run home run against reliever Chris Flexen. Kiner-Falefa became the first Yankee to hit a home run as a pitcher since Lindy McDaniel on September 28,1972,the last season before the American League's adoption of the designated hitter rule.[25] Kiner-Falefa batted .242/.306/.340 for the season.[26] He became a free agent following the season.
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 Toronto in 2024,he batted .292/.338/.420 with seven home runs and 33 RBI.
On July 30,2024,the Blue Jays traded Kiner-Falefa to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Charles McAdoo.[29][30] He played in 50 games down the stretch for Pittsburgh,hitting .240/.265/.322 with one home run,10 RBI,and eight stolen bases.[31]
Kiner-Falefa made 119 appearances for the Pirates in 2025,batting .264/.300/.332 with one home run,35 RBI,and 15 stolen bases.[32]
Toronto Blue Jays (2025)
On August 31,2025,the Blue Jays claimed Kiner-Falefa off waivers from the Pirates.[33] In 19 appearances for Toronto,he batted .233/.258/.367 with one home run and five RBI.
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