Kiner-Falefa was born on March 23,1995,in Honolulu,Hawaii.[1][2] Raised in Honolulu,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.[3]
Kiner-Falefa attended Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu,graduating in 2013. 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.[3]
Professional career
Draft and minor leagues
Kiner-Falefa was selected 130th overall by the Texas Rangers in the fourth round of the 2013 MLB draft on June 7,directly out of high school.[4][5] Two days later,he signed a professional contract with the Rangers on June 9,and was assigned to the Rookie-levelAZL Rangers on June 20,where he began his professional career. That day,Kiner-Falefa made his Minor League Baseball (MiLB) debut,playing in an away game against the AZL Royals at Surprise Stadium in Surprise,Arizona.[6][7] He failed to record a hit in four at bats,going 0-for-4,but reached base on a fielding error to record one stolen base and one run in a 9–4 victory over the Royals.[8] Kiner-Falefa finished the 2013 season batting .322/.388/.356 with 11 runs batted in (RBIs) in 41 games.[9][10] Defensively,he played the second base and shortstop positions throughout the season.[7]
In 2015,Kiner-Falefa split time between the Crawdads and the Advanced-AHigh Desert Mavericks,batting a combined .296/.356/.341 with 40 RBIs in 98 games.[10][9]
In 2016,Kiner-Falefa primarily played for the Double-AFrisco RoughRiders,with a brief three-game stint back with the AZL Rangers,batting a combined .252/.337/.282 with 28 RBIs in 111 games.[10][9] During the off-season,Kiner-Falefa played for the Surprise Saguaros in the Arizona Fall League (AFL),batting .194/.350/.194 with three RBIs in 10 games.[10]
Kiner-Falefa remained with the RoughRiders in 2017,batting .288/.350/.390 with five home runs and 48 RBIs in 129 games.[10][9] After the 2017 season,the Texas Rangers added Kiner-Falefa to their 40-man roster.[11]
Kiner-Falefa started the 2018 season with the Triple-ARound Rock Express,batting .200/.333/.200 with one RBI in five games before being called up to the MLB by the Texas Rangers on April 10,where he remained for the rest of the season.[10][9] Throughout his minor league career within the Texas Rangers system,Kiner-Falefa demonstrated versatility by playing multiple defensive positions,including catcher,second baseman,third baseman,and shortstop.[12][13][14]
Kiner-Falefa began the 2019 season sharing catching duties with veteran Jeff Mathis.[18] 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.[19] He finished the 2019 season batting .238/.299/.322 with one home run and 21 RBIs in 65 games.[1][2]
Kiner-Falefa finished the 2021 season batting .271/.312/.357 with eight home runs and 53 RBIs in 158 games.[1][2] He led the MLB with 136 singles.[21] Defensively,Kiner-Falefa moved to shortstop. He led the MLB with 436 assists and led the shortstop position with 98 double plays turned.[22]
During the 2023 spring training,Kiner-Falefa competed with Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza for the Yankees' starting shortstop position.[27] Volpe ultimately won the role,[28] and Kiner-Falefa transitioned into a utility player.[29] 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 38.5 miles per hour (mph) eephus pitch,was the slowest pitch ever recorded in Yankees history during the Statcast era.[30] This record was subsequently broken by Austin Slater,another position player who threw a 36.4 mph pitch during a relief appearance on September 10,2025.[31] On June 14,during the Subway Series against the New York Mets,Kiner-Falefa stolehome off pitcher Brooks Raley,becoming the first Yankee to accomplish this feat since Didi Gregorius on August 27,2016.[32] 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.[33] He pitched a scoreless inning and recorded his first career 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 (AL) adopted the designated hitter rule.[34] Kiner-Falefa finished the 2023 season batting .242/.306/.340 with six home runs and 37 RBIs in 113 games.[1][2] Following the 2023 season,he became a free agent.
Toronto Blue Jays (2024)
On December 29,2023,Kiner-Falefa signed a two-year,$15million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.[35][36] He began the 2024 season with the Blue Jays,batting .292/.338/.420 with seven home runs and 33 RBIs in 83 games.[1][2]
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 Blue Jays second basemanBo Bichette,who was limited by a knee injury. With one out and the bases loaded,Kiner-Falefa was on third base when Blue Jays batterDaulton Varsho hit a ground ball to Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas. Attempting to score the potential championship-winning run,Kiner-Falefa was forced 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 basemanMax Muncy was positioned far from the base. He was also faulted for not taking a larger secondary lead while Dodgers pitcherYoshinobu 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 5–4 in extra innings,and Kiner-Falefa was widely perceived as having possibly cost the Blue Jays the championship title.[40][41]
Following the 2025 season,Kiner-Falefa became a free agent.[42]
Through his mother's lineage,Kiner-Falefa is the second cousin twice removed of Baseball Hall of FamerRalph Kiner. Their shared ancestor,Mary McPherran Kiner of Mifflin County,Pennsylvania,was Kiner's great-grandmother and Kiner-Falefa's great-great-great-grandmother. Kiner-Falefa's maternal grandfather,John Kiner,attended the University of Hawaii and chose to remain in Hawaii rather than return to the mainland;he often shared stories with young Isiah about his second cousin Ralph.[45]
Kiner-Falefa married Tayea Chun,a fellow Hawaii native,on December 21,2024,in a wedding ceremony in Kapolei,Hawaii.[46]
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