Akil Baddoo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Akil Baddoo |
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Baddoo with the Toledo Mud Hens in 2022
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| Detroit Tigers | |||
| Outfielder | |||
| Born: August 16, 1998 Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 4, 2021, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2024 season) |
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| Batting average | .226 | ||
| Home runs | 28 | ||
| Runs batted in | 103 | ||
| Stolen bases | 42 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Akil Neomon Baddoo (born August 16, 1998) is an American professional baseball player. He plays as an outfielder for the Detroit Tigers team. Akil first played in Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2021.
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Akil Baddoo's Early Life
Akil Baddoo was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, in the Maryland state of the U.S. His parents are John and Akilah. Akil's father's family comes from Ghana. His mother's family is from Trinidad and Tobago. He went to Salem High School in Conyers, Georgia. There, he played baseball for his school team.
Akil Baddoo's Baseball Career
Playing for the Minnesota Twins
After high school, the Minnesota Twins baseball team chose Akil in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. He was the 74th player picked overall. Akil spent two seasons playing in rookie leagues for the Twins. These teams were the Gulf Coast League Twins and Elizabethton Twins.
In 2018, Akil moved up to the Single-A team, the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He played 113 games that year. Akil hit 11 home runs and stole 24 bases.
In 2019, Akil joined the High-A team, the Fort Myers Miracle. But he only played 29 games. He needed surgery on his left elbow. Because of his injury and the COVID-19 pandemic stopping games, Akil did not play in 2020.
Playing for the Detroit Tigers
On December 10, 2020, the Detroit Tigers picked Akil Baddoo. They chose him in a special event called the Rule 5 draft. Akil played very well in spring training before the 2021 season. He hit .325 and had five home runs. This helped him earn a spot on the Tigers' team for Opening Day.
A Great Start in MLB
Akil made his first MLB appearance on April 4, 2021. It was an amazing start! He hit a home run on the very first pitch he saw. This made him the ninth player in Tigers history to hit a home run in their first MLB at-bat. He was also only the second Tiger to do it on the first pitch.
The next day, Akil hit his first career grand slam. This means he hit a home run with all three bases loaded. He was the first player in Tigers history to hit a home run in his first two games. He was also the first MLB player ever to do this from the ninth spot in the batting order.
On April 6, Akil had his first "walk-off" hit. This is a hit that wins the game in the final inning. His hit gave the Tigers a 4–3 victory. He was the first Tiger since 1998 to have a walk-off hit within his first three MLB games.
By April 13, Akil had hit his fourth home run of the season. He was the first player in Tigers history to have four home runs and 10 RBIs in his first eight games. He also drove in a run in at least six of his first eight games. This was a rare achievement, last done by a Tigers player in 1938.
Later Seasons with the Tigers
On August 11, Akil had to take a break from playing. He had a minor injury after bumping into another player. He returned to play on August 23. Akil finished the 2021 season with a batting average of .259. He hit 13 home runs and stole 18 bases. He also won the Detroit Tigers Rookie of the Year award for 2021.
Akil started the 2022 season as the Tigers' center fielder. But on May 9, he was sent to the Triple-A team, the Toledo Mud Hens. He had a batting average of .140 at that time. After playing well for the Mud Hens, he was called back to the Tigers on July 11. He finished the 2022 season with two home runs.
In 2023, Akil started the season with the Toledo Mud Hens again. He was called up to the Tigers on April 8. He played in 112 games for Detroit. He hit 11 home runs and stole 14 bases.
Akil was sent to Triple-A Toledo again to start the 2024 season. He played 31 games for the Tigers that year. On December 10, 2024, Akil was removed from the Tigers' main roster. He later joined the Toledo Mud Hens team.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players with a home run in their first major league at bat
- Rule 5 draft results
