Alex Avila facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alex Avila |
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Avila with the Washington Nationals in 2021
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| Catcher | |||
| Born: January 29, 1987 Hialeah, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 6, 2009, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 3, 2021, for the Washington Nationals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .233 | ||
| Home runs | 105 | ||
| Runs batted in | 397 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Alexander Thomas Avila (born January 29, 1987) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2009 to 2021. During his career, he played for teams like the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks, Minnesota Twins, and Washington Nationals. Alex is also the son of Al Avila, who used to be the general manager for the Detroit Tigers.
Alex Avila was the main catcher for the Tigers when they won four straight American League Central Division titles. He even caught for two Cy Young Award winners, Justin Verlander in 2011 and Max Scherzer in 2013. Fans sometimes called him "The Titanium Catcher" because he was often hit by foul tips. He sometimes missed games after taking hits to the head. For example, in 2014, a foul ball hit his mask, ending his season early.
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Early Baseball Journey
Alex Avila played baseball in high school at Archbishop McCarthy High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Detroit Tigers first drafted him in 2005, but he decided to go to the University of Alabama instead. There, he became an All-SEC player. In 2007, he played summer baseball for the Harwich Mariners. After a great junior year in college, the Tigers drafted him again in 2008.
Professional Baseball Career
Playing for the Detroit Tigers
Starting in 2009
Alex Avila made his first big league appearance for the Tigers on August 6, 2009. In that game against the Baltimore Orioles, he got two hits and scored a run. The very next night, he hit his first career home run. He played in 29 games that year, hitting .279 with 5 home runs.
Season of 2010
Avila was on the Tigers' team for Opening Day in 2010. He shared catching duties with Gerald Laird. Experts at Baseball America thought he was one of the Tigers' top young players. He was also the catcher for Armando Galarraga's near-perfect game on June 2, 2010. He finished the season hitting .228 with 7 home runs.
All-Star Year: 2011
In 2011, Alex Avila became the Tigers' main catcher and played much better. On July 3, 2011, fans voted him to be the starting catcher for the American League All-Star team. He also caught Justin Verlander's no-hitter game on May 7, 2011. That season, he hit .295 with 19 home runs and 82 runs batted in (RBIs).
Avila also won the Silver Slugger Award in 2011. This award goes to the best offensive player at each position. He was the first Tigers catcher to win it since Iván Rodríguez in 2004.
Challenges in 2012
After his amazing 2011 season, 2012 was a bit tougher for Avila. He dealt with some injuries, which affected his hitting. His batting average dropped to .243 with 9 home runs. Even so, he was good at catching runners trying to steal bases.
Comeback in 2013
Avila had a slow start in 2013 and spent some time off the field. But he played much better in the second half of the season. On July 30, 2013, he hit the first grand slam of his career. A grand slam is a home run hit with all bases loaded, scoring four runs. He also hit a game-winning home run against the Cleveland Indians on August 5. He finished the year hitting .227 with 11 home runs.
Strong Defense in 2014
In 2014, Avila signed a new contract with the Tigers. His hitting was still a bit of a struggle, as he hit .218 with 11 home runs. However, he was excellent on defense. He was even a finalist for the Gold Glove Award, which recognizes the best defensive players. He allowed very few passed balls and was good at throwing out base stealers.
Final Year with Tigers in 2015
The 2015 season was tough for Avila. He struggled with hitting and also had a knee injury. He lost his starting catcher spot to James McCann. After this season, he became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team. His father, Al Avila, who was then the Tigers' general manager, decided not to sign him again.
Time with Other Teams
Chicago White Sox (2016)
In November 2015, Avila signed a one-year contract with the Chicago White Sox. Injuries limited him to just 57 games that season. He hit .213 with 7 home runs for the White Sox.
Return to Detroit Tigers (2017)
Avila signed another one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers in December 2016. He hit an RBI double in his first game back against his old team, the White Sox.
Chicago Cubs (2017)
On July 31, 2017, Avila was traded to the Chicago Cubs along with pitcher Justin Wilson. He played a total of 112 games for both the Tigers and Cubs that year, hitting .264 with 14 home runs.
Arizona Diamondbacks (2018–2019)
In January 2018, Avila signed a two-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He played for them in 2018 and 2019. In 2019, he hit .207 with 9 home runs.
Minnesota Twins (2020)
Avila joined the Minnesota Twins on a one-year contract in December 2019. In the shorter 2020 season, he played in 23 games, hitting .184 with 1 home run.
Washington Nationals (2021)
On January 28, 2021, Avila signed with the Washington Nationals. On September 19, 2021, Alex Avila announced that he was retiring from baseball after a 13-year career in MLB.
Alex Avila's Family Life
Alex Avila is a first-generation Cuban American. His mother is Yamile Avila, and his father is Al Avila, who was a general manager for the Detroit Tigers. Alex's godfather was Tommy Lasorda, a famous former manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Tommy was a friend of Alex's father and grandfather.
When Alex was in high school, his family moved to Michigan because his dad got a job with the Tigers. Alex went to high school there for a year before moving back to Florida.
His cousin, Nick Avila, was also drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2011. Nick is now a coach for the Gulf Coast Tigers. Alex's younger brother, Alan Avila, was drafted by the Tigers in 2008 but chose to play college baseball instead. Alan now works for the Tigers in their baseball operations department.
Alex is married to Kristina Avila, whom he met in high school. They have two daughters named Avery Noelle, born in 2013, and Zoey Gabrielle, born in 2015.
