Andrelton Simmons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Andrelton Simmons |
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Simmons with the Los Angeles Angels in 2017
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| Dorados de Chihuahua – No. 19 | ||||||||||||||
| Shortstop | ||||||||||||||
| Born: September 4, 1989 Willemstad, Curaçao |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| June 2, 2012, for the Atlanta Braves | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through 2022 season) |
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| Batting average | .263 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 70 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 444 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Andrelton Alexander Simmons (born September 4, 1989) is a professional baseball shortstop from Curaçao. He currently plays for the Dorados de Chihuahua in the Mexican League. Before that, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for teams like the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels.
Simmons is famous for his amazing defensive skills. He won four Rawlings Gold Glove Awards as a shortstop. He also earned a Wilson MLB Overall Defensive Player of the Year Award and six Fielding Bible Awards. Many experts consider him one of the best defensive shortstops of his time.
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Early Baseball Days
Simmons grew up playing baseball in Curaçao. He played alongside other future baseball stars like Kenley Jansen and Didi Gregorius. Besides baseball, he also enjoyed playing basketball and soccer.
Because he was not very big, many MLB scouts did not notice him at first. This changed when he went to Western Oklahoma State College. As a freshman, he was a fantastic hitter. He helped his team reach the 2010 National Junior College Athletic Association Division II College World Series.
Professional Career
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves picked Simmons in the second round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft. This was after his time at Western Oklahoma State College.
Before the 2012 season, Baseball America ranked Simmons as the Braves' fourth-best young player. He made his Major League debut on June 2, 2012. He quickly showed off his skills, earning the National League Rookie of the Month award for June 2012. He was praised for his strong hitting and incredible defense. Later that season, he had a hand injury that put him on the disabled list for a short time.
In 2013, Simmons played his first full season in MLB. He set a record for Defensive Runs Saved in a single year. For his amazing defense, he won the Gold Glove, the Fielding Bible Award, and the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award.
The Braves signed Simmons to a big seven-year contract in 2014. He continued to win awards for his defense. He won the Gold Glove and Fielding Bible awards again in 2014.
Los Angeles Angels
In November 2015, Simmons was traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In May 2016, he injured his left thumb and had to miss some games. He returned in June and continued to play well defensively. He won the Fielding Bible Award for the fourth year in a row.
In 2017, Simmons had a great year both hitting and fielding. He hit 14 home runs and had 69 runs batted in (RBIs). He also had one of the lowest strikeout rates in all of baseball. He finished 8th in the American League Most Valuable Player voting. He also won his third Gold Glove Award that year.
He continued his strong performance in 2018. He had a career-high 75 RBIs and again had one of the lowest strikeout rates in MLB. He won another Gold Glove award, his second in a row. In September 2020, Simmons decided to stop playing for the rest of the season. He later shared that he was dealing with personal challenges at the time.
Minnesota Twins
On January 31, 2021, Simmons signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Twins. He played the 2021 season with the Twins.
Chicago Cubs
Simmons then signed with the Chicago Cubs on March 15, 2022. He played 34 games for the Cubs before becoming a free agent in August 2022.
Mumbai Cobras
In October 2023, Simmons was chosen by the Mumbai Cobras in the first draft of Baseball United. On December 26, 2023, he announced he was retiring from professional baseball.
However, on January 13, 2024, Simmons was announced as part of the Curaçao Suns team. This team represented Curaçao in the 2024 Caribbean Series in Miami.
Dorados de Chihuahua
On January 12, 2025, Simmons decided to return to baseball. He signed with the Dorados de Chihuahua of the Mexican League.
International Play
Simmons has proudly represented the Netherlands national team multiple times. He played for them in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, 2017 World Baseball Classic, and 2023 World Baseball Classic.
See also
In Spanish: Andrelton Simmons para niños
