Ben Revere facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ben Revere |
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Revere with the Washington Nationals in 2016
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: May 3, 1988 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 7, 2010, for the Minnesota Twins | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 1, 2017, for the Los Angeles Angels | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .284 | ||
| Home runs | 7 | ||
| Runs batted in | 198 | ||
| Stolen bases | 211 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Ben Daniel Revere (born May 3, 1988) is a former professional baseball outfielder from the United States. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. These included the Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals, and Los Angeles Angels.
Ben Revere played baseball at Lexington Catholic High School. He won many awards during his junior and senior years there. The Minnesota Twins picked him in the first round of the 2007 Major League Baseball draft. He played in their minor league system for three seasons. Then, he joined Major League Baseball in late 2010.
He played with the Twins for two more seasons. After that, he was traded to the Phillies in 2012. Revere started the 2013 season as the Phillies' leadoff hitter. He later got injured and moved down in the batting order. His main strengths were his amazing speed and his strong defense. He did not hit many home runs, only seven in his major league career. People who knew him, including writers and teammates, described Revere as a kind, funny, and energetic player.
Contents
- Early Life and High School Baseball
- Professional Baseball Career
- Coaching Career
- How Ben Revere Played
- Personal Life
Early Life and High School Baseball
Ben Revere was born in Atlanta and grew up in LaGrange, Georgia. In the early 2000s, his family moved to Richmond, Kentucky. He went to Lexington Catholic High School from 2003 to 2007.
He helped his high school baseball team win a state championship in 2006. He was named the most valuable player that year. After his senior year, he received several top awards. These included the Gatorade Kentucky Baseball Player of the Year and 2007 Mr. Baseball for Kentucky. He was also part of the All-USA Today high school baseball team.
The Minnesota Twins chose him as the 28th overall pick in the 2007 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with them soon after. Before this, he had planned to play college baseball at Georgia.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting with the Minnesota Twins
Minor League Journey
After being drafted, the Twins sent Revere to their team in the Gulf Coast League. In his first professional season, he had a .325 batting average. He was named a 2007 Gulf Coast League Postseason All-Star. The next year, he played for the Beloit Snappers. His batting average went up to .379, and he stole 44 bases. He also hit ten triples.
He won many awards for his great play. These included being named an All-Star and the Most Valuable Player for the Midwest League. Baseball America also called him the Twins' second-best young player.
In 2009, Revere played for the Fort Myers Miracle. He batted .342 in the first half of the season. He also had 23 RBI and 22 stolen bases. He was named Player of the Week in May. He played both center field and left field without making any errors all season. He finished the year with a .311 batting average.
Before the 2010 season, Baseball America ranked him as the Twins' fifth-best young player. He started the season with the New Britain Rock Cats. He was named the Twins' minor league player of the month in May. He hit .336 that month. He also played in the All-Star Futures Game. After hitting .305 with 36 stolen bases, the Twins called him up to the major leagues on September 4, 2010.
Major League Debut
Ben Revere played his first major league game on September 7, 2010. He came in as a pinch hitter for Denard Span. He got his first major league run batted in (RBI) on September 18. He then got his first major league hit a day later.
He started the 2011 season with the Twins' Triple-A team, the Rochester Red Wings. He was called up to the Twins in May when Delmon Young was injured. Later, when Denard Span was also injured, Revere got more chances to play.
In late 2012, Revere had a 21-game hitting streak, which was his best ever. He finished the 2012 season playing 124 major league games. He had a .294 batting average, no home runs, and 32 RBIs.
Playing for the Philadelphia Phillies
On December 6, 2012, Revere was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies sent Vance Worley and Trevor May to the Twins in return. Revere was chosen to be the Phillies' leadoff hitter for the 2013 season. This was after he had a very good spring training.
The Phillies' General Manager, Rubén Amaro Jr., was excited about Revere. He said Revere's defense and speed were very important to the team. He also mentioned Revere's great energy.
On April 15, 2013, the day of the Boston Marathon bombing, Revere showed his support. He wrote "Pray for Boston" on tape and put it on his glove. A photographer took a picture of his glove, and Revere received many thanks for his gesture. He said he was playing for the people in Boston. In the next game, Revere made an amazing diving catch with that same glove.
Revere got a quadriceps injury early in the season. He made it worse in an April 24 game. He missed several games and was replaced by Freddy Galvis. Revere returned on May 3, his 25th birthday. He later injured his elbow in a game on May 27. Luckily, X-rays showed it was not serious.
By the end of May, Revere was back hitting at the top of the batting order. He had two hits and stole two bases in a game on June 3. On July 13, Revere broke his foot when a foul ball hit him. He had surgery for the injury. He missed the rest of the 2013 season. He finished the year with a .305 batting average and 22 stolen bases.
Revere was healthy for the 2014 season. He was the main center fielder for the Phillies. On April 1, 2014, Revere set a new MLB record. He had the most plate appearances without hitting a home run (1,410) for a non-pitcher. He later hit his first MLB home run on May 27, 2014. This was in his 1,466th career at-bat. It was the longest streak without a home run to start a career since 1977.
On September 5, Revere hit his second career home run. In 2014, Revere played 151 games. He hit .306 and led the National League with 184 hits. He also stole 49 bases. On October 1, 2014, Revere had surgery on his right ankle.
In 2015, Revere played some games in left field during spring training. This was because Odubel Herrera played center field. In 96 games with the Phillies, Revere batted .298. He also had 24 stolen bases and one home run.
Moving to the Toronto Blue Jays
On July 31, 2015, Revere was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. He struggled at first with the Blue Jays. But he soon got back into form. He made several amazing catches in left field. He also had a 9-game hitting streak in August. During those games, he batted .514. He played 56 games for the Blue Jays in 2015. He batted .319 with one home run and 19 RBIs. Overall in 2015, he played 152 games. He had a .306 batting average, two home runs, and 31 stolen bases.
The Blue Jays finished the season with a great record of 93 wins and 69 losses. They won their division, which was their first time in the postseason in 22 years. Revere played in 11 postseason games. He batted .256 and stole 2 bases.
Time with the Washington Nationals
On January 8, 2016, Revere was traded to the Washington Nationals. He was placed on the disabled list on April 6 due to a strained muscle. In 103 games for Washington, he batted .217. He also had two home runs, 24 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases. On December 2, the Nationals decided not to offer Revere a new contract, making him a free agent.
Playing for the Los Angeles Angels
On December 23, 2016, Revere signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels. He started the 2017 season as the team's fourth outfielder. But after some changes, Revere became the main left fielder. In 109 games, Revere hit .275. He also had 1 home run and 21 stolen bases.
On February 25, 2018, Revere signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds. He was released before the season started. On March 30, 2018, Revere signed another minor league contract to return to the Angels. He played 40 games for the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees. He was released by the Angels on July 26.
Second Time with the Toronto Blue Jays
On February 17, 2019, Revere signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers. He was released by the Rangers on March 26.
On April 27, 2019, Revere signed a minor league contract to return to the Toronto Blue Jays. He played 8 games for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. He was released by the Blue Jays on May 22.
Playing for the Lexington Legends
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Ben Revere played for the Lexington Legends. This was because the minor league season was canceled in 2020.
Player and Coach
On May 18, 2021, Revere was named the hitting coach for the Lexington Legends. They are now part of an independent baseball league. On July 31, 2021, the team activated Revere as a player. In his first game, he had two hits, including a triple. Revere did not return to the team after that season. In 25 games, he hit .300 with 14 RBIs and one stolen base.
Coaching Career
On February 17, 2023, it was announced that Ben Revere would join the Florida Complex League Braves. This is a rookie-level team for the Atlanta Braves. He became a coach for them for the 2023 season.
How Ben Revere Played
Offensive Skills
Ben Revere's former teammate, Denard Span, said Revere could "change games with his speed." He was always "looking to steal second and third" to help his team score. Revere was known as a slap hitter. This means he focused on making contact with the ball rather than hitting it far. He did not hit many home runs. It took him 1,466 at-bats to hit his first home run. This was the longest streak without a home run to start a career since 1977.
According to ESPN, Revere had his best batting average on pitches low and outside. He hit left-handed and right-handed pitchers equally well. Lindy's Sports noted that even with a long swing, he made "excellent line-drive contact." They also said he was a good leadoff hitter because of his great speed. The Baseball Cube, which rates players based on stats, gave Revere a 98 for contact and a 97 for speed (out of 100).
Defensive Skills
Defensively, Revere had excellent range in the outfield. In 2012, his ultimate zone rating (UZR) was 16.4, which is very good. FanGraphs called him an "elite" defensive player because of his speed and range. Even when he struggled with hitting, his defense kept him in the lineup. This was true during his early career with the Twins and his tough time with the Phillies in 2013. While his speed helped him cover a lot of ground, his arm was not very strong. Some writers in 2014 thought his speed made up for other weaknesses in the outfield.
Personal Life
Writer Craig Hughner described Ben Revere as having a "full-throttle" playing style. He also noted Revere's "genuine, charismatic personality." Revere said his personality came from how he was raised. He always tried to be "goofy" and keep things fun. His former teammate, Denard Span, agreed that Revere was "goofy" and a "real good teammate."
Revere is a devoted Christian. He has said that he prays every night and reads his Bible weekly. He also enjoys history. Revere once said he wanted to explore museums and famous places in Philadelphia when he had more time away from baseball.
