Billy Hamilton (baseball, born 1990) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Billy Hamilton |
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Hamilton with the Kansas City Royals in 2019
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| Charros de Jalisco – No. 6 | |||
| Center fielder | |||
| Born: September 9, 1990 Taylorsville, Mississippi, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 3, 2013, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2023 season) |
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| Batting average | .239 | ||
| Home runs | 24 | ||
| Runs batted in | 189 | ||
| Stolen bases | 326 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Billy Rayshun Hamilton was born on September 9, 1990. He is an American professional baseball player. He plays as a center fielder for the Charros de Jalisco team in the Mexican League. Billy Hamilton has also played for many teams in Major League Baseball (MLB). These teams include the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins, and Chicago White Sox.
The Cincinnati Reds picked Hamilton in the second round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. He started playing in MLB in 2013. Billy Hamilton is famous for his amazing speed. He holds a record in Minor League Baseball for stealing 155 bases in one season. This was 10 more than the old record! He also holds the Cincinnati Reds record for most stolen bases by a rookie in a season. From 2014 to 2017, he stole 230 bases, which was the most in MLB during that time.
Contents
Early Baseball Days
High School Sports Star
Billy Hamilton went to Taylorsville High School in Taylorsville, Mississippi. He was a top athlete there. He was chosen as an all-state player in baseball, football, and basketball. He was so good at football that he planned to play college football at Mississippi State University.
Playing Professional Baseball
Starting with the Cincinnati Reds
Minor League Journey
The Cincinnati Reds chose Billy Hamilton in the second round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. He started his professional career in their minor league system.
In 2011, while playing for the Dayton Dragons, Hamilton became a minor league player to steal 100 bases in one season. He was the first to do this since 2001. He ended that season with 104 stolen bases.
On August 21, 2012, Hamilton set a new record. He stole his 146th base in just his 120th game for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. This broke the old record of 136 stolen bases. He finished the 2012 season with an amazing 155 stolen bases.
After the 2012 season, the Reds decided to move Hamilton from shortstop to center field. This was because they had other good shortstops on the team.
Making it to Major League Baseball
The Reds brought Billy Hamilton up to the major leagues on September 2, 2013. He played his first MLB game on September 3. He came in as a pinch runner and immediately stole second base. He then scored a run.
On September 18, 2013, Hamilton made his first start in an MLB game. He played center field. In his first time at bat, he got his first Major League hit. It was a double! He also got his first run batted in (RBI) in that game. He stole four bases in that game, which was a record for a player's first MLB start. He was very successful at stealing bases early in his career.
Billy Hamilton became a regular player for the Cincinnati Reds in 2014. On September 2, he set a new team record. He stole his 55th base of the season. This was the most stolen bases by a rookie for the Reds. He was nominated for the Rawlings Gold Glove Award for his great defense in center field. He also finished second for the National League Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award.
In 2015, Hamilton continued to show his speed. He stole six bases in his team's first three games. This matched a record set by another famous base stealer, Vince Coleman. He ended the season with 57 stolen bases.
In 2016, Hamilton had a good year, hitting .260. He stole 58 bases. On May 4, 2017, he stole his 200th career base. He finished the 2017 season with 59 stolen bases.
In 2018, Hamilton was still a great defender. He led all National League outfielders with 12 assists. However, he struggled with his hitting. After the 2018 season, the Reds let him become a free agent.
Playing for Other MLB Teams
After leaving the Reds, Billy Hamilton played for several other MLB teams.
He signed with the Kansas City Royals on December 11, 2018. He played for them until August 2019. Then, the Atlanta Braves claimed him. In 2019, between both teams, he stole 22 bases.
In 2020, Hamilton signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants. He was then traded to the New York Mets. He played a few games for the Mets before being claimed by the Chicago Cubs. In 2020, he stole six bases.
In 2021, Hamilton signed with the Chicago White Sox. He hit his first home run for the White Sox on May 29. He hit another home run the next day! He stole nine bases that season.
In 2022, Hamilton signed with the Seattle Mariners and then the Miami Marlins. He was promoted to the Marlins' major league team on July 1. He stole seven bases for them without being caught. Later in 2022, he signed with the Minnesota Twins. He stole three bases for the Twins.
In December 2022, Hamilton signed again with the Chicago White Sox. He played a few games for them in 2023. He was placed on the injured list with a hamstring injury. He was later released by the White Sox in August 2023.
He then signed with the Tampa Bay Rays in August 2023. He played eight games for their Triple-A team and stole five bases.
Current Team: Charros de Jalisco
In February 2024, Billy Hamilton signed with the Olmecas de Tabasco in the Mexican League. He played 11 games for them.
On May 11, 2024, Hamilton signed with the Charros de Jalisco, also in the Mexican League. He has played 52 games for the Charros. He has hit 13 home runs and had 35 RBIs. He also leads the league in stolen bases with 37!
Images for kids
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Hamilton with the Kansas City Royals in 2019
