Chris Gittens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chris Gittens |
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Gittens with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2022
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| Free agent | |||
| First baseman | |||
| Born: February 4, 1994 Sherman, Texas, U.S. |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: June 5, 2021, for the New York Yankees | |||
| NPB: April 4, 2022, for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2021 season) |
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| Batting average | .111 | ||
| Home runs | 1 | ||
| Runs batted in | 5 | ||
| NPB statistics (through 2022 season) |
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| Batting average | .242 | ||
| Home runs | 0 | ||
| Runs batted in | 8 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Christopher Ryan Gittens (born February 4, 1994) is an American professional baseball player. He plays as a first baseman. Chris has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. He also played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. He made his MLB debut in 2021. Currently, he is a free agent.
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Chris Gittens' Early Baseball Days
Chris Gittens grew up in Sherman, Texas. He went to Sherman High School. There, he played baseball for his school team. He was a first baseman and a pitcher. Chris even threw a perfect game and three no-hitters. This means no one on the other team got on base or got a hit!
After high school, Chris went to Grayson County College. He continued to play baseball there. In 2014, his second year, he was a great hitter. He had a .422 batting average. He also hit 12 home runs and had 71 runs batted in (RBIs). An RBI means he helped a teammate score a run.
Chris Gittens' Professional Career
Playing for the New York Yankees
The New York Yankees picked Chris Gittens in the 2014 baseball draft. He was the 362nd player chosen. Chris decided to sign with the Yankees instead of going to college. He started his professional career with the Gulf Coast Yankees. This team is for new players.
In 2015, Chris played for two different Yankees minor league teams. He had a strong year, hitting eight home runs. The next year, he played for the Charleston RiverDogs. He hit 21 home runs and had 70 RBIs. These were his best numbers yet. In 2017, he continued to play well for the Yankees' High-A team.
In 2019, Chris played for the Trenton Thunder. He had an amazing season. He won the Eastern League Most Valuable Player Award. He hit 23 home runs and had 77 RBIs. These were new career highs for him. He was known for hitting the ball very hard. In 2020, he did not play because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, Chris started the season with the Triple-A team, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. He was hitting very well. The Yankees then called him up to the major leagues on June 5, 2021. This was his dream come true!
In his first major league game, he did not get a hit. But on June 15, he hit his first major league home run. It was against the Toronto Blue Jays. Chris played 10 games for the Yankees. He then went back to the minor leagues. He continued to play well there. The Yankees called him back up later that season. In total, he played 36 at bats in the major leagues in 2021. He hit one home run and had five RBIs.
On November 30, 2021, Chris was released by the Yankees.
Playing in Japan
On December 26, 2021, Chris Gittens signed with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. This team plays in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. He played for them in 2022 and 2023. After the 2023 season, he became a free agent.
Playing for the Houston Astros
On December 21, 2023, Chris signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros. He became a free agent again on November 6, 2024.
Chris Gittens' Personal Life
Chris Gittens has a son who was born in May 2021. His father told him in 2014 that he would not watch him play in person until Chris made it to the major leagues. Chris said this gave him a lot of motivation. Both of his parents were there to see his major league debut.
