Donovan Solano facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Donovan Solano |
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Solano with the Cincinnati Reds in 2022
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| Seattle Mariners – No. 39 | |||
| Infielder | |||
| Born: December 17, 1987 Barranquilla, Colombia |
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| debut | |||
| May 21, 2012, for the Miami Marlins | |||
| MLB statistics (through July 11, 2025) |
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| Batting average | .278 | ||
| Hits | 800 | ||
| Home runs | 43 | ||
| Runs batted in | 298 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Donovan Solano Preciado, also known as "Donnie Barrels", was born on December 17, 1987. He is a professional baseball infielder from Colombia. He currently plays for the Seattle Mariners in Major League Baseball (MLB). Donovan has also played for other MLB teams, including the Miami Marlins, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins, and San Diego Padres. In 2020, he won the Silver Slugger Award, which is given to the best offensive player at each position.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Donovan Solano grew up in Barranquilla, Colombia. He started playing baseball at a young age with his older brother, Jhonatan Solano. Both brothers dreamed of playing professional baseball.
Donovan Solano's Professional Baseball Journey
Donovan Solano has played for several teams throughout his professional baseball career. He started in the minor leagues and worked his way up to the major leagues.
Starting with the St. Louis Cardinals
Donovan first signed with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2005. He spent seven seasons playing in their minor league system. He played for teams like the Palm Beach Cardinals and the Memphis Redbirds. Even though he played well, he never made it to the major leagues with the Cardinals. He became a free agent in 2011.
Playing for the Miami Marlins
In November 2011, Solano signed with the Miami Marlins. He was invited to their spring training in 2012. On May 20, 2012, Donovan made his big league debut with the Marlins. He was the 12th player from Colombia to reach Major League Baseball. In his first game, he got a hit!
He became a regular player for the Marlins, often playing second base or third base. In 2012, he had a good season, hitting for a .295 batting average. Baseball America even named him the second baseman on their Major League All Rookie Team. In 2013, he was recognized as the Marlins' Defensive Player of the Year by Wilson. He played with the Marlins until 2015.
Time with the New York Yankees
Donovan signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees in 2016. He spent most of that year playing for their Triple-A team, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. He had a great season there, hitting .319 and leading the league in sacrifice flies. He was called up to the Yankees in September 2016. After the season, he became a free agent again.
Brief Stop with the Los Angeles Dodgers
In 2018, Solano signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played for their Triple-A team, the Oklahoma City Dodgers. He hit well, with a .318 batting average, but a hamstring injury limited his playing time. He became a free agent at the end of the season.
Success with the San Francisco Giants
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Donovan joined the San Francisco Giants in 2019. He started in Triple-A but was called up to the Giants in May. He had a fantastic year, batting .330. He was especially good when playing on the road, hitting over .400!
The 2020 season was a big one for Solano. Even though the season was shorter, he had a career-high 17-game hitting streak. He finished the season with a .326 batting average, which was the fifth-best in the National League. For his amazing hitting, he won the Silver Slugger Award as the best second baseman in the National League. He also won a sports award from Colombian journalists. He played for the Giants until 2021.
Playing for the Cincinnati Reds
In 2022, Solano signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds. He started the season on the injured list due to a hamstring injury. He made his first appearance for the Reds in June and played in 80 games, hitting .284.
Joining the Minnesota Twins
Donovan signed with the Minnesota Twins in 2023. He played in 134 games for the Twins, hitting .282 and helping them win the American League Central division. He also set a new career high with 38 RBI.
Time with the San Diego Padres
In April 2024, Solano signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres. He was called up to the major league team in May. He often played third base and first base. He hit a career-high 8 home runs in 96 games, batting .286. The Padres made it to the playoffs that year.
Current Team: Seattle Mariners
Donovan Solano signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Mariners in January 2025. He is currently playing for them.
Representing Colombia in Baseball
Donovan has proudly represented his home country, Colombia, in international baseball tournaments.
World Baseball Classic Qualifiers
He played for the Colombia national baseball team in the 2013 World Baseball Classic qualifiers. He was a key player, leading the team in hits and RBI. However, Colombia did not advance that year.
World Baseball Classic Appearances
When Colombia qualified for the 2017 World Baseball Classic, Solano played alongside his brother Jhonatan. Even though Colombia was eliminated in the first round, it was a special experience for the brothers. Donovan was initially going to play in the 2023 World Baseball Classic but decided to focus on preparing for his season with the Twins instead.
Donovan Solano's Family Life
Donovan comes from a baseball family. His older brother, Jhonatan Solano, is a former catcher who also played in MLB.
- Brothers in MLB: Donovan and Jhonatan made their MLB debuts in the same month (May 2012). This was a rare event! They were the first brothers to debut in the same month since 1996. They even played against each other in their first MLB game.
- Playing Together: The brothers played together for the Miami Marlins in 2015 and for the Colombian national team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
- Parents: Donovan's parents are Luis Solano and Myriam Preciado. His father, Luis, also played baseball in Colombia.
- Family: Donovan is married to Laura, and they have three sons named Donovan, Enoc, and Jeremias. He is a Christian.
See also
In Spanish: Donovan Solano para niños
- List of Major League Baseball players from Colombia
