Edwin Encarnación facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Edwin Encarnación |
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Encarnación with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2016
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| Designated hitter / Third baseman / First baseman | ||||||||||||||
| Born: January 7, 1983 La Romana, Dominican Republic |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| June 24, 2005, for the Cincinnati Reds | ||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||
| September 27, 2020, for the Chicago White Sox | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .260 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 424 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 1,261 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Edwin Elpidio Encarnación Rivera (born January 7, 1983) is a former professional baseball player from the Dominican Republic. He was a powerful hitter who played as a designated hitter, third baseman, and first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for several teams, including the Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and Chicago White Sox.
Edwin Encarnación was first chosen by the Texas Rangers in 2000. He later joined the Cincinnati Reds and made his big league debut in 2005. He became known for hitting many home runs. He played for the Toronto Blue Jays for eight seasons, where he became a star player. He was chosen for the All-Star Game three times during his career. After playing for several other teams, he retired from baseball.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Start
Edwin Encarnación was born in the Dominican Republic. His father, Elpidio, was a track and field coach. Edwin has two older brothers, Richard and Julio, and a younger sister, Evelin. He also has twelve half-siblings from his father's side.
Edwin spent his high school years living in both the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. This was because his father took a coaching job at a college in Puerto Rico. Living in Puerto Rico made Edwin eligible to be chosen in the Major League Baseball draft.
Professional Baseball Journey
Starting with the Cincinnati Reds
The Texas Rangers picked Edwin Encarnación in the ninth round of the 2000 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with them to start his professional career. In 2001, the Rangers traded him to the Cincinnati Reds.
Edwin made his Major League Baseball debut with the Reds on June 24, 2005. He played in 69 games that year. He finished with a .232 batting average, nine home runs, and 31 runs batted in (RBIs). RBIs are runs scored because of a player's hit.
In 2006, Edwin played in 117 games for the Reds. He batted .276 with 15 home runs and 72 RBIs. He even won the National League Player of the Week award in August for his great hitting. In 2007, he batted .289 with 16 home runs and 76 RBIs.
By 2008, Edwin was playing more games and hitting even more home runs. He hit 26 home runs and had 68 RBIs in 146 games. He wanted to be a more consistent hitter in 2009. He played 43 games for the Reds that year before being traded.
Becoming a Star with the Toronto Blue Jays
First Years in Toronto (2009–2011)
On July 31, 2009, Edwin Encarnación was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. He played 42 games for the Blue Jays in 2009, hitting eight home runs and getting 23 RBIs.
In 2010, Edwin missed some games due to an arm injury. When he returned, he hit a home run in his first game back. He even hit three home runs in one game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Later that season, he hit his 100th career home run. He finished 2010 with 21 home runs and 51 RBIs.
After a brief time with the Oakland Athletics, Edwin signed a new contract with the Blue Jays in December 2010. In 2011, he started playing third base but improved his hitting when he moved to the designated hitter position. He set a new career record for doubles in a season with 34. He also hit a "walk-off" home run in September, which means his home run ended the game by giving his team the winning run. He finished 2011 with a .272 batting average, 17 home runs, and 55 RBIs.
The "Parrot Walk" and Big Hits (2012–2013)
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In 2012, Edwin Encarnación hit his fourth career grand slam (a home run with the bases loaded). This was when he started his famous "Parrot Walk" celebration. After hitting a home run, he would hold his arm out like a chicken wing while running around the bases. Fans loved it and would mimic him, even wearing parrot hats!
In July 2012, Edwin signed a three-year contract extension with Toronto. On September 13, 2012, he hit his 40th home run of the season and reached 100 RBIs for the first time in his career. He was named the Blue Jays Player of the Year for his amazing performance.
In 2013, Edwin hit his fifth career grand slam. In July, he was chosen for his first All-Star Game as a reserve designated hitter. He was one of four Blue Jays players selected that year.
On July 26, 2013, Edwin made history by hitting two home runs in one inning! This is a very rare feat in baseball. He was named the American League Player of the Week for his great hitting. He hit his 30th home run of the season in August, marking his second straight season with 30 or more home runs. He also got his 1,000th career hit in August. He finished the 2013 season with a .272 average, 36 home runs, and 104 RBIs.
Continued Success (2014–2016)
Edwin Encarnación hit his 200th career home run on May 8, 2014. He had an incredible May in 2014, hitting 16 home runs in that month alone! This set a new Blue Jays team record for home runs in any single month. He was named the American League Player of the Month for May. For the 2014 season, he batted .268 with 34 home runs and 98 RBIs.
In 2015, Edwin gained "10-and-5 rights," which meant he had played for 10 years in the MLB, with the last 5 on the same team. This gave him the power to say no to any trade involving him. He hit his 250th career home run in August. He also had a career-high 24-game hitting streak. In August 2015, he set a new Blue Jays record for RBIs in a single month with 35. He won his second American League Player of the Month award for his performance in August.
He finished the 2015 regular season with a .277 batting average, 39 home runs, and 111 RBIs. The Blue Jays made it to the playoffs, and Edwin played well in the 2015 American League Division Series. The Blue Jays picked up his $10 million option for the 2016 season.
In 2016, Edwin hit his 200th home run as a Blue Jay. He also hit his fourth "walk-off" home run for the team, becoming the Blue Jays' all-time leader in walk-off home runs. On August 12, he hit the 300th home run of his career. He reached 100 RBIs again in August, being the first player in MLB to do so in 2016. He hit his 40th home run of the season in September, marking multiple 40-homer seasons for him.
In the Wild Card game in 2016, Edwin hit a dramatic "walk-off" three-run home run in the 11th inning. This win sent the Blue Jays to the next round of the playoffs.
Moving to Other Teams
Cleveland Indians (2017–2018)
On January 5, 2017, Edwin Encarnación signed a three-year contract with the Cleveland Indians. He hit a home run on Opening Day. On July 25, 2017, he hit a "walk-off" grand slam in the 11th inning, winning the game for the Indians. In his first season with the Indians, he hit .258 with 38 home runs and 107 RBIs.
In 2018, he finished the season with 32 home runs and 107 RBIs. This was his seventh straight season with over 30 home runs and his fourth straight season with 100 or more RBIs.
Seattle Mariners (2019)
On December 13, 2018, the Indians traded Edwin Encarnación to the Seattle Mariners. He hit his first home run as a Mariner on March 28, 2019. On April 8, he hit two home runs in the same inning against the Kansas City Royals. This was the second time in his career he had done this, making him one of only a few players in baseball history to achieve this rare feat twice. In 65 games with the Mariners, he batted .241 with 21 home runs and 49 RBIs.
New York Yankees (2019)
On June 15, 2019, the Mariners traded Edwin Encarnación to the New York Yankees. He continued to hit home runs, reaching the 400 home run club during his time with the Yankees. He finished the 2019 season with a total of 34 home runs across both teams.
Chicago White Sox (2020)
On January 9, 2020, Edwin Encarnación signed a one-year deal with the Chicago White Sox. He made his White Sox debut on Opening Day. In the shortened 2020 season, he hit 10 home runs and had 19 RBIs. After the season, he was not signed by a team and later retired from playing.
Coaching Career
On February 24, 2023, Edwin Encarnación joined the coaching staff of his former team, the Toronto Blue Jays. He helps to assist the club during spring training, sharing his experience with new players.
See also
In Spanish: Edwin Encarnación para niños
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Toronto Blue Jays team records
- Major League Baseball Player of the Week Award
