Eric Young Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eric Young Jr. |
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Young with the New York Mets in 2013
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| Seattle Mariners – No. 53 | |||
| Outfielder / Coach | |||
| Born: May 25, 1985 New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 25, 2009, for the Colorado Rockies | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 30, 2018, for the Los Angeles Angels | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .245 | ||
| Home runs | 13 | ||
| Runs batted in | 112 | ||
| Stolen bases | 162 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Eric Orlando Young Jr. (born May 25, 1985) is an American professional baseball coach and former player. He used to play as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Currently, he is the first base coach for the Seattle Mariners. Young played for several MLB teams, including the Colorado Rockies, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Angels. In 2013, he led the National League in stolen bases.
Young was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He went to Piscataway Township High School in Piscataway, New Jersey. He even had a scholarship to play football at Villanova University. However, the Colorado Rockies chose him in the 30th round of the 2003 Major League Baseball draft. Young decided to sign with them instead of going to college.
Contents
Eric Young Jr.'s Baseball Journey
Early Days and Minor League Success
Eric Young Jr. started his baseball career in 2004. He played for the Casper Rockies, which was a rookie team in the Pioneer League. In 2006, Young was amazing at stealing bases. He led all minor league players with 87 stolen bases that year. He also won the batting title in the Arizona Fall League, hitting an impressive .430 average. Young even hit a three-run home run in the 2009 Futures Game, helping his team win 7 to 5.
Playing for the Colorado Rockies
Young made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on August 25, 2009. He played center field for the Colorado Rockies. In that game, he got his first career hit in the 5th inning. His father, Eric Young Sr., who was also a professional baseball player, was there to watch his son's big moment. On September 8, 2009, Young Jr. hit his first career home run against the Cincinnati Reds.
In 2010, Young was sent to the Rockies' Triple-A team, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. He was called back up to the Rockies on April 25, 2010. Later that year, he had a stress fracture and was on the disabled list. He returned to play on August 14, 2010. Young was called back up to the Rockies again on May 27, 2011, after hitting well with the Sky Sox. The Rockies later moved him from their main roster on June 12, 2013.
Time with the New York Mets
On June 18, 2013, Young was traded to the New York Mets for another player, Collin McHugh. On July 24, Young was involved in an accident during a game with pitcher Tim Hudson. Young accidentally stepped on Hudson's ankle, which caused an injury. Young showed great concern for Hudson after the play.
On August 2, Young hit his first "walk-off" home run, which means it won the game in the final inning. It was a two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals. On September 29, 2013, in the last game of the season, Young stole his 45th and 46th bases against the Milwaukee Brewers. This made him the National League stolen base leader for the year. He was the first Mets player to win this title since José Reyes in 2007. The Mets later decided not to offer Young a new contract on December 2, 2014.
Moving to Other Teams
Young signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves on February 13, 2015. This deal included an invitation to their spring training. On June 5, the Braves moved him from their main roster. While with Atlanta, he had a batting average of .169.
On August 22, 2015, Young was traded back to the New York Mets. He was later removed from the Mets' roster on November 5, becoming a free agent. In 2015, playing for both the Braves and the Mets, Young had a batting average of .153.
On January 5, 2016, Young signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. He competed for a spot as the Brewers' center fielder but did not make the team for Opening Day. On August 31, 2016, the Brewers traded Young to the New York Yankees. The Yankees sent him to their minor league team, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
On January 24, 2017, the Los Angeles Angels signed Young Jr. to a minor league deal. He was later called up to the main team when Mike Trout was injured. On May 31, Young hit a game-winning solo home run in the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves. This was his first home run since 2014, and it helped the Angels win 2–1. He was later moved from the main roster on July 13 but was called back up at the end of the season. In 110 times at bat, Young hit 4 home runs, which tied his career high. After the season, he became a free agent.
On January 4, 2018, the Angels signed Young again to a minor league deal. He played for the AAA Salt Lake Bees in 2018. He was called back up to the Angels on July 27. In 109 times at bat, he had a batting average of .202.
On February 9, 2019, the Baltimore Orioles signed Young Jr. to a minor league contract. He was released on March 22. On March 26, 2019, Young Jr. signed a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners. He was released on July 23. On July 28, 2019, Young Jr. signed with the Acereros de Monclova in the Mexican League. He was released on January 24, 2020. On February 12, 2020, Young Jr. signed with the Guerreros de Oaxaca of the Mexican League. He did not play in 2020 because the Mexican League season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was released by the Guerreros on November 18.
Coaching Career
On January 27, 2021, Eric Young Jr. became part of the coaching staff for the Tacoma Rainiers. This team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. On October 28, 2021, the Rainiers announced that Young would become the first base coach for the Washington Nationals. He coached for the Nationals in 2022 and 2023. As of November 26, 2024, Young Jr. was hired by the Mariners for the same role as first base coach.
Family Life
Eric Young Jr. is the son of Eric Young Sr., who was also a professional baseball player and a coach. His paternal half-brother is the actor Dallas Dupree Young.
More to Explore
- List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
- List of Major League Baseball annual stolen base leaders
