Gregory Polanco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gregory Polanco |
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Polanco with the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2023
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| Chiba Lotte Marines – No. 22 | |||
| Right fielder | |||
| Born: September 14, 1991 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: June 10, 2014, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| NPB: March 25, 2022, for the Yomiuri Giants | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2021 season) |
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| Batting average | .241 | ||
| Home runs | 96 | ||
| Runs batted in | 362 | ||
| Stolen bases | 98 | ||
| NPB statistics (through 2024 season) |
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| Batting average | .241 | ||
| Home runs | 73 | ||
| Runs batted in | 193 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Gregory Polanco (born September 14, 1991), also known as "El Coffee", is a professional baseball player from the Dominican Republic. He plays as a right fielder for the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Before playing in Japan, he was a part of Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He also played for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan.
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Baseball Journey
Starting in the Minor Leagues (2009–2014)
Gregory Polanco first showed his skills at special baseball events. He started as a pitcher because he threw with his left hand. But one day, his team needed someone to play in the outfield, and he tried it. He liked playing in the outfield even more! The Pittsburgh Pirates signed him as a young player on April 11, 2009.
He began his professional career in the Dominican Summer League in 2009. In 2010, he played for the Gulf Coast League Pirates, where he was still learning. By 2012, he was playing for the West Virginia Power. This was a great year for him! He had a strong batting average of .325, hit 16 home runs, and stole 40 stolen bases. Because of his amazing performance, he was named the best player in his league and the Pirates' best minor league player.
Before the 2013 season, experts thought Polanco was one of the best young players in baseball. He played for the Bradenton Marauders and then moved up to the Altoona Curve. He continued to play well, hitting .312 and stealing 24 bases. He even got to play in the 2013 All-Star Futures Game, which is a special game for rising stars. Later that year, he moved up again to the Indianapolis Indians.
The Pirates added Polanco to their main roster in November 2013. This was to make sure other teams couldn't pick him.
Playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates (2014–2021)
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Gregory Polanco joined the MLB team, the Pittsburgh Pirates, on June 9, 2014. He made his first appearance on June 10, playing right field. In that game, he got his first hit and scored his first run. Just a few days later, on June 13, he hit his first MLB home run! It was a two-run shot that helped the Pirates win the game.
He started his career very strong, getting a hit in his first eight games. This was a record for the Pirates! He was the first Pirate since Roberto Clemente in 1955 to get a hit in his first seven games. After a great start, he faced some challenges and was sent back to the minor leagues for a short time in August. But he returned to the Pirates in September.
In 2016, the Pirates signed a new deal with Polanco. That year, he hit 22 home runs and had 86 runs batted in (RBIs).
Polanco had some injuries during his time with the Pirates. In 2017, he had a hamstring injury. In 2018, he had surgery on his shoulder and missed the rest of the season. He hit 23 home runs that year, which was his best so far. He also missed much of the 2019 season due to continued shoulder problems.
In 2020, Polanco faced a health challenge and was sidelined. In the shorter 2020 season, he hit 7 home runs and had 22 RBIs.
In 2021, he played in 107 games for the Pirates, hitting 11 home runs. The Pirates decided to release him in August 2021. During his eight seasons with the Pirates, Polanco played in 823 games. He hit 96 home runs, had 362 RBIs, and stole 98 bases.
Brief Time with the Toronto Blue Jays (2021)
After leaving the Pirates, Polanco signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on August 31, 2021. He played very well for their Triple-A team, the Buffalo Bisons. In 24 games, he hit .374 with nine home runs and 24 RBIs. After that season, he became a free agent.
Playing in Japan
On January 5, 2022, Gregory Polanco signed with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league. He played there for one season.
Then, on December 27, 2022, Polanco signed with another Japanese team, the Chiba Lotte Marines. He continues to play for them.
World Baseball Classic
Gregory Polanco played for the Dominican Republic team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. This is a big international baseball tournament. After the tournament, he was chosen for the All-World Baseball Classic team, which means he was one of the best players in the whole event!
About His Life
Gregory Polanco grew up in Villa Mella, Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. Both of his parents are police officers. He started dating Africa Rodriguez in 2019, and they welcomed a son in March 2021.
See also
In Spanish: Gregory Polanco para niños
