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 Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. Before that, he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Yomiuri Giants in Japan.
Contents
Gregory Polanco's Baseball Journey
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Gregory Polanco began his baseball career by signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 11, 2009. He started as a pitcher but soon found he loved playing in the outfield more.
He played for different minor league teams as he got better. In 2012, while playing for the West Virginia Power, he had a fantastic season. He hit for a high average of .325, hit 16 home runs, and stole 40 stolen bases. Because of his great performance, he was named the best player in his league and the Pirates' best minor league player that year.
By 2013, experts thought Polanco was one of the top young players in baseball. He continued to play well, moving up to higher minor league teams like the Bradenton Marauders and the Altoona Curve. He even played in the 2013 All-Star Futures Game, which features the best young players.
Playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates
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Gregory Polanco made his big league debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 10, 2014. In his very first game, he got his first hit and scored his first run. Just a few days later, he hit his first home run, which helped his team win the game! He also made history by getting a hit in his first eight MLB games, a record for the Pirates.
In 2016, Polanco signed a big contract extension with the Pirates. That year, he had a strong season, hitting 22 home runs and bringing in 86 runs.
Over the next few years, Polanco faced some challenges with injuries, including a shoulder surgery in 2018. He worked hard to get back on the field. In 2020, during a shorter baseball season, he continued to play for the Pirates.
After playing for eight seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Polanco had played in 823 games. He hit 96 home runs, had 362 runs batted in, and stole 98 bases. In August 2021, he left the Pirates.
Time with the Toronto Blue Jays
After leaving the Pirates, Polanco signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays in August 2021. He played for their Triple-A team, the Buffalo Bisons, where he performed very well, hitting nine home runs in just 24 games.
Playing Baseball in Japan
In January 2022, Gregory Polanco decided to play baseball in Japan. He signed with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). After one season with the Giants, he signed with another Japanese team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, in December 2022. He has been playing for the Chiba Lotte Marines since 2023. In 2024, he was chosen to be an NPB All-Star.
Representing His Country
Gregory Polanco also plays for his home country, the Dominican Republic, in international baseball tournaments. He played in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, which is a big tournament where countries compete. After the tournament, he was named to the 2017 All-World Baseball Classic team, meaning he was one of the best players in the whole event!
Off the Field
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 their son in March 2021.
See also
In Spanish: Gregory Polanco para niños
- List of Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic
