Jeren Kendall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jeren Kendall |
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Kendall with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in 2019
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| Born: February 4, 1996 Clearwater, Florida, U.S. |
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Jeren Alan Kendall (born February 4, 1996) is an American who used to be a professional baseball outfielder. He played college baseball for the Vanderbilt Commodores. The Los Angeles Dodgers picked him in the first round of the 2017 MLB Draft. He then played in their minor league teams until the 2022 season.
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Baseball Journey
Starting Out in Baseball
Jeren Kendall went to Holmen High School in Holmen, Wisconsin. In 2013, when he was a junior, he was named the La Crosse Tribune Baseball Player of the Year. He hit for a .377 batting average, which means he got a hit almost 38% of the time he tried. He also hit four home runs and had 15 runs batted in (RBI). An RBI means he helped a teammate score a run.
As a senior, he was chosen as the Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year for Wisconsin. The Boston Red Sox picked him in the 2014 Major League Baseball Draft. However, Jeren decided not to sign a contract with them. Instead, he chose to go to Vanderbilt University to play college baseball.
Playing in College
Jeren played in 60 games as a freshman at Vanderbilt in 2015. He had a batting average of .281, hit eight home runs, and had 40 RBI. During the College World Series, he hit a special kind of home run called a walk-off home run. This hit won the game for Vanderbilt, making the score 4–3 against Cal State Fullerton.
In his second year, as a sophomore, he played in 62 games. He hit for a .332 batting average, had nine home runs, and 59 RBI. He also stole 28 bases, which means he ran to the next base without the ball being hit. In 2015 and 2016, he played summer baseball for the Cotuit Kettleers in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Becoming a Professional Player
The Los Angeles Dodgers picked Jeren Kendall in the first round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft. This is a big event where professional teams choose new players. He signed with the Dodgers on July 7, 2017, and received a $2.9 million bonus. A bonus is extra money given to a player when they sign.
He started his professional career with the Ogden Raptors. This team is part of the rookie-level Pioneer Baseball League. On July 19, he played his first game and got three hits in three tries. He also had two RBI, helping his team win.
Jeren played only five games with the Ogden Raptors. He had 10 hits in 22 tries, which is a great .455 batting average. Soon after, he moved up to a higher level of minor league baseball. He joined the Class-A Great Lakes Loons in the Midwest League. With the Loons, he played 35 games and had a .221 batting average for the rest of that season.
For the 2018 season, he moved up again to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. This team is in the Advanced Class A California League. He played in 114 games there. He hit .215, had 12 home runs, 42 RBI, and stole 37 bases.
Jeren stayed with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in 2019. He played 96 games. He hit .219, had 19 home runs, 63 RBI, and stole 24 bases. In 2020, the minor league season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, he did not play that year.
He returned to play in 2021. He was sent to the Tulsa Drillers, a Double-A team. He played 57 games there, hitting .209 with 10 home runs and 35 RBI. In 2022, he played 84 games for Tulsa, hitting .162. Jeren Kendall decided to stop playing baseball on December 16, 2022.
About His Family
Jeren's father, Jeremey Kendall, also played Minor League Baseball. He played for teams in the Philadelphia Phillies organization.
