Jon Singleton (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jon Singleton |
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Singleton with the Houston Astros in 2015
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| Houston Astros – No. 35 | |||
| First baseman | |||
| Born: September 18, 1991 Harbor City, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| June 3, 2014, for the Houston Astros | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2024 season) |
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| Batting average | .198 | ||
| Home runs | 29 | ||
| Runs batted in | 104 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Jonathan Lee Singleton (born September 18, 1991) is an American professional baseball first baseman who plays for the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball (MLB). He also played for the Milwaukee Brewers in MLB.
Jon grew up in Long Beach, California. The Philadelphia Phillies chose him in the 2009 baseball draft. In 2011, he was part of a trade to the Astros. He signed a big contract with the Astros before playing his first MLB game in 2014. He played for the Astros until 2015, then spent time in the minor leagues before leaving the team in 2018.
After playing in the Mexican League, Singleton joined the Brewers in 2021. He returned to the major leagues with them in 2023. Later in 2023, he rejoined the Houston Astros.
Early Life and High School Baseball
Singleton played baseball at Millikan High School in Long Beach, California. He planned to play college baseball at California State University, Long Beach. This was just a few months before the 2009 Major League Baseball draft.
Baseball Career Highlights
Starting with the Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies picked Singleton in the eighth round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. He was the 257th player chosen overall. Some experts thought he might be picked earlier. However, his performance in his senior year of high school caused him to be drafted later.
Singleton started his professional career with the Gulf Coast League Phillies. He played 31 minor league games that year. In 2010, he played for the Single-A Lakewood BlueClaws. He had a .290 batting average. He also hit 14 home runs and had 77 runs batted in (RBI).
Before the 2011 season, Baseball America magazine thought Singleton was the Phillies' second-best young player.
Joining the Houston Astros
On July 29, 2011, the Phillies traded Singleton to the Houston Astros. Other players in the trade were Jarred Cosart, Josh Zeid, and Domingo Santana. In return, the Phillies received Hunter Pence. After this trade, Baseball America named Singleton the Astros' top young player. He was also chosen to play in the 2012 All-Star Futures Game.
After the 2013 season, the Astros added Singleton to their main roster. On June 2, 2014, Singleton signed a 5-year contract with the Astros. This contract guaranteed him $10 million. It could have been worth up to $35 million. This was the first time a player drafted by a team signed such a big contract before playing in the major leagues. Singleton was called up from the Oklahoma City RedHawks. This team was in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League (PCL). He made his major league debut on June 3, 2014.
Singleton's first MLB game was on June 3, 2014, against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In that game, he got one hit in three tries. He hit a home run, had two RBIs, and walked once. It was his first major league home run, a solo shot off pitcher Matt Shoemaker. On June 8, Singleton hit his first career grand slam. This happened off Glen Perkins of the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. This grand slam helped the Astros win 14–5. His teammates Dexter Fowler, Chris Carter, and George Springer also hit home runs in that game.
On August 2, 2014, Singleton hit an inside-the-park home run against the Toronto Blue Jays. The umpire first called him out. But the Astros manager, Bo Porter, challenged the call. The call was then changed, and it was ruled a home run.
The Astros sent Singleton to the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies to start the 2015 season. On May 13, 2015, Singleton had an amazing game. He recorded 10 RBIs, which included a grand slam and a two-run home run. This was against the Albuquerque Isotopes. His 10-RBI game set a new record for the Fresno club. It was also just one RBI short of the modern-day PCL record. That record was set by Mike Moustakas in 2010. Over three games, including the two before, Singleton hit 4 home runs. Two of these were grand slams. He also had 18 RBIs in those three games. Over five days, Singleton collected 22 RBIs. This included 18 RBIs in Fresno's four-game series in Albuquerque from May 12–15.
On November 19, 2016, the Astros removed Singleton from their main roster. He was then assigned to the Fresno Grizzlies. He played the 2017 season with the Corpus Christi Hooks. This team is in the Double-A Texas League. He led all minor league players with a high walk percentage of 21.4%. On May 21, 2018, Singleton was released by the Astros organization.
Playing in the Mexican League
On April 2, 2020, Singleton signed with the Diablos Rojos del México. This team is in the Mexican League. He did not play that year because the Mexican League season was canceled. This was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On November 4, 2020, he was traded to the Guerreros de Oaxaca. However, he was traded back to the Diablos Rojos on May 24, 2021, without playing for the Guerreros. In 2021, he played 46 games for México. He batted .321 with 15 home runs, 36 RBIs, and four stolen bases.
Time with the Milwaukee Brewers
On December 9, 2021, Singleton signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. He spent the 2022 season with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. He batted .219 with 24 home runs and 87 RBIs. He led all minor league players that year with 117 walks.
On November 15, 2022, the Brewers added Singleton to their main roster. This was to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. On January 23, 2023, Singleton was removed from the roster. This happened after the Brewers signed Brian Anderson. He was released by the Brewers on January 26. On February 10, Singleton signed another minor league contract with the Brewers. In 49 games for Nashville, Singleton hit .258 with 10 home runs and 29 RBI.
On June 3, 2023, the Brewers called Singleton up to the major leagues. This happened after Darin Ruf got injured. In 11 games for Milwaukee, he got 3 hits in 29 tries (.103) with 2 RBI. On June 17, Singleton was removed from the Brewers' roster again. After that, he chose to become a free agent on June 21.
Returning to the Houston Astros
On June 24, 2023, Singleton rejoined the Houston Astros organization. He signed a minor league contract and was sent to the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys. He was called up to the major leagues on August 8. This was after he played very well for Sugar Land. In 33 games, he batted .333 with 12 home runs and 28 RBI. Singleton made his 2023 Astros debut on the same day. This was against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. He came in to pinch hit in the 9th inning. He walked and then scored on a grand slam by Kyle Tucker. This helped the Astros win 7–6.
Singleton returned to Minute Maid Park for the first time since 2015. On August 11, he hit two home runs in one game. This was his first time hitting multiple home runs in a major league game. He also drove in a career-high five runs. This helped the Astros win 11–3 against the Los Angeles Angels.
On September 10, 2024, Singleton hit his first major league triple. This was in a game against the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park. In 2024, he batted .239 with 13 doubles, 13 home runs, and 42 RBIs. Singleton also played in 119 games and had 405 plate appearances, which were both career highs for him.
On March 25, 2025, the Astros released Singleton. He did not make the team's Opening Day roster.
Playing for the New York Mets
On April 2, 2025, Singleton signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets. He played 55 games for the Triple-A Syracuse Mets. He batted .213 with 12 home runs and 42 RBI. Singleton was later released by the Mets organization.
Third Time with the Houston Astros
On June 22, 2025, Singleton signed another minor league contract with the Houston Astros. He played 18 games for the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys. He batted .254 with four home runs, 12 RBI, and one stolen base. On July 20, Singleton was added to Houston's active roster. This happened after Isaac Paredes got injured.
Images for kids
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Singleton with the Houston Astros in 2015
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Singleton batting for the Oklahoma City RedHawks in 2013
