Jonathan Schoop facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jonathan Schoop |
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Schoop with the Detroit Tigers in 2022
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| Algodoneros de Unión Laguna – No. 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Second baseman | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: October 16, 1991 Willemstad, Curaçao |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||||||||
| September 25, 2013, for the Baltimore Orioles | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through 2023 season) |
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| Batting average | .254 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Hits | 1,095 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 174 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 544 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Jonathan Rufino Jezus Schoop (pronounced "SCOPE"; born October 16, 1991) is a professional baseball player from Curaçao. He plays as a second baseman for the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna in the Mexican League. Before this, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams, including the Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, and Detroit Tigers. He was chosen as an All-Star player in 2017, which means he was one of the best players in the league that year.
Jonathan Schoop's Baseball Journey
Early Career and Little League Success
Before playing in the major leagues, Jonathan Schoop showed his talent in the Little League World Series. He played for Curaçao in both the 2003 and 2004 tournaments. In 2004, his team won the championship! Many people thought Schoop was the best player on that winning team. Another future MLB All-Star, Jurickson Profar, was also on that team.
Schoop officially started his professional journey when he signed with the Baltimore Orioles in 2008. In 2011, he and another talented player, Manny Machado, represented the Orioles in the All-Star Futures Game. This game features top minor league prospects. That same year, Schoop was named the Brooks Robinson Minor League Player of the Year. This award goes to the best player in the Orioles' minor league system. In his first two years, Schoop mostly played shortstop. But starting in 2011, he began playing second base more often, which became his main position.
Before the 2012 season, experts like Baseball America and FanGraphs ranked Schoop as one of the Orioles' top young players. He was seen as a promising talent for the future.
Playing for the Baltimore Orioles
Starting in the Major Leagues (2013-2016)
After playing 81 games in the minor leagues in 2013, Schoop was called up to the Orioles' main team on September 3. Just a few weeks later, on September 25, he made his first ever hit in a major league game. He singled off a pitcher from the Toronto Blue Jays. Later in that same game, he hit his first career home run, a very long shot! He had a great first game, getting two hits, a home run, and scoring three runs. Schoop played in five games that year, hitting well and showing his power.
In 2014, Schoop became the Orioles' starting second baseman on Opening Day. He hit his second career home run on April 9 against the Yankees, helping his team win. That year, he played in 137 games, hitting 16 home runs and bringing in 45 runs for his team. The Orioles won their division, the American League East, for the first time since 1997. Schoop played well in the first round of the playoffs, helping the Orioles win. However, in the next round, the Orioles lost, and Schoop didn't get many hits.
On April 11, 2015, Schoop hit his first career grand slam, which means he hit a home run with all three bases loaded, scoring four runs! A few days later, he got injured and had to miss some games. He returned to play in July. In 86 games that year, Schoop hit 15 home runs and stole two bases. The Orioles finished the season with an even record, missing the playoffs.
All-Star Season and More (2016-2018)
Schoop started the 2016 season very strong, hitting well and driving in runs. By the end of April, he had already hit four home runs. On May 14, he hit another grand slam, which was his second home run of that game! On August 14, Schoop hit a game-winning home run in the 9th inning, helping the Orioles come back from a big deficit. He hit his 20th home run of the season on August 22, which was his first time reaching 20 home runs in a single season. The Orioles were the only team in MLB that year to have five players hit at least 20 home runs. He finished the 2016 season playing in all 162 regular season games, hitting 25 home runs and 82 runs batted in.
The 2017 season was Schoop's best year for hitting. By July, he was hitting very well, with 16 home runs and 51 runs batted in. This amazing performance earned him a spot in the 2017 MLB All-Star Game. In the All-Star Game, Schoop got a hit and scored the first run for his team. He played in 160 games in 2017, hitting 32 home runs and bringing in 105 runs. He set new personal records for batting average, home runs, and runs batted in. He was even considered for the American League MVP award, finishing 12th in the voting.
In April 2018, Schoop had a minor injury that put him on the disabled list for a short time. After a slow start to the season, he started hitting very well after the All-Star break. He even tied an MLB record by hitting a home run in five straight games as a second baseman.
Moving to Other Teams
Milwaukee Brewers (2018)
On July 31, 2018, the Orioles traded Schoop to the Milwaukee Brewers. This meant he moved to a new team. Schoop found it a bit tough with the Brewers and didn't hit as well as he had before. He also didn't get any hits in the eight playoff games he played with them. After the season, Schoop became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team he wanted.
Minnesota Twins (2019)
On December 6, 2018, Schoop signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Twins. In 2019, Schoop's hitting improved. He hit his 20th and 21st home runs of the season on August 28. He became the seventh Twins player that year to hit 20 or more home runs, which was a team record. In his single season with the Twins, Schoop hit 23 home runs.
Detroit Tigers (2020-2023)
On December 21, 2019, Schoop signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers. He was the Tigers' starting second baseman on Opening Day in 2020. He played regularly until he got injured in September, which ended his season. In 44 games in 2020, Schoop hit 8 home runs.
In 2021, Schoop re-signed with the Tigers. That year, he played more games at first base than his usual second base. This happened because other players were struggling or used as a designated hitter. On August 7, 2021, Schoop signed a new two-year contract with the Tigers. In 2021, he hit 22 home runs and led the team with 84 runs batted in. He played in 156 games, which was his most since his All-Star season.
Schoop mostly played second base again in the 2022 season. On May 30, he got his 1,000th career hit, which was a double. He became the third player from Curaçao to reach 1,000 major league hits. While his hitting was not as strong in 2022, he was excellent defensively. He was even nominated for a Gold Glove Award at second base, which is given to the best defensive players.
In 2023, Schoop's hitting continued to struggle. After playing 55 games, the Tigers decided to release him from the team on July 13.
Algodoneros de Unión Laguna (2024-Present)
On April 3, 2024, Schoop signed with the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna in the Mexican League. He played in 81 games for the team, hitting 15 home runs and bringing in 60 runs. His team lost in the playoffs, but Schoop hit a home run in their final game.
Playing for His Country
Jonathan Schoop has proudly represented the Netherlands national baseball team in many international competitions. He played in the 2011 Baseball World Cup, the 2012 European Baseball Championship, and the World Baseball Classic in 2013, 2017, and 2023. He is also expected to play in the 2024 Premier12 tournament.
In January 2024, Schoop was also named to the roster for the Willemstad Cannons, representing Curaçao in the 2024 Intercontinental Series. A few days later, he was also named to the Curaçao Suns roster for the 2024 Caribbean Series.
Personal Life
Jonathan Schoop's brother, Sharlon Schoop, is also a professional baseball player.
