Kyle Lewis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kyle Lewis |
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Lewis with the Seattle Mariners in 2019
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| Free agent | |||
| Outfielder | |||
| Born: July 13, 1995 Snellville, Georgia, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 10, 2019, for the Seattle Mariners | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2023 season) |
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| Batting average | .235 | ||
| Home runs | 26 | ||
| Runs batted in | 59 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Kyle Alexander Lewis (born July 13, 1995) is an American professional baseball player. He plays as an outfielder. Kyle has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks. Before joining MLB, he played college baseball for the Mercer Bears.
In 2016, while playing for Mercer, Kyle was named an All-American. He also won the 2016 Golden Spikes Award. This award goes to the best amateur baseball player in the United States. The Seattle Mariners picked him in the first round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft.
Kyle made his big league debut in September 2019. In 2020, he was chosen as the American League Rookie of the Year. Everyone agreed he deserved the award.
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Kyle's Early Baseball Days
Kyle Lewis went to Shiloh High School in Snellville, Georgia. He was good at both baseball and basketball there. He decided to focus on baseball. After high school, he went to Mercer University. He played college baseball for the Bears.
As a freshman in 2014, he played in 42 games. He hit two home runs and had 17 runs batted in (RBI). After his first year, he played summer baseball. He joined the Cotuit Kettleers in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
In 2015, as a sophomore, Kyle played in 54 games. He hit 17 home runs and had 56 RBI. He was named the Southern Conference Baseball Player of the Year. He also won the Gregg Olson Award. This award goes to college baseball's breakout player. He played in the Cape Cod Baseball League again. He was named an all-star for the Orleans Firebirds.
During his junior year at Mercer, Kyle had a fantastic season. He hit 20 home runs and had 72 RBI. He was named an All-American by many groups. These included Louisville Slugger and Baseball America. He also won the 2016 Golden Spikes Award. This award is for the best amateur baseball player. He was the Southern Conference Baseball Player of the Year for a second time. Baseball America also named him their College Player of the Year.
Playing Professional Baseball
Starting in the Minor Leagues
The Seattle Mariners picked Kyle Lewis as the 11th player overall in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. He started his professional career with the Everett AquaSox. Kyle only played 30 games for them. He had a right ACL injury, which is a knee injury. He still hit .299 with three home runs.
In 2017, he played for the AZL Mariners and the Modesto Nuts. He hit seven home runs in 49 games. In 2018, he played for Modesto and the Arkansas Travelers. He hit nine home runs and had 52 RBI in 86 games. Kyle returned to Arkansas for the 2019 season. He hit 11 home runs and had 62 RBI in 122 games.
Time with the Seattle Mariners
The Mariners called Kyle up to the major leagues on September 10, 2019. In his very first MLB game, he hit a home run. It was against Trevor Bauer of the Cincinnati Reds. He then hit home runs in his next two games too. This made him only the second player ever to homer in his first three MLB games. He finished the 2019 season with 6 home runs and 13 RBI.
In 2020, Kyle became the first Mariners player since 2001 to win the American League Rookie of the Year award. He hit 11 home runs and had 28 RBI that season. Many other sports groups also named him Rookie of the Year.
On June 1, 2021, Kyle had to go on the injured list. He had a right meniscus tear in his knee. This injury caused him to miss the rest of that season.
In May 2022, Kyle was hit by a pitch. He had to enter MLB's concussion protocol. He returned to play in July. However, he was still having trouble with his knee. He was sent to the Triple-A team, the Tacoma Rainiers. He finished the 2022 season there.
Moving to the Arizona Diamondbacks
On November 17, 2022, the Mariners traded Kyle Lewis. He went to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Cooper Hummel.
In January 2023, Kyle agreed to a one-year contract with the Diamondbacks. He became a free agent on November 17, 2023. This means he was able to sign with any team he wanted.
