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 outfielder. He is currently a free agent, meaning he is not signed to a team. Kyle has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Before playing in the MLB, he was a star player in college baseball for the Mercer Bears. In 2016, while at Mercer, Kyle was named an All-American. He also won the 2016 Golden Spikes Award, which is given to the best amateur baseball player in the United States. He was also named Baseball America's College Player of the Year.
The Seattle Mariners chose Kyle in the first round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. He made his big league debut in September 2019. In 2020, he was named the American League Rookie of the Year. This award goes to the best first-year player in the league.
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Early Baseball Journey
Kyle Lewis grew up in Snellville, Georgia. He went to Shiloh High School. There, he played both baseball and basketball. He was very good at both sports.
After high school, Kyle decided to focus on baseball. He went to Mercer University to play college baseball for the Bears.
College Success
As a freshman in 2014, Kyle started to show his talent. He hit two home runs and had 17 runs batted in (RBI). An RBI means he helped a teammate score a run. After his first year, he played in a special summer league called the Cape Cod Baseball League.
In 2015, as a sophomore, Kyle had an amazing season. He hit 17 home runs and had 56 RBIs. He was named the Southern Conference Baseball Player of the Year. This award goes to the best player in his college conference. He also won the Gregg Olson Award. This award is for college baseball's breakout player of the year. He played in the Cape Cod Baseball League again and was named an all-star.
His junior year in 2016 was even better. Kyle hit 20 home runs and had 72 RBIs. He was named an All-American by several groups. He also won the prestigious 2016 Golden Spikes Award. This award is like the Heisman Trophy for college football, but for amateur baseball. He was also named the best college player by Baseball America.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting in the Minor Leagues
The Seattle Mariners picked Kyle Lewis as the 11th player overall in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. This was a huge honor for him. He started his professional career with the Everett AquaSox.
Early in his career, Kyle faced a challenge. He had a right ACL injury, which is a knee injury. This meant he could only play 30 games for the AquaSox. He still played well, hitting three home runs. Over the next two years, he played for different minor league teams. These included the AZL Mariners, Modesto Nuts, and Arkansas Travelers. He kept working hard to improve his game.
In 2019, Kyle returned to the Arkansas Travelers. He played 122 games and continued to show his skills.
Playing for the Seattle Mariners
On September 10, 2019, Kyle Lewis got the call to the big leagues! The Mariners brought him up to play in Major League Baseball. In his very first MLB game, he hit a home run. He then hit home runs in his next two games as well. This made him only the second player in history to hit a home run in each of his first three MLB games.
The 2020 season was a special one for Kyle. He was unanimously chosen as the American League Rookie of the Year. This means every voter agreed he was the best rookie. He was the first Mariners player to win this award since 2001. He hit 11 home runs and had 28 RBIs in that shortened season.
In 2021 and 2022, Kyle faced more injuries. He had a knee injury in 2021 and missed the rest of the season. In 2022, he was hit by a pitch and had to enter concussion protocol. These injuries made it tough for him to stay on the field. He was later sent to the Triple-A team, the Tacoma Rainiers, to finish the 2022 season.
Moving to the Arizona Diamondbacks
On November 17, 2022, the Mariners traded Kyle Lewis to the Arizona Diamondbacks. This meant he would play for a new team. He signed a one-year contract with them. After the 2023 season, he became a free agent again.
