Mallex Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mallex Smith |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Smith with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2017
|
|||
| Pericos de Puebla | |||
| Outfielder | |||
| Born: May 6, 1993 Tallahassee, Florida, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| April 11, 2016, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2020 season) |
|||
| Batting average | .255 | ||
| Home runs | 13 | ||
| Runs batted in | 114 | ||
| Stolen bases | 120 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
Mallex Lydell Smith (born May 6, 1993) is an American professional baseball player. He is an outfielder for the Pericos de Puebla team in the Mexican League. Mallex has also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for teams like the Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, and Seattle Mariners.
Smith played college baseball at Santa Fe College. He was chosen by the San Diego Padres in the 2013 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut with the Atlanta Braves in 2016. Later, he played for the Tampa Bay Rays and had a great season in 2018. He then returned to the Seattle Mariners. Mallex is known for his amazing speed and ability to steal bases.
Contents
Early Life and College Baseball
Mallex Smith was born in Tallahassee, Florida, on May 6, 1993. He grew up with three brothers and sisters. He went to James S. Rickards High School. There, he played both American football as a safety and baseball.
In 2011, the Milwaukee Brewers picked him in the baseball draft right out of high school. But Mallex decided not to sign with them. Instead, he chose to play college baseball at Santa Fe College. In his only year there, he was a fantastic hitter. He had a .380 batting average and stole 31 bases!
Professional Baseball Journey
Starting with the Padres
The San Diego Padres drafted Mallex Smith in 2012. He signed with them and started his professional career that year. He played for two minor league teams, hitting .305 and stealing 17 bases.
In 2013, he played for the Fort Wayne TinCaps. He stole 64 bases, which was almost a team record! In 2014, he led all minor league players by stealing 88 bases. He was super fast!
Joining the Atlanta Braves
In December 2014, Mallex was traded to the Atlanta Braves. Even though he hadn't played much in the higher minor leagues, the Braves invited him to spring training in 2015. He played well and was named the Braves' Minor League Player of the Year.
Mallex made his big league debut with the Braves on April 11, 2016. He played in center field and got his first hit against a tough pitcher, Max Scherzer. A few days later, he got his first stolen base. On May 3, he hit his first ever home run! Sadly, in June, he broke his thumb and missed most of the season. He came back for the last two weeks as a bench player.
Playing for the Tampa Bay Rays
2017 Season
In January 2017, Mallex was traded to the Seattle Mariners, and then on the same day, he was traded again to the Tampa Bay Rays!
With the Rays, Mallex changed his uniform number to 0. He said he chose it because his game is "a little bit different." His teammates even created a term called "Mallex Effect." This described how his speed and energy could change a game. In 2017, he played 81 games and stole 16 bases.
2018 Season
Mallex had an amazing year in 2018. He started wearing a cool gold chain shaped like Florida to show where he was from. He became the starting center fielder for the Rays. He played in 141 games, which was a career high for him.
He hit for a .296 batting average and stole 40 bases, which was the second-highest in the American League! He also led the American League with 10 triples (when a batter hits the ball and reaches third base). Mallex was also nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award, which honors players who are great on and off the field.
Back with the Seattle Mariners
2019 Season
In November 2018, Mallex was traded back to the Seattle Mariners. He got hurt during spring training in 2019, but he was able to play in the Mariners' home opener. He struggled a bit at the start of the season and was sent to the minor leagues for a short time.
He came back strong and led all of Major League Baseball with 46 stolen bases in 2019! He was still one of the fastest players in the game.
2020 Season
In 2020, Mallex played fewer games for the Mariners. He was later removed from the team's main roster and became a free agent.
Other Teams and Leagues
After leaving the Mariners, Mallex signed minor league deals with the New York Mets in 2020 and the Cincinnati Reds in 2021. He also played for the Toronto Blue Jays organization in 2021 and 2022.
In 2022, he joined the Kansas City Monarchs in an independent league. Then, in 2023, he played for the Saraperos de Saltillo and Mariachis de Guadalajara in the Mexican League. He continued to show his speed, stealing 20 bases for Guadalajara.
In 2024, he signed with El Águila de Veracruz but did not play. In January 2025, Mallex Smith signed with the Pericos de Puebla in the Mexican League.
Images for kids
-
Smith with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2017
-
Smith with the Braves during spring training in 2015
