Marwin González facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Marwin González |
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González with the Orix Buffaloes in 2023
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| Utility player | |||
| Born: March 14, 1989 Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: April 6, 2012, for the Houston Astros | |||
| NPB: March 31, 2023, for the Orix Buffaloes | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| MLB: October 5, 2022, for the New York Yankees | |||
| NPB: September 25, 2024, for the Orix Buffaloes | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .252 | ||
| Home runs | 107 | ||
| Runs batted in | 415 | ||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .203 | ||
| Home runs | 13 | ||
| Runs batted in | 40 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Marwin Javier González, born on March 14, 1989, is a former professional baseball player from Venezuela. He was known as a "utility player" because he could play almost every position on the field. Marwin played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for teams like the Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees. He also played in Japan for the Orix Buffaloes in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Marwin started his baseball journey when he was signed by the Chicago Cubs in 2005. He made his big league debut with the Astros in 2012. A big highlight of his career was winning the World Series with the Astros in 2017. He played every position in MLB except for catcher.
Marwin's Baseball Journey
Starting with the Cubs
Marwin began his professional baseball journey with the Chicago Cubs. He signed with them on November 23, 2005. For several years, from 2006 to 2011, he played in their minor league teams. These are like training teams where players develop their skills before reaching the major leagues. He even reached the Triple-A level, which is just one step below MLB. Marwin started as an infielder and later also played as an outfielder.
Time with the Houston Astros
On December 8, 2011, the Boston Red Sox picked Marwin from the Cubs in a special event called the Rule 5 draft. This draft allows teams to select players from other teams' minor league systems. The Red Sox then traded him to the Houston Astros.
Making it to the Major Leagues
In 2012, Marwin made it onto the Astros' Opening Day roster, which means he was on the main team from the very start of the season. He played 80 games with the Astros that year. He also spent some time in Triple-A. He had a batting average of .234, hit two home runs, and had 12 runs batted in (RBIs).
In 2013, Marwin again split his time between MLB and Triple-A. On April 2, he famously broke up a perfect game attempt by Yu Darvish of the Texas Rangers. This happened with two outs in the ninth inning, meaning Darvish was very close to a rare perfect game! For the season, Marwin batted .221 with four home runs and 14 RBIs.
Marwin then spent five full seasons (2014-2018) playing only in MLB with the Astros. From 2014 to 2016, he hit 31 home runs and had 108 RBIs in 364 games. On August 18, 2015, Marwin hit his first career walk-off home run. This is a home run that ends the game immediately, giving his team a 3–2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. He also set a major league record by hitting his first 25 MLB home runs without anyone else on base. This streak ended in 2016 when he hit a home run with a teammate on second base.
In 2017, Marwin had a fantastic season, batting .303. He even received some votes for the American League MVP award! During Game 2 of the 2017 World Series, Marwin hit a home run in the ninth inning to tie the score. The Astros went on to win that game and eventually won the World Series, becoming MLB champions for the first time ever.
In 2018, Marwin continued to play for the Astros. After the season, he became a free agent, meaning he could choose which team to play for next. Overall, in his first seven seasons with Houston, Marwin hit 76 home runs and had 292 RBIs. He was a very versatile player, playing almost every position on the field except pitcher and catcher.
Playing for the Minnesota Twins
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On February 25, 2019, Marwin signed a two-year contract with the Minnesota Twins. In 2019, he batted .264 with 15 home runs and 55 RBIs in 114 games.
In the shorter 2020 season, he played in 53 games. He became a free agent again in late 2020.
Time with the Boston Red Sox
On February 24, 2021, Marwin signed a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox. He made history by starting at four different positions in his team's first four games of the season! He played left field, second base, third base, and first base. He even made his first-ever appearance as a pitcher in a game on June 13, 2021, and didn't allow any runs. He was later released by the Red Sox in August 2021.
Second Time with the Houston Astros
On August 27, 2021, Marwin signed a minor league contract to return to the Houston Astros. He was added to their major league team in September. He played in 34 regular-season games and also appeared as a pinch hitter in the 2021 World Series. He became a free agent again in November 2021.
Playing for the New York Yankees
On March 20, 2022, Marwin signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees. He made the Yankees' Opening Day roster for the 2022 season. In 2022, he batted .185 with six home runs and 8 RBIs.
Playing in Japan with Orix Buffaloes
On December 29, 2022, Marwin signed with the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. He played in 84 games for Orix in 2023, hitting 12 home runs and having 38 RBIs. In Game 5 of the Japan Series, Marwin hit a home run. By doing this, he became one of only five players in baseball history to hit a home run in both the World Series (MLB) and the Japan Series (NPB).
On September 26, 2024, the Orix Buffaloes announced that Marwin would retire from baseball at the end of the 2024 season.
Marwin's Family Life
Marwin married his wife Noel in 2010. They have four children together: Eliana, Brooks, Dallas, and Isabella. During the baseball off-season, they live in Houston.
See also
In Spanish: Marwin González para niños
- List of Major League Baseball players from Venezuela
Images for kids
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González with the Houston Astros in 2014
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González with the Minnesota Twins in 2019
