Michael Brantley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Michael Brantley |
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Brantley in 2019
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: May 15, 1987 Bellevue, Washington, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 1, 2009, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 1, 2023, for the Houston Astros | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .298 | ||
| Home runs | 129 | ||
| Runs batted in | 720 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Michael Charles Brantley Jr. (born May 15, 1987) is a former professional baseball player. He was an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Michael played for the Cleveland Indians and the Houston Astros. His father, Mickey Brantley, was also an MLB player and a hitting coach. Michael batted and threw with his left hand.
Michael was a star player at Fort Pierce Central High School in Florida. The Milwaukee Brewers picked him in the 2005 MLB draft. In 2008, the Brewers traded him to the Indians. This trade was part of a bigger deal for pitcher CC Sabathia. Brantley made his MLB debut with the Indians in 2009.
In 2014, Brantley was chosen for his first MLB All-Star team. He also won a Silver Slugger Award that year. He had his best hitting season and finished third in the voting for the American League's Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award. He was an All-Star four more times between 2017 and 2021. Brantley was one of the top hitters in the American League many times. He played in two World Series with the Astros in 2019 and 2021.
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Early Life and High School Baseball
Michael Brantley was born in Bellevue, Washington. His father, Mickey Brantley, was playing for the Seattle Mariners at the time. Michael grew up in Port St. Lucie, Florida. He started playing Little League Baseball when he was seven years old. In 1999, his dad was the hitting coach for the New York Mets. This allowed Michael to spend time around the Mets team.
Brantley went to Fort Pierce Central High School in Florida. He played both baseball and golf there. In his final year of high school baseball, he had a very high batting average of .595. He also scored 22 runs and stole 32 stolen bases. After high school, the Milwaukee Brewers drafted him. He decided to play professional baseball instead of going to Coastal Carolina University for college baseball.
Professional Baseball Career
Milwaukee Brewers Years
The Milwaukee Brewers drafted Michael Brantley in the seventh round of the 2005 MLB Draft. After signing with the Brewers, he played for their minor league teams. These included the Helena Brewers and Arizona Brewers. He hit well, with a .347 batting average for Arizona.
In 2006, Brantley played for the West Virginia Power. He hit .300 and stole 24 bases. In 2007, he started with West Virginia and then moved up to the Huntsville Stars. He continued to hit well in 2008 for Huntsville.
Cleveland Indians Years
The Brewers traded Brantley to the Cleveland Indians on October 3, 2008. This trade was part of a deal where the Brewers got pitcher CC Sabathia. The Indians chose Brantley because the Brewers made it to the playoffs that year.
Brantley played for the Columbus Clippers in 2009. He was called up to the major leagues on September 1, 2009. He got on base in his first eight games. He finished the 2009 season hitting .313 in 28 games. Brantley started the 2010 season with Cleveland. He was sent back to the minor leagues a few times but returned to the Indians later that year.
In 2011, Brantley played in 114 games. He hit seven home runs and stole 13 bases. His season ended early due to wrist surgery. In 2012, he moved to center field and had a 22-game hitting streak. Fans called him "Dr. Smooth" because of his calm and smooth swing. He set new career highs with 37 doubles and 60 runs batted in.
After the 2012 season, Brantley had surgery for a sports hernia. In 2013, he moved back to left field. He had a great season, hitting .284 with 10 home runs and 73 RBIs. He also set a team record for outfielders with 213 games without an error.
Before the 2014 season, the Indians signed Brantley to a four-year contract. He was chosen for the 2014 MLB All-Star Game. He had a fantastic year, hitting .327 with 20 home runs. He also got his 200th hit of the season, a rare achievement. After the season, he won the Silver Slugger Award. He finished third in the voting for the American League MVP Award.
In 2015, Brantley continued to hit well, batting .310. He led all major league players in doubles with 45. He also had a very low strikeout rate.
Brantley had shoulder surgery after the 2015 season. He returned in 2016 but needed a second surgery, ending his season early. He played in only 11 games that year. In 2017, he played in 90 games, hitting .299. The Indians kept him for the 2018 season.
In 2018, Brantley was named to the 2018 MLB All-Star Game again. He hit .309 with 17 home runs. He also had the highest contact percentage on his swings in the major leagues.
Houston Astros Years
2019 Season
On December 17, 2018, Brantley signed a two-year contract with the Houston Astros. In 2019, he hit .311 with 22 home runs and 90 RBIs. He was one of the best left fielders in the league on defense. Brantley was the last batter in the 2019 World Series, which the Astros lost.
2020 Season
In the shorter 2020 season, Brantley hit .300. He played as a designated hitter and in left field.
2021 Season
Brantley re-signed with the Astros for two more years in January 2021. He hit very well in April and June, staying near the top of the batting leaders. On July 4, he was chosen for his fifth All-Star Game. A knee injury affected his play later in the season. He finished the year hitting .311, second in the American League. He also had a great record for not striking out often.
Brantley had a hitting streak of 15 games in the postseason. This was the longest streak by an Astros player ever.
2022 Season
In 2022, Brantley continued to hit well for the Astros. He had a two-run single against the Seattle Mariners. He also hit a home run against the Boston Red Sox. On June 17, he hit a grand slam against the Chicago White Sox.
On June 27, Brantley went on the injured list with shoulder pain. On August 12, he had surgery to fix a torn labrum in his shoulder. This ended his season early. He was hitting .288 at the time of his surgery.
Even though he didn't play in the postseason, Brantley traveled with the team. After losing Game 3 of the 2022 World Series, he held a meeting with the players. This meeting helped motivate the team, and they won the next three games to win the championship. Brantley earned his first World Series ring.
2023 Season
Brantley signed a one-year deal to return to the Astros in December 2022. He went on a rehab assignment in April 2023 but had a setback with his shoulder. He was activated on August 29.
In Game 4 of the American League Division Series, Brantley hit a solo home run. This helped the Astros win and move on to their seventh straight American League Championship Series.
Michael Brantley announced his retirement from baseball on January 5, 2024.
Personal Life
Michael Brantley lives in Port St. Lucie, Florida, during the baseball offseason. He is married to Melissa, and they have three children. Their first child, a daughter, was born in 2013. Their second child, a son, was born in 2015, and their third child, another son, arrived in 2017. After retiring, Brantley started coaching Little League baseball.
Brantley has a very close relationship with his father, Mickey. During Michael's playing career, they talked every morning. They would discuss his at bats from the game before. Michael's cousin, Justin, also played minor league baseball.
See also
- Cleveland Guardians award winners and league leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career games played as a left fielder leaders
- List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
