Michael Saunders facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Michael Saunders |
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Saunders with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2016
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: November 19, 1986 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
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| debut | |||
| July 25, 2009, for the Seattle Mariners | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 1, 2017, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .232 | ||
| Home runs | 81 | ||
| Runs batted in | 263 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Michael Edward Brett Saunders (born November 19, 1986) is a Canadian former professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Michael played for the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, and Philadelphia Phillies.
He was known by two cool nicknames: "the Condor" and "Captain Canada".
Contents
Playing Baseball as a Kid
Michael Saunders started playing baseball in Little League Baseball. He was part of Team Canada in the 1999 Little League World Series. This is a big tournament for young baseball players from all over the world.
While in high school in Victoria, British Columbia, Michael played for the Victoria Mariners. Before becoming a professional, he also played for the Tallahassee Community College Eagles.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting with the Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners picked Michael in the 2004 MLB draft. He spent a few years playing in minor leagues, which are like training leagues for professional players.
- In 2005, he played for the Everett AquaSox. He hit .270 with seven home runs.
- In 2006, he moved up to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.
- By 2007, he was playing for the High Desert Mavericks. He did really well, hitting .299 with 14 home runs. He then moved to the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx.
- In 2008, he played for the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx again. Later that year, he joined the Tacoma Rainiers.
Making it to Major League Baseball
Michael started the 2009 season with the Tacoma Rainiers. He was hitting really well, with 13 home runs. Because of his great play, the Mariners called him up to the MLB on July 25, 2009. This was his big debut!
His first MLB hit was a single on July 26, 2009. In 2010, he hit his first MLB home run. He finished that season with 10 home runs. In 2011, he played fewer games due to injuries.
In 2012, Michael played in 139 games, which was his most ever at the time. He hit 19 home runs and had 57 runs batted in (RBI). He continued to play well in 2013. In 2014, he faced more injuries but still had a good batting average of .273.
Moving to the Toronto Blue Jays
After the 2014 season, the Mariners traded Michael to the Toronto Blue Jays. He signed a one-year contract for 2015.
In 2015, Michael had a tough year with injuries. He hurt his knee during spring training. He had surgery and missed most of the season. He only played in nine games for the Blue Jays that year.
In 2016, Michael signed another contract with the Blue Jays. This year was much better!
- On June 17, he hit three home runs in one game against the Baltimore Orioles. This was a career first for him. He also had eight RBI in that game, which was another personal best.
- He became one of only a few Canadian-born players to hit three home runs in an MLB game.
- Michael was chosen to be an All-Star in 2016. This is a huge honor in baseball!
- He finished the 2016 season with a .253 batting average, 24 home runs, and 57 RBI. He also played well in the postseason games for the Blue Jays.
Time with the Philadelphia Phillies
On January 16, 2017, Michael signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. He struggled during his time with the Phillies. By June 20, he was released from the team.
Back with the Toronto Blue Jays
Just a few days later, on June 28, 2017, Michael signed a minor league contract to return to the Toronto Blue Jays. He was called back up to the main team on September 1.
Other Teams and Retirement
After his second time with the Blue Jays, Michael signed minor league contracts with a few other teams. These included the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, and Colorado Rockies. He played some games in the minor leagues for these teams.
On October 25, 2019, Michael Saunders announced he would retire from playing baseball.
Playing for Team Canada
Michael Saunders also proudly represented Canada in international baseball tournaments.
- He played for Canada at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. He hit two home runs, helping Canada finish in 6th place.
- He played in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He did so well that he was named one of the best outfielders in the tournament.
- He also played for Canada in the 2019 Pan American Games Qualifier and the 2019 WBSC Premier12.
After Playing Baseball
After retiring as a player, Michael Saunders started a new career in baseball as a coach.
- In 2020, he became a minor league coach for the Atlanta Braves organization.
- In March 2021, he became the manager of the Augusta GreenJackets. This is a Single-A team connected to the Atlanta Braves.
- In 2025, the Seattle Mariners announced that Michael Saunders would return to their organization. He is now working as the minor league baserunning coordinator.
See also
In Spanish: Michael Saunders para niños
