Miguel Andújar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Miguel Andújar |
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Miguel Andújar with the Yankees in 2018
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| Athletics – No. 22 | |||
| Left Fielder | |||
| Born: March 2, 1995 San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic |
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| debut | |||
| June 28, 2017, for the New York Yankees | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2024 season) |
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| Batting average | .273 | ||
| Home runs | 43 | ||
| Runs batted in | 179 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Miguel Enrique Andújar (born March 2, 1995) is a professional baseball player from the Dominican Republic. He plays as a left fielder for the Oakland Athletics in Major League Baseball (MLB). Before joining the Athletics, he played for the New York Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In 2018, while playing as a third baseman for the Yankees, Miguel had an amazing season. He finished second in the voting for the American League Rookie of the Year award, right behind Shohei Ohtani. That year, he hit 47 doubles, which broke a record set by Joe DiMaggio in 1936 for the most doubles by a Yankees rookie. After this great year, Miguel faced several injuries. These injuries kept him from playing a full season for the Yankees again.
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Early life and beginnings
Miguel Andújar was born in San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic. He started his professional baseball journey when he signed with the New York Yankees in July 2011. This was part of an international free agent program.
Starting in the minor leagues
Miguel began playing in the minor leagues in 2012 with the Gulf Coast Yankees. He continued to play for different minor league teams over the next few years. In 2014, he played for the Charleston RiverDogs. The next year, 2015, he was with the Tampa Yankees.
By 2016, Miguel was promoted to the Trenton Thunder. After that season, he also played in the Arizona Fall League. The Yankees added him to their main roster, which meant he was closer to playing in the big leagues.
Moving up to Triple-A
Miguel started the 2017 season with the Trenton Thunder. He was playing very well, hitting for a high average and leading the league in home runs and runs batted in (RBIs). Because of his strong performance, he was promoted to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. This team is at the Triple-A level, which is just one step below Major League Baseball.
Major League Baseball career
New York Yankees debut
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Miguel made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on June 28, 2017. He played for the Yankees as their designated hitter against the Chicago White Sox. In his very first game, he had an incredible start. He got three hits, had four RBIs, and walked once. This set a new record for the most RBIs by a Yankees player in their first game.
After this exciting debut, the Yankees sent him back to the Triple-A team. This was so he could keep playing regularly as a third baseman. Later that year, in September, he was called back up to the major leagues.
Breakout 2018 season
Miguel started the 2018 season back in Triple-A, but he was quickly called up to the Yankees in April. He hit his first major league home run on April 17. He then had a streak of seven games where he hit an extra-base hit. This put him in a special group with Yankees legends like Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle.
On May 4, Miguel hit his first "walk-off" hit, which means his hit won the game for his team. On June 5, he hit his first grand slam, which is a home run with the bases loaded. On September 29, he hit his 45th double of the season. This broke the Yankees' record for most doubles by a rookie, a record previously held by Joe DiMaggio.
Miguel finished the 2018 season with a strong batting average. He came in second place for the Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award, losing to Shohei Ohtani.
Dealing with injuries
After his amazing 2018 season, Miguel faced a tough time with injuries. In April 2019, he hurt his right shoulder. He tried to recover without surgery, but eventually, he needed an operation in May 2019. This meant he missed the rest of the 2019 season.
When he returned in 2020, he started playing as a left fielder instead of a third baseman. He also had a wrist injury in 2021, which kept him out for a long time. In 2022, he was sent back to the Triple-A team and asked to be traded. He was later moved off the Yankees' main roster.
Time with the Pittsburgh Pirates
In September 2022, the Pittsburgh Pirates picked up Miguel. He played in a few games for them that year. The Pirates signed him for the next season, but then they moved him off their main roster in January 2023.
Miguel played for the Pirates' Triple-A team, the Indianapolis Indians. He was called up to the Pirates' main team again in April 2023. He played in some games but was later sent back to Triple-A. He returned to the Pirates' main team in September 2023.
Joining the Oakland Athletics
In November 2023, the Oakland Athletics claimed Miguel. He signed a contract with them for the 2024 season. However, in March 2024, it was announced that Miguel had a knee injury that would require surgery. He played in 75 games for the Athletics that season. In August, his manager announced that Miguel would need another surgery, this time for a core muscle injury, which ended his season.
Personal life
In March 2022, Miguel Andújar was involved in an incident at his farm in San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic. He was not seriously hurt, but a relative was injured.
Images for kids
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Miguel Andújar with the Yankees in 2018
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Andújar running the bases in 2018
See also
In Spanish: Miguel Andújar para niños
