Mike Moustakas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mike Moustakas |
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Moustakas with the Kansas City Royals in 2018
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| Third baseman | |||
| Born: September 11, 1988 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| June 10, 2011, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 30, 2023, for the Los Angeles Angels | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .247 | ||
| Home runs | 215 | ||
| Runs batted in | 683 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Michael Christopher Moustakas (born September 11, 1988) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a third baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). Fans and media often called him "Moose", a nickname he got from his little league coach.
Moustakas played for several teams during his career. These included the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, and Los Angeles Angels. He was chosen very early in the 2007 MLB draft by the Royals.
Early Life and High School Baseball
Mike Moustakas grew up in Los Angeles, California. He went to Chatsworth High School, where he was a star baseball player for four years. During his time there, his team had an amazing record of 124 wins and only 11 losses. They won four league championships and two city titles.
Moustakas was named "Player of the Year" in California during his sophomore and junior years. He hit 52 home runs in high school, which is still a record for California high school players.
He also tried playing football as a quarterback. However, he broke his ankle in his first game, which ended his football career. Luckily, after three months of recovery, he was able to play baseball again. In 2006, Moustakas played for the USA Baseball Junior National Team. He was named Baseball America's High School Player of the Year in 2007. This is a big honor that other famous MLB players have also received. Moustakas was offered a scholarship to USC, but he decided to enter the MLB draft instead.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting in the Minor Leagues
The Kansas City Royals picked Moustakas as the second overall player in the 2007 draft. He signed with the team in August 2007 and received a $4 million bonus. His high school teammate, Matt Dominguez, was also picked in the first round. This was a rare event for high school teammates.
By 2009, many people thought Moustakas was one of the best young players in minor league baseball. He was ranked highly by Sporting News and MLB.com. He had some challenges in 2009, but his hitting power quickly returned. In 2010, he was hitting very well in Double-A baseball. He was then moved up to Triple-A. Moustakas was named the 2010 Texas League Player of the Year. He also set a team record with three home runs and 11 RBIs in one game. He won the Joe Bauman Home Run Award for hitting the most home runs in minor league baseball that year.
Playing for the Kansas City Royals
Moustakas joined the Kansas City Royals in the major leagues on June 9, 2011. He played his first MLB game the next night. He got his first major league hit in that game. In 2011, he played in 89 games, hitting five home runs and 30 RBIs.
In 2012, Moustakas set a new team record for the Royals. He played 47 games in a row without making an error. He also made 41 double plays, which was a lot for a third baseman. He finished the year with 20 home runs and 73 RBIs.
The 2013 season was a bit tougher for him. He hit 12 home runs and 42 RBIs. He also made 16 errors, which was the most among third basemen in his league.
In 2014, Moustakas struggled at the start of the season. He was sent back to Triple-A for a short time in May. After he returned, he started hitting much better. He finished the season with 15 home runs and 54 RBIs. Moustakas played incredibly well in the 2014 postseason. He hit five home runs, leading all players in the playoffs. The Royals made it to the 2014 World Series but lost to the San Francisco Giants.
In 2015, Moustakas continued his strong performance. He was hitting very well before the All-Star break. Fans voted him into the 2015 All-Star Game. On September 12, he set a new Royals record with 9 RBIs in one game. He hit a grand slam, a three-run home run, and a two-run single in that game. For the season, he hit .284 with 22 home runs and 82 RBIs. The Royals won the World Series against the New York Mets, which was their first championship in 30 years!
In 2016, Moustakas had some bad luck with injuries. He fractured his left thumb in May. Later that month, he tore a ligament in his right knee while trying to catch a ball. This injury ended his 2016 season early.
Moustakas was voted into the All-Star Game again in 2017. He also took part in the Home Run Derby. On July 28, 2017, he hit his 30th home run of the season. This made him the fastest Royals player to reach that many home runs in a season. He finished 2017 with 38 home runs, setting a new single-season record for the Royals.
After the 2017 season, Moustakas became a free agent. He hoped to sign a long-term contract with a new team. However, he didn't find the offers he expected. So, in March 2018, he re-signed with the Royals for one more year.
Moving to the Milwaukee Brewers
On July 28, 2018, the Royals traded Moustakas to the Milwaukee Brewers. He played well for the Brewers, hitting .256. On October 4, 2018, Moustakas hit a game-winning single in the 10th inning of a playoff game against the Colorado Rockies. This helped the Brewers win the game and eventually sweep the series. The Brewers then lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the next round of the playoffs.
After the 2018 season, Moustakas became a free agent again. He re-signed with the Brewers for another year in February 2019. He became a free agent once more after the 2019 season.
Time with the Cincinnati Reds
In December 2019, Moustakas signed a four-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds. This was the biggest free agent deal in the Reds' history at the time. In 2020, he played 44 games for Cincinnati, hitting 8 home runs and 27 RBIs. He wore number 9 for the Reds, as his usual number 8 was retired by the team for Joe Morgan.
In 2021, Moustakas was placed on the injured list due to a heel injury. He was out for a long time but returned in August. He finished the year with 6 home runs and 22 RBIs in 62 games.
Moustakas hit his 200th career home run on July 10, 2022. He played in 78 games for Cincinnati in 2022, hitting 7 home runs and 25 RBIs. The Reds released him in January 2023.
Playing for the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Angels
On March 5, 2023, Moustakas signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies. He played well in spring training and made the team's Opening Day roster.
On June 24, 2023, the Rockies traded Moustakas to the Los Angeles Angels. He played 65 games for the Angels, hitting 8 home runs and 31 RBIs.
Short Stint with the Chicago White Sox
In February 2024, Moustakas signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. However, he was released in March 2024 after he did not make the team's main roster.
Retirement from Baseball
On March 3, 2025, Mike Moustakas announced that he was retiring from professional baseball. The Kansas City Royals shared that Moustakas would sign a special one-day contract. This would allow him to officially retire as a Royal. He will be honored in a ceremony before a Royals game on May 31, 2025.
Personal Life
Mike Moustakas was born in Los Angeles on September 11, 1988. His father, Mike Moustakas Sr., was a college football player for UCLA. Mike is of Greek descent, as his grandfather was born in Greece. He even kept a Greek flag above his locker when he played for the Royals. His uncle, Tom Robson, was also an MLB player and helped Moustakas with his hitting when he was young. Mike's mother passed away in 2015 after a long illness.
When he is not playing baseball, Moustakas enjoys playing golf and going fishing. He once said that if he wasn't a baseball player, he would like to be a firefighter.
Moustakas married his wife, Stephanie, in 2014. They have three daughters and one son. They also have an Australian shepherd dog named Gus. During the baseball offseason, they live in Malibu, California.
