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Raúl Ibañez

Ibañez with the New York Yankees

Left fielder

Born: June 2, 1972 (age 53)
New York City, New York, U.S.

Batted: Left

Threw: Right

debut

August 1, 1996, for the Seattle Mariners

Last appearance

September 28, 2014, for the Kansas City Royals

MLB statistics

Batting average

.272

Hits

2,034

Home runs

305

Runs batted in

1,207

Teams

Career highlights and awards

All-Star (2009)

Raúl Javier Ibañez (born June 2, 1972) is an American former professional baseball player. He was a left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for 19 seasons in the big leagues.

Raúl spent 11 of those seasons with the Seattle Mariners. He also played for the Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. While he mostly played left field, he also spent a lot of time as a designated hitter (DH).

Raúl was an All-Star in 2009. He also won the Player of the Week Award five times. Even though he didn't play a full season until he was 30, he had a great career. He finished with a .272 batting average, 424 doubles, 305 home runs, and 1,207 runs batted in (RBI). He had eight seasons with at least 20 home runs. He also had ten years in a row (2002–2011) with at least 30 doubles. In 2004, Raúl tied an American League record with six hits in one game!

Early Life and College Baseball
Professional Baseball Career (1992–2014)
After Playing Baseball
Personal Life
See also

Early Life and College Baseball

Raúl Ibañez's parents moved from Cuba to New York in 1970. His father, Juan Armando, was a chemist in Cuba. In the United States, he worked in a warehouse.

Raúl went to Miami Sunset Senior High School. He played on the baseball team as a catcher. After high school, he went to Miami-Dade Community College. He was a top player there and was chosen for the All-Conference team.

Professional Baseball Career (1992–2014)

Starting in the Minor Leagues (1992–1996)

The Seattle Mariners picked Raúl in the 36th round of the 1992 Major League Baseball draft. He played as a catcher and outfielder in the Mariners' minor league teams. He started his professional journey with the AZL Mariners in 1992. That year, he hit .308.

In 1993, Raúl played for two Class-A teams. He continued to improve his hitting. By 1994, playing for the Appleton Foxes, he hit .312. He led his team in RBIs and doubles that season.

Raúl Ibañez at bat in 2008

In 1995, Raúl moved up to the Riverside Pilots. He had an amazing year, hitting .332 with 20 home runs and 108 RBIs in just 95 games. He was second in the league for RBIs. In 1996, he played for Double-A and Triple-A teams. He hit well enough to get called up to the big leagues.

First Time with the Seattle Mariners (1996–2000)

Raúl Ibañez made his first major league appearance on August 1, 1996. He played against the Milwaukee Brewers. In 1997, he got his first major league hit, which was a triple. Later that year, he hit his first major league home run.

In 1999, Raúl played most of the season with the Mariners. He hit the first grand slam home run in Safeco Field history. This happened in only the third game ever played at the new park. He continued to play for the Mariners in 2000. After that season, he became a free agent.

Playing for the Kansas City Royals (2001–2003)

The Kansas City Royals signed Raúl Ibañez before the 2001 season. In 2001, he hit .280 with 13 home runs and 54 RBIs. The next year, 2002, was his first full season playing in the majors.

On June 9, Raúl hit a walk-off home run to win a game against the St. Louis Cardinals. On June 26, he hit a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. He ended the 2002 season hitting .294 with 24 home runs and 103 RBIs. He was a very important player for the Royals.

Raúl Ibañez with the Seattle Mariners

Second Time with the Mariners (2004–2008)

After three seasons with the Royals, Raúl returned to Seattle in 2004. He had his best batting average that year, hitting .304. He also tied an American League record by getting six hits in one game.

In 2005, Raúl mostly played as the designated hitter. In 2006, he had his most productive season with the Mariners. He hit a career-high 33 home runs and had 123 RBIs. He also scored 103 runs. In 2008, he played all 162 games. He finished the season with a .293 batting average, 23 home runs, and 110 RBIs. He also had a career-high 43 doubles.

Time with the Philadelphia Phillies (2009–2011)

On December 16, 2008, Raúl Ibañez signed a three-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. On April 9, 2009, he hit his first home run as a Phillie. Ten days later, he hit a two-run, walk-off home run to help the Phillies win. He also hit his eighth career grand slam that month.

In 2009, Raúl was chosen for the All-Star Game. He had a great season, hitting 34 home runs and 93 RBIs. He also had a very good fielding percentage in left field. He was the left fielder when Roy Halladay pitched a perfect game on May 29, 2010.

Raúl Ibañez with the Phillies in 2011

In 2010, Raúl played in 155 games. He hit .275 with 16 home runs and 83 RBIs. In 2011, he played 144 games, hitting 20 home runs and 84 RBIs.

Playing for the New York Yankees (2012)

On February 20, 2012, Raúl Ibañez joined the New York Yankees. He played in 130 games during the regular season. He hit 19 home runs and had 62 RBIs.

In the playoffs, Raúl had some amazing moments. In Game 3 of the 2012 American League Division Series, he came into the game as a pinch hitter. He hit two home runs in a row! The first one tied the game in the 9th inning. The second one was a walk-off home run in the 12th inning, winning the game for the Yankees. He became the first player in major league history to hit two home runs in a playoff game he didn't start.

Two days later, in Game 5, Raúl helped the Yankees win the series. He also hit another game-tying home run in Game 1 of the 2012 American League Championship Series. He became the first player ever to hit three home runs in the 9th inning or later in a single postseason.

Third Time with the Mariners (2013)

On December 22, 2012, Raúl Ibañez returned to Seattle for his third time with the Mariners. On July 2, he hit his 20th home run of the season. This made him the oldest player in major league history to hit 20 home runs before the All-Star break.

On September 21, Raúl hit his 29th home run of the season. This was the 300th home run of his career! He also tied a record for most home runs in a season by anyone 40 or older. In 2013, he batted .242 with 29 home runs and 65 RBIs.

Final Seasons (2014)

In 2014, Raúl Ibañez signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He played 57 games before being released in June.

He then signed with the Kansas City Royals for his second time. On July 2, he hit his first home run of the season with the Royals. Raúl helped the Royals turn their season around. He led a players-only meeting that helped the team improve. The Royals then went on a great winning streak. They made it all the way to the 2014 World Series. Raúl was not on the main playoff roster, but he was a big part of the team's success.

After Playing Baseball

After his playing career, Raúl Ibañez joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016. He worked as a special assistant to the President of Baseball Operations. He also became a baseball analyst for ESPN.

In 2021, Raúl was named one of Major League Baseball's senior vice presidents. He helped oversee umpiring and other on-field issues. In 2024, he returned to the Dodgers as vice president of baseball development.

Personal Life

Raúl Ibañez's grandparents were from Spain, so he also has Spanish heritage. He is married to Teryvette, and they have two sons and three daughters.

In 2009, Raúl found out he had allergies to gluten and dairy. He went on a special diet to help him feel better. In a poll of major league players, Raúl was voted the second nicest player in the league.