Trayce Thompson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Trayce Thompson |
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Thompson batting for the Padres in 2022
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| Free agent | |||
| Outfielder | |||
| Born: March 15, 1991 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 4, 2015, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2023 season) |
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| Batting average | .212 | ||
| Home runs | 45 | ||
| Runs batted in | 126 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Trayce Nikolas Thompson (born March 15, 1991) is an American-British professional baseball player. He plays as an outfielder, which means he catches balls hit into the outfield. He has played for several teams in Major League Baseball (MLB). These teams include the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, and San Diego Padres.
Trayce also played for the Great Britain National Team. He represented them in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He comes from a famous sports family. His dad, Mychal Thompson, was a professional basketball player. His older brother, Klay Thompson, is also a well-known basketball player.
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Early Baseball Years
Trayce Thompson went to Santa Margarita Catholic High School. This school is in Rancho Santa Margarita, California. He was a talented baseball player there. He planned to play college baseball at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He would have joined the UCLA Bruins team.
Playing Professional Baseball
Starting with the White Sox
The Chicago White Sox picked Trayce in the second round of the 2009 MLB Draft. This meant he could play professional baseball. He decided to sign with them instead of going to UCLA.
Trayce began his pro career in 2009. He played for two minor league teams: the Bristol White Sox and Great Falls Voyagers. In 2010, he played for the Kannapolis Intimidators. He continued to play for Kannapolis in 2011. He was even named an All-star that year. In 2012, Trayce moved up through different minor league levels. He played for the Winston-Salem Dash, Birmingham Barons, and Charlotte Knights.
In 2013, Trayce spent the whole season with the Double-A Birmingham Barons. The White Sox added him to their main roster in November 2013. This meant he was closer to playing in the big leagues. He finally made his MLB debut on August 4, 2015. He hit his first major league home run a week later.
Joining the Los Angeles Dodgers
In December 2015, Trayce was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He joined the team for the 2016 season. He played in 80 games for the Dodgers. He hit 13 home runs and had 32 RBIs. An RBI means he helped a teammate score a run.
However, he got a back injury in July. X-rays showed he had small fractures in his back. This injury kept him from playing for the rest of the season.
After recovering, Trayce started the 2017 season in the minor leagues. He played for the Oklahoma City Dodgers. He was called up to the main Dodgers team later that year. He played in 27 games for the Dodgers in 2017.
Time with the Athletics and White Sox Again
In April 2018, Trayce was claimed by the New York Yankees. Just two days later, he was claimed by the Oakland Athletics. He played only three games for the Athletics.
Soon after, he was traded back to the Chicago White Sox. He played 48 games for them. After the season, he became a free agent. This means he could sign with any team.
Playing for Other Teams
In 2019, Trayce signed a minor league deal with the Cleveland Indians. He played for their Triple-A team, the Columbus Clippers. He hit 24 home runs that season.
He then signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2020. However, the minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He played only a few games for them in 2021.
With the Chicago Cubs
In May 2021, Trayce was traded to the Chicago Cubs. He played most of the season for their Triple-A team, the Iowa Cubs. He hit 21 home runs there. The Cubs called him up to the major league team in September 2021. He played 15 games for them.
San Diego Padres and Detroit Tigers
In March 2022, Trayce signed with the San Diego Padres. He played a few games for their Triple-A team, the El Paso Chihuahuas. He was called up to the Padres in April. He played six games for them before becoming a free agent again.
In May 2022, he signed with the Detroit Tigers. He played well for their Triple-A team, the Toledo Mud Hens. He hit 8 home runs in 25 games.
Back with the Dodgers (Again!)
In June 2022, Trayce was traded back to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He stayed on the main Dodgers team for the rest of the season. He played 74 games and hit 13 home runs.
In 2023, he signed a new contract with the Dodgers. In his very first game of the season, he had an amazing day. He hit three home runs, including a grand slam! A grand slam means he hit a home run with all three bases loaded. He also had 8 RBIs in that game. This was a record-setting performance. He was the first player since 1920 to have 8 or more RBIs in their first game of the season.
Later in 2023, he got a muscle injury in his side. This kept him from playing for a while.
Third Time with the White Sox
In July 2023, Trayce was traded to the Chicago White Sox for the third time. He played 36 games for them after coming back from his injury. After the season, he became a free agent again.
New York Mets and Chicago Cubs (Again!)
In December 2023, Trayce signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets. He played for their Triple-A team, the Syracuse Mets. He hit 16 home runs there. He was released by the Mets in July 2024.
Soon after, in July 2024, Trayce signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs for a second time. He became a free agent after the 2024 season.
Playing for Great Britain
Trayce Thompson plays for the Great Britain national baseball team. He can play for them because his father is from the Bahamas. The Bahamas is part of the British Commonwealth.
In the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Trayce made history. He hit a home run in the first inning against Team USA. This was Great Britain's first-ever run in the World Baseball Classic! He played well throughout the tournament.
About Trayce's Life
Trayce Thompson was born in Los Angeles. He is the youngest son of Mychal Thompson, a former NBA basketball player. His mother, Julie Thompson, played college volleyball. Mychal Thompson played for the Los Angeles Lakers. He now works in sports radio.
Trayce has two older brothers who also play basketball. Mychel Thompson played in the NBA. His brother Klay Thompson is a very famous NBA player. Klay currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks. Trayce is also childhood friends with another baseball star, Nolan Arenado.
Trayce Thompson is Catholic.
