Xander Bogaerts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Xander Bogaerts |
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Bogaerts with the San Diego Padres in 2023
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| San Diego Padres – No. 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Shortstop / Second baseman | ||||||||||||||
| Born: October 1, 1992 San Nicolaas, Aruba |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| August 20, 2013, for the Boston Red Sox | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through July 27, 2025) |
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| Batting average | .288 | |||||||||||||
| Hits | 1,792 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 193 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 821 | |||||||||||||
| Stolen bases | 122 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Xander Jan Bogaerts (born October 1, 1992) is a professional baseball player from Aruba. He plays as a shortstop and second baseman for the San Diego Padres in Major League Baseball (MLB). Before joining the Padres, he played for the Boston Red Sox. Xander also represents the Netherlands national team in international games.
The Red Sox signed Xander when he was an amateur player in 2009. He made his MLB debut in 2013. That year, he played in 30 games and helped the Red Sox win the World Series championship. He became the Red Sox's main shortstop in 2014 and won his second World Series in 2018. Xander has won the American League's Silver Slugger Award five times. He has also been chosen as an All-Star four times. After playing 10 seasons with Boston, Bogaerts joined the Padres in 2023.
Contents
Xander's Baseball Journey
Starting in the Minor Leagues
A scout for the Boston Red Sox, Mike Lord, first noticed Xander in 2009 when he was 16. Even after being sick, Xander played well for Lord. This led to the Red Sox signing him with a $410,000 bonus.
Xander started his professional career in 2010 in the Dominican Summer League. He had a great batting average of .314. The next year, at age 18, he played for the Greenville Drive. He hit 16 home runs in just 72 games.
In 2012, Xander played for the Portland Sea Dogs. He was even chosen to play in the 2012 All-Star Futures Game. Before the 2013 season, many experts thought Xander was one of the best young players.
Playing for the Boston Red Sox
First Years and World Series Wins
Xander started the 2013 season with the Portland Sea Dogs. He was then moved up to the Pawtucket Red Sox in June. On August 19, the Red Sox called him up to the major leagues. Xander made his MLB debut on August 20. He got his first major league hit five days later. On September 7, he hit his first MLB home run.
Even though he joined late, Xander was a key part of the Red Sox team in the postseason. He batted .296 and helped the Red Sox win their eighth World Series. This was a huge achievement for him!
In 2014, Xander became the Red Sox's starting shortstop. He played 99 games at shortstop and 44 games at third base. He batted .240 with 12 home runs. In 2015, Xander had an amazing year. He led the Red Sox with a .320 batting average. He also won the Silver Slugger Award for shortstops. This award goes to the best offensive player at each position.
All-Star Seasons and More Awards
In 2016, Xander continued to be the Red Sox's starting shortstop. He had a 26-game hitting streak between May and June. He was chosen for his first MLB All-Star Game. Xander finished the season batting .294 with 21 home runs. He won his second Silver Slugger Award.
In 2017, Xander played through a wrist injury. He later said this was a mistake. He finished the season batting .273 with 10 home runs. In 2018, Xander hit two grand slams in April. He also hit a walk-off home run in July. He finished the season with 23 home runs and 103 RBIs. The Red Sox won the World Series that year. Xander was the only player to be on both the 2013 and 2018 World Series winning teams.
In 2019, the Red Sox signed Xander to a big contract extension. He was chosen for the 2019 All-Star Game. On September 7, he got his 1,000th MLB career hit. Xander finished the 2019 season with a .309 average, 52 doubles, and 33 home runs. He won his third Silver Slugger Award.
Later Years with Boston
During the shorter 2020 season, Xander was still Boston's main shortstop. He batted .300 with 11 home runs in 56 games. He led all American League shortstops in home runs and RBIs.
In 2021, Xander was named the starting shortstop for the 2021 All-Star Game. He played in 144 games, batting .295 with 23 home runs. He won his fourth Silver Slugger Award.
In 2022, Xander continued as the Red Sox's primary shortstop. He was named to the 2022 All-Star Game as a reserve. He batted .307 with 15 home runs in 150 games. He won his fifth Silver Slugger Award. On November 7, 2022, Xander decided to become a free agent.
Joining the San Diego Padres
On December 9, 2022, Xander signed an 11-year contract with the San Diego Padres. On April 29, 2023, he made history by hitting a home run in the MLB Mexico City Series. This made him the first player to hit home runs in four different countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Mexico.
At the start of the 2024 season, Xander moved to play second base for the Padres. On May 20, 2024, he fractured his left shoulder while trying to make a play. He was placed on the injury list.
Playing for His Country
Xander is from Aruba, which is part of the Netherlands. He has played for the Dutch national baseball team many times. He helped them win the gold medal in the 2011 Baseball World Cup. He also played in the 2013 World Baseball Classic and the 2017 World Baseball Classic. In the 2017 tournament, he led the Dutch team in walks.
Xander played for the Dutch team again in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Even though he played well, the Netherlands team was eliminated due to a tiebreaker.
About Xander's Life
Xander has a twin brother named Jair. Jair also signed with the Red Sox as a young player. Xander is the fifth player from Aruba to play in MLB. In 2011, after winning the Baseball World Cup, Xander was honored by the Governor of Aruba.
Xander speaks four languages: English, Spanish, Dutch, and Papiamento. Papiamento and Dutch are the official languages of Aruba. On February 10, 2021, a school in San Nicolas, Aruba, was renamed Scol Basico Xander Bogaerts in his honor.
See also
In Spanish: Xander Bogaerts para niños
