Brendan Rodgers (baseball)

Brendan Austin Rodgers (born August 9, 1996) is an American professional baseball second baseman for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted third overall by the Rockies in the 2015 MLB draft.

Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers with the Rockies in 2022
Colorado Rockies – No. 7
Second baseman
Born: (1996-08-09) August 9, 1996
Winter Park, Florida, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
May 17, 2019, for the Colorado Rockies
MLB statistics
(through 2023 season)
Batting average.265
Home runs32
Runs batted in143
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Early life

Brendan Austin Rodgers was born on August 9, 1996, in Winter Park, Florida,[1] to Greg and Julie Rodgers, owners of an apparel and promotions company.[2] Rodgers' father and his two brothers both played soccer, and he only began playing baseball at the urging of a neighbor.[3] He grew up playing on youth baseball teams with Bo Bichette, the son of Major League Baseball (MLB) player Dante Bichette, and when Rodgers was five years old, the elder Bichette told his parents that he had "a serious future in baseball".[4] After playing second base during his first year at Lake Mary High School, Rodgers switched to shortstop for the next three seasons.[5] During his senior season at Lake Mary, Rodgers batted .368 with eight home runs and 23 runs batted in (RBI).[6] Outside of his high school team, Rodgers played for the Orlando Scorpions, a traveling team previously attended by Chris Sale, Zack Greinke, and Jonathan Lucroy.[7]

Professional career

Draft and minor leagues
Rodgers at the 2018 All-Star Futures Game

The Colorado Rockies selected Rodgers out of high school with the third overall pick of the 2015 MLB Draft.[8] He had previously committed to playing college baseball for the Florida State Seminoles,[9] but he signed with the Rockies on June 17 for a $5.5 million signing bonus. After signing, Rodgers began his professional baseball career with the Grand Junction Rockies, a Rookie-level team in the Pioneer League.[10] He played there for the entire 2015 season, batting .273 with three home runs and 20 RBI in 37 games and 143 at bats.[11] Rodgers was promoted to the Low-A Asheville Tourists for the 2016 season, where he impressed manager Warren Schaeffer by batting .358 with seven home runs and 27 RBI through the first month of the South Atlantic League season.[12] This included his first career grand slam on May 7 during a 16–7 Asheville victory over the Delmarva Shorebirds.[13] He played 110 games in Asheville, batting .281 with 19 home runs and 73 RBI in 442 at bats.[11]

He spent 2017 with both the Lancaster JetHawks and the Hartford Yard Goats,[14] batting a combined .336 with 18 home runs, 64 RBIs and a .940 OPS in 89 games between both teams.[15] In 2018, he played for both Hartford and the Albuquerque Isotopes, compiling a combined .268 batting average with 17 home runs and 67 RBIs in 114 games.[16]

Colorado Rockies

He opened the 2019 season back with Albuquerque.[17] On May 17, his contract was selected and he was called up to the major leagues.[18] He made his major league debut that night versus the Philadelphia Phillies.[19]

Rodgers only appeared in 7 games in the pandemic shortened 2020 season for the Rockies, before landing on the injured list due to lingering problems in his right shoulder.[20] In late 2021 Spring Training, Rodgers suffered a strained hamstring, requiring at least a month of recovery.[21]

On June 1, 2022, Rodgers enjoyed his first career three home run game. His third home run in the contest was a walk-off home run off of Cole Sulser to defeat the Miami Marlins, 13-12.[22] In 2022 he led the NL in double plays grounded into (25), and batted .266/.325/.408.[23]

References
  1. "Brendan Rodgers Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  2. Ruiz, Stephen (April 4, 2015). "Lake Mary shortstop's hard work turns into lofty draft status". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  3. Lara-Cinisomo, Vince (December 11, 2014). "A Day In The Life: Brendan Rodgers". Baseball America. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  4. Newman, Kyle (May 19, 2019). "The making of Brendan Rodgers: How his neighbor and a Blake Street Bomber enabled 'a natural' to flourish". The Denver Post. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  5. Amore, Dom (June 26, 2017). "Former Lake Mary shortstop continues rapid rise with Rockies in Class AA". Hartford Courant. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  6. "Brendan Rodgers, Kyle Tucker lead big night for high schoolers at baseball draft". USA Today. June 8, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  7. Lemire, Joe (June 8, 2015). "MLB draft's 'top talent' Brendan Rodgers goes to Rockies with No. 3 pick". USA Today. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  8. Groke, Nick (June 8, 2015). "Rockies draft Brendan Rodgers, a high school shortstop, with No. 3 pick". The Denver Post. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  9. Mayo, Jonathan (February 5, 2015). "Path to the Draft: Rodgers chasing his dream". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  10. "Rockies sign top 2015 draft pick, high school SS Brendan Rodgers". ESPN. Associated Press. June 17, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  11. "Brendan Rodgers Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  12. Berghaus, Bob (May 9, 2016). "Tourists' Rodgers not a typical 19-year-old player". Asheville Citizen-Times. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  13. Avallone, Michael (May 7, 2016). "Rodgers has grand moment for Tourists". MiLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  14. "Rockies Top Prospect Brendan Rodgers Promoted to Yard Goats". MILB.com. June 22, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  15. "Brendan Rodgers Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  16. "Brendan Rodgers Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  17. RotoWire Staff (March 16, 2019). "Rockies' Brendan Rodgers: Won't break camp with big club". CBS Sports. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  18. Patrick Saunders (March 17, 2019). "Rockies' Brendan Rodgers brings hot bat, sweet swing to his MLB debut". The Denver Post. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  19. Thomas Harding (March 18, 2019). "Rox callup Rodgers nets RBI in 1st MLB at-bat". MLB.com. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  20. "Rockies' infielder Brendan Rodgers headed to injured list with more shoulder problems". September 2020.
  21. "Brendan Rodgers Out at Least a Month".
  22. "Brendan Rodgers' three-homer game | 06/01/2022". MLB.com.
  23. "Major League Leaderboards » 2022 » Batters » Standard Statistics | FanGraphs Baseball".
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