| Dexter Fowler | |||||||||||||||
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 Dexter Fowler at SXSW 2025 | |||||||||||||||
| Center fielder | |||||||||||||||
| Born: (1986-03-22)March 22, 1986 (age 39) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | |||||||||||||||
Batted: Switch Threw: Right | |||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||
| September 2, 2008, for the Colorado Rockies | |||||||||||||||
| Last MLB appearance | |||||||||||||||
| April 9, 2021, for the Los Angeles Angels | |||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .259 | ||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 127 | ||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 517 | ||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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William Dexter Fowler (born March 22, 1986) is an American former professionalbaseballcenter fielder. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theColorado Rockies,Houston Astros,Chicago Cubs,St. Louis Cardinals, andLos Angeles Angels. He participated in the2008 Summer Olympics as a member of theUnited States national baseball team and won theWorld Series with the Cubs in2016. He led all MLB players with 72 triples during the 2010s.
William Dexter Fowler was born inAtlanta, Georgia, and attendedMilton High School inMilton, Georgia. At Milton, Fowler hit .457 with 14 home runs in 105 at-bats.[citation needed] Fowler rejected offers fromHarvard and theUniversity of Miami in order to play Major League Baseball, after having originally committed to Miami.[1] Before signing with the Rockies, Fowler was exclusively a right-handed hitter.[2][3]
As aminor leaguer during the 2008 season, Fowler was selected to represent theUnited States in the2008 Summer Olympics inBeijing, China.[4] He and the U.S. team ended up winning the bronze medal in the Olympics by defeatingJapan, 8–4, in the bronze medal game.[5]
Fowler was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 14th round of the2004 Major League Baseball draft. In 2008, he was selected by Major League Baseball to play in theAll-Star Futures Game atYankee Stadium.[3]
Fowler wasbatting .337 with ninehome runs, 61runs batted in (RBIs) and 20stolen bases for the Rockies'Double-ATexas League affiliate, theTulsa Drillers, prior to playing for Team USA in the 2008 Olympics.
Fowler was called up to the Major Leagues for the first time on September 2, 2008. He made his debut that same day in a 6–5extra-inning home win over theSan Francisco Giants, coming in as apinch runner in the bottom of the 10thinning; he was subsequentlypicked off atfirst base.[6] In Fowler's firstat-bat in the bottom of the third inning of a 9–2 home loss against the Giants the following day, he flied out toright field.[7]
On September 10, 2008, Fowler recorded his first hit, aninfield single, off ofWill Ohman in the top of the seventh inning of a 9–5 road loss against theAtlanta Braves.[8]
On April 8, 2009, Fowler hit his first career home run offDoug Davis of theArizona Diamondbacks, as part of a 9–2 road win. He hit the home run on the first pitch of the game, becoming the first player in Rockies history to do so.[9]
On April 27, 2009, Fowler tied a modern-day rookie record when he stole five bases against theSan Diego Padres in a 12–7 victory.[10]
In 2010, Fowler led the Majors intriples, accumulating 14 on the season. In 439at-bats on the year, he had sixhome runs, 36 RBIs, 73runs scored, and 114 totalbase hits.
In 2011, Fowler was third in the National League in triples, hitting 15 that season. In 481 at-bats on the year, he hit five home runs, 45 RBIs, 84 runs scored, and 128 total base hits.
The 2012 season saw Fowler's batting stats increase to career-highs. He hit 13 home runs, 53 RBIs, and a batting average of .300 in 454 at-bats.
However, much of his success came while hitting at home,Coors Field. His home OPS was .880, but only .694 on the road.[citation needed]
On December 3, 2013, Fowler was traded, along with a player to be named later to theHouston Astros for outfielderBrandon Barnes and pitcherJordan Lyles.[11] The Rockies eventually sent cash to the Astros to complete the deal instead of the player to be named later.[12] He hit .276 in 116 games for the Astros during the2014 season.[13]
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On January 19, 2015, Fowler was traded to theChicago Cubs forLuis Valbuena andDan Straily.[14] He ended the 2015 season with a .250 average, 102 runs scored, 46 RBIs, 17 home runs, and 20 stolen bases.[15] In the 2015 National League wild card game, Fowler helped the Cubs to a 4–0 win over thePittsburgh Pirates with three hits, three runs scored, one RBI, one home run, and a stolen base.[16]
With the Cubs finishing the 2015 season with a 97–65 record, the team entered the postseason for the first time in seven years. In nine postseason games, Fowler batted .396 with two home runs and three RBIs. In Game 4 of the2015 NLCS against theNew York Mets, he was the final batter to strike out looking as the Cubs were eliminated from the postseason.
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Fowler signed a one-year contract with the Cubs that included a mutual option for the 2017 season on February 25, 2016,[17] despite reportedly agreeing to a three-year contract with theBaltimore Orioles earlier that week.[18] The Orioles claimed that Fowler's insistence on an opt-out clause after one year was the holdup on the deal and that they were blindsided when he signed with the Cubs. Fowler on the other hand insisted he never had agreed to a deal with the Orioles and he and his agent blamed the team and the media for leaking incorrect information.[19]
Fowler earned his first career MLB ejection for arguing a strike three call by umpireVic Carapazza on May 5, 2016.[20] Fowler was selected to his firstAll-Star Game in 2016 representing the Cubs along with six other teammates.
Fowler finished the year batting with a .276 average hitting 13 home runs and 48 RBIs and 84 runs scored. He swung at only 19.4% of pitches outside thestrike zone (the lowest percentage in the majors).[21]
On October 25, 2016, Dexter Fowler along with teammatesJason Heyward,Addison Russell, andCarl Edwards Jr. became the first African-Americans to play for the Cubs in aWorld Series game. Additionally, Fowler was the first African-American to appear and to bat for the Cubs in a World Series. Fowler is the first African-American to start for the Cubs in a World Series.[22][23][24][a]
Fowler led offGame 7 of the World Series with a home run, becoming the first player in history to lead off a World Series Game 7 with a home run.[25] The Cubs won the game 8–7 in 10 innings, giving the team their first championship in 108 years.[26] On November 5, Fowler declined his mutual option for the 2017 season and became a free agent.[27]
On December 9, 2016, Fowler and theSt. Louis Cardinals agreed to a five-year, $82.5 million deal.[28] He hit his first home run and RBI as a Cardinal againstPittsburgh PiratespitcherGerrit Cole on April 19, 2017. Fowler finished his first season in St. Louis with a .264 batting average, 18 home runs, and 64 RBIs in 118 games.[29]
Prior to the2018 season, he agreed to shift positions to become the Cardinals' starting right fielder; the Cardinals movedTommy Pham to center and had acquiredMarcell Ozuna in the offseason.[30] Fowler hit his first ever walk-off home run on May 6, 2018, in the bottom of the 14th inning against his former team, theChicago Cubs. His two-run home run helped lead the Cardinals to a 4–3 victory.[31] On August 21, 2018, Fowler was placed on the 60-daydisabled list,[32] ending a disappointing 2018 season in which he slashed .180/.278/.298 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs in 90 games.[33]
Fowler returned healthy in 2019 as St. Louis' starting right fielder. Over 150 games during the regular season, he slashed .238/.346/.409 with 19 home runs and 67 RBIs.
In 2020 he batted .233/.317/.389 with 28 strikeouts in 90 at bats.[34]
On February 4, 2021, the Cardinals traded Fowler and cash to theLos Angeles Angels for aplayer to be named later.[35]
In an April 9 game against theToronto Blue Jays, Fowler was carted off of the field after suffering an apparent knee injury after awkwardly sliding into second base. It was later revealed that Fowler had suffered a torn left ACL and would undergo season-ending surgery.[36] On April 13, Fowler was placed on the 60-day injured list.[37]
On March 31, 2022, Fowler signed a minor league contract with theToronto Blue Jays.[38] Fowler appeared in 3 games for the Triple-ABuffalo Bisons, going 5-for-12 with 3 RBI. On May 3, Fowler requested and was granted his release by the Blue Jays.[39]
On January 31, 2023, Fowler announced his retirement from professional baseball.[40]
Fowler is married to Aliya Fowler. They have two daughters.[41]
Fowler is good friends with former teammateChris Nelson, who is also fromGeorgia.[2]
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