| Jorge Mateo | |
|---|---|
 Mateo with theTampa Yankees in 2016 | |
| Baltimore Orioles – No. 3 | |
| Shortstop | |
| Born: (1995-06-23)June 23, 1995 (age 29) Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 13, 2020, for the San Diego Padres | |
| MLB statistics (through 2024 season) | |
| Batting average | .224 |
| Home runs | 29 |
| Runs batted in | 118 |
| Stolen bases | 91 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Jorge Luis Mateo (born June 23, 1995) is a Dominican professionalbaseballshortstop for theBaltimore Orioles ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for theSan Diego Padres. He made his MLB debut in 2020.
Mateo signed with theNew York Yankees as an international free agent in January 2012, receiving a $250,000signing bonus.[1] He made his professional debut that season for theDominican Summer League Yankees 2 and batted .255 with one home run and eight RBIs in 14 games. He played for theDominican Summer League Yankees 1 in 2013, compiling a .287 batting average with seven home runs and 26 RBIs in 64 games, and theGulf Coast Yankees in 2014,[2][3] slashing .276/.354/.397 in 15 games. In 2015, while playing for theCharleston RiverDogs and theTampa Yankees, Mateo posted a combined .278 batting average with two home runs, 11 triples, 40 RBIs, and 82 stolen bases in 117 total games between both clubs.[4] He was namedFlorida State League Player of the Week for the week of July 17.[5]
Mateo was ranked byBaseball America as the top Yankees minor league prospect ahead ofGary Sánchez andAaron Judge prior to the 2016 campaign.[6] He also received a non-roster invitation tospring training.[7] He spent the season back with Tampa, where he was a Mid-Season All-Star[5] and was named to appear in theAll-Star Futures Game.[8] However, on July 6, 2016, Mateo was suspended for two weeks due to violating the team's code of conduct policy, and could not participate in the Futures Game.[9] He reportedly expressed his displeasure to Yankees executives about not being promoted to Double-A Trenton.[10] Mateo finished 2016 with a .254 batting average, eight home runs, 36 stolen bases, and 47 RBIs.[11] He spent time at second base following the arrival ofGleyber Torres.[12] The Yankees added Mateo to their 40-man roster after the season.[13] He began 2017 with Tampa and was promoted to theTrenton Thunder in late June. He was a Mid-Season All-Star andEastern League Player of the Week for the week of July 2.[5]
On July 31, 2017, the Yankees traded Mateo, along withDustin Fowler andJames Kaprielian to theOakland Athletics, in exchange forSonny Gray.[14] Oakland assigned him to theMidland RockHounds and he finished the season there. In 129 total games between Tampa, Trenton and Midland, he batted .267 in 532 at bats with 12 home runs, 18 triples, 57 RBIs, and 52 stolen bases.[15]
In January 2018, Mateo was named the 64th best prospect in baseball.[16] In April,Baseball America named him as having the best speed of all minor league players, ahead of Phillies outfielderRoman Quinn.[17] That season, playing for the AAANashville Sounds he hit .230/.280/.353 in 470 at bats with 3 home runs, 16 triples, 45 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases while being caught 10 times.[18]
Mateo opened the 2019 season with the Triple-ALas Vegas Aviators.[19] Mateo was named to the 2019All-Star Futures Game.[20] In 2019 he led the minor league in triples, with 14.[21] Mateo was included in the Athletics' 60-man player pool prior to the start of the 2020 season.[22]
On June 30, 2020, the Athletics traded Mateo to theSan Diego Padres in exchange for Junior Perez.[23] Following the trade, he was considered San Diego's 13th best prospect.[24] He was activated and started his first career game as the left fielder on August 13. On August 27, in the second game of a doubleheaders against the Seattle Mariners, Mateo recorded his first MLB hit on a ground rule double.[25] He hit just .185/.269/.454 in 22 games in the big leagues that year. Mateo hit his first major league home run on April 29, 2021, against theArizona Diamondbacks.[26] After hitting .207/.250/.322 through 57 games, he was designated for assignment by the Padres on August 3, 2021.[27]
On August 5, 2021, Mateo was claimed off of waivers by theBaltimore Orioles.[28] In 2021, he batted .247/.293/.376 with 4 home runs, 14 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 89 games between the Padres and Orioles. He was shut down for the season in mid-September after experiencing right lumbar inflammation.[29]
In the 2022 season, Mateo started on the Orioles opening day roster at shortstop.[30] He finished the season batting .221/.267/.379 with 13 home runs, 50 RBIs, and 35 stolen bases in 494 at-bats. He led the major leagues with the most stolen bases in the regular season of 2022, trailed by teammateCedric Mullins by one.[31] Mateo won theFielding Bible Award as the best defensive shortstop in MLB for the 2022 season, making him the first Oriole to win the award at that position.[32]
Mateo achieved a 1.062 OPS through April of the 2023 season, but he lost playing time toGunnar Henderson in 2023 after hitting just .105/.128/.132 through 11 games in May.[33][34] He concluded the regular season with 32 stolen bases and .217 batting average and 0.617 OPS, having more success batting against left-handed pitching.[35] Following injuries to both centerfieldersCedric Mullins andAaron Hicks, Mateo made his Orioles centerfield debut on August 5 and 6.[36] He joined the team in the postseason2023 ALDS against theTexas Rangers[37] and went 4-for-4 in Game 2, becoming just the 6th player in MLB History to get four hits while batting ninth.[38] After the season, Mateo agreed to a $2.7 million contract to avoid arbitration.[39]
Mateo began the 2024 campaign with Baltimore, and hit .229/.267/.401 with five home runs, 18 RBI, and 13 stolen bases across 68 games. In a July 23 game against theMiami Marlins, Mateo departed with an injury after colliding withGunnar Henderson while trying to field a ground ball.[40] After the injury was diagnosed as a left elbowsubluxation,[41] Mateo was transferred to the 60–day injured list on July 30.[42] His season officially ended on August 28 when he underwent leftelbowulnar collateral ligament reconstruction.[43]