| Leody Taveras | |
|---|---|
 Taveras with theRound Rock Express in 2022 | |
| Texas Rangers – No. 3 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born: (1998-09-08)September 8, 1998 (age 26) Tenares,Dominican Republic | |
Bats: Switch Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 24, 2020, for the Texas Rangers | |
| MLB statistics (through 2024 season) | |
| Batting average | .240 |
| Home runs | 38 |
| Runs batted in | 160 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Leody Taveras Salazar (born September 8, 1998) is a Dominican professionalbaseballoutfielder for theTexas Rangers ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). The Rangers signed him as an internationalfree agent in 2015, and he made his MLB debut in 2020. He won the2023 World Series with the Rangers.
Taveras signed with theTexas Rangers as an internationalfree agent in July 2015 for abonus of $2.6 million.[1] He made his professional debut in 2016 with theDominican Summer League Rangers and was later promoted to theArizona League Rangers andSpokane Indians that season.[2][3] In 73 total games between the three teams, he batted .271 with one home run, 33 RBIs and 18 stole bases. Prior to the 2017 season,Baseball America ranked him as the best prospect in the Rangers system.[4]
Taveras spent the 2017 season with theHickory Crawdads, where he posted a .249 batting average with eight home runs, 50 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.[5] Taveras spent the 2018 season with theDown East Wood Ducks of theClass A-AdvancedCarolina League, hitting .246/.312/.332/.644 with 5 home runs, 48 RBI, and 19 stolen bases in 132 games. Taveras was selected to the 2018All-Star Futures Game.[6] Taveras was ranked as the #47 overall prospect in baseball byBaseball Prospectus in their preseason 2019 Top 101 list.[7] Taveras was ranked as the #62 overall prospect in baseball byESPN'sKeith Law in his preseason 2019 Top 100 list.[8] Taveras was ranked as the #94 overall prospect in baseball byFangraphs in their preseason 2019 Top 130 list.[9]
Taveras was assigned back to Down East to open the 2019 season,[10] and hit .294/.368/.376/.745 with 2 home runs and 25 RBI in 66 games for them.[11] On June 20, he was promoted to theFrisco RoughRiders of theDouble-ATexas League.[12] With Frisco, Taveras hit .265/.320/.375/.695 with 3 home runs and 31 RBI.[13][14] Taveras was added to the Rangers 40–man roster following the 2019 season.[15]
Taveras made the Rangers Opening Day roster in 2020.[16] He made his major league debut on July 24, 2020, against theColorado Rockies. Taveras hit his first career home run on August 29, 2020, while playing against theLos Angeles Dodgers.[17] He finished the 2020 season hitting .227/.308/.395/.703 with 4 home runs, 6 RBI, and 8 stolen bases over 33 games.[18]
Taveras split the 2021 season between Texas and theRound Rock Express of theTriple-A West. With Texas he hit .161/.207/.270/.477 with 3 home runs, 9 RBI, and 10 stolen bases; with Round Rock he hit .245/.343/.475/.818 with 17 home runs, 55 RBI, and 13 stolen bases.[19]
Taveras once again split a season between Texas and Round Rock in 2022. With Texas he hit .261/.309/.366/.675 with 5 home runs, 34 RBI, and 11 stolen bases; with Round Rock he hit .294/.335/.485/.820 with 7 home runs, 29 RBI, and 7 stolen bases.[20]
Leody Taveras is a cousin of former outfielderWilly Taveras, who played seven seasons in Major League Baseball.[21]