| Isiah Kiner-Falefa | |
|---|---|
 Kiner-Falefa with thePittsburgh Pirates in 2024 | |
| Boston Red Sox – No. 2 | |
| Utility player | |
| Born: (1995-03-23)March 23, 1995 (age 30) Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 10, 2018, for the Texas Rangers | |
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | |
| Batting average | .262 |
| Home runs | 36 |
| Runs batted in | 286 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Isiah Kiner-Falefa (born March 23, 1995), often abbreviated asIKF, is an American professionalbaseballutility player for theBoston Red Sox ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for theTexas Rangers,New York Yankees,Toronto Blue Jays, andPittsburgh Pirates. Kiner-Falefa was selected by the Rangers in the fourth round of the2013 MLB draft and made his MLB debut with the team in 2018. He won theAmerican League (AL)Gold Glove Award as athird baseman in 2020.
Kiner-Falefa was born on March 23, 1995, inHonolulu, Hawaii.[1][2] Raised in Honolulu, he was introduced to baseball at the age of five by his grandfather. By the time he reached seventh grade, his talent was evident, prompting his parents to enroll him in travel teams to help him gain exposure through tournaments across theUnited States.[3]
Kiner-Falefa attendedMid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu, graduating in 2013. Recognizing theunderrepresentation ofPacific Islanders in baseball, he traveled toSamoa during this period to instruct children in the sport, reflecting his commitment to promoting youth baseball development.[3]
Kiner-Falefa was selected 130th overall by theTexas Rangers in the fourth round of the2013 MLB draft on June 7, directly out of high school.[4][5] Two days later, he signed a professional contract with the Rangers on June 9, and was assigned to theRookie-levelAZL Rangers on June 20, where he began his professional career. That day, Kiner-Falefa made hisMinor League Baseball (MiLB) debut, playing in an away game against theAZL Royals atSurprise Stadium inSurprise, Arizona.[6][7] He failed to record ahit in fourat bats, going 0-for-4, but reached base on afielding error to record onestolen base and onerun in a 9–4 victory over the Royals.[8] Kiner-Falefa finished the 2013 seasonbatting .322/.388/.356 with 11runs batted in (RBIs) in 41 games.[9][10] Defensively, he played thesecond base andshortstop positions throughout the season.[7]
In 2014, Kiner-Falefa played for three teams: the AZL Rangers, theShort-Season ASpokane Indians, and theClass AHickory Crawdads, batting a combined .246/.316/.287 with 16 RBIs in 79 games.[9][10]
In 2015, Kiner-Falefa split time between the Crawdads and theAdvanced-AHigh Desert Mavericks, batting a combined .296/.356/.341 with 40 RBIs in 98 games.[10][9]
In 2016, Kiner-Falefa primarily played for theDouble-AFrisco RoughRiders, with a brief three-game stint back with the AZL Rangers, batting a combined .252/.337/.282 with 28 RBIs in 111 games.[10][9] During the off-season, Kiner-Falefa played for theSurprise Saguaros in theArizona Fall League (AFL), batting .194/.350/.194 with three RBIs in 10 games.[10]
Kiner-Falefa remained with the RoughRiders in 2017, batting .288/.350/.390 with fivehome runs and 48 RBIs in 129 games.[10][9] After the 2017 season, the Texas Rangers added Kiner-Falefa to their40-man roster.[11]
Kiner-Falefa started the 2018 season with theTriple-ARound Rock Express, batting .200/.333/.200 with one RBI in five games before beingcalled up to the MLB by the Texas Rangers on April 10, where he remained for the rest of the season.[10][9] Throughout his minor league career within the Texas Rangers system, Kiner-Falefa demonstrated versatility by playing multiple defensive positions, includingcatcher,second baseman,third baseman, andshortstop.[12][13][14]
Kiner-Falefa made hisMajor League Baseball (MLB) debut on April 10, 2018, playing for theTexas Rangers in a home game against theLos Angeles Angels atGlobe Life Park inArlington, Texas.[15] Four days later, on April 14, he hit his first careerhome run in a game against theHouston Astros.[16] On June 20, he achieved a unique milestone by catching for pitcherAustin Bibens-Dirkx in a game against theKansas City Royals. This marked the first time in MLB history that both members of abattery hadhyphenated last names.[17] Kiner-Falefa finished the 2018 season batting .261/.325/.357 with four home runs and 34 RBIs in 111 games.[1][2] Defensively, he demonstrated positional versatility by playing as acatcher,second baseman,third baseman, andshortstop.
Kiner-Falefa began the2019 season sharing catching duties with veteranJeff Mathis.[18] He was placed on theinjured list on June 7 and was recalled on August 2 to serve as autility infielder and third-string catcher.[19] He finished the 2019 season batting .238/.299/.322 with one home run and 21 RBIs in 65 games.[1][2]
Kiner-Falefa finished thepandemic-shortened2020 season batting .280/.329/.370 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in 58 games.[1][2] He received his first career MLB award, theAmerican League (AL)Gold Glove Award, for his defensive performance as athird baseman.[20]
Kiner-Falefa finished the2021 season batting .271/.312/.357 with eight home runs and 53 RBIs in 158 games.[1][2] He led the MLB with 136singles.[21] Defensively, Kiner-Falefa moved toshortstop. He led the MLB with 436assists and led the shortstop position with 98double plays turned.[22]
Before the 2022 season, theTexas Rangers traded Kiner-Falefa with pitcherRonny Henriquez to theMinnesota Twins forMitch Garver on March 12, 2022.[23] The following day, the Twins traded Kiner-Falefa withBen Rortvedt andJosh Donaldson to theNew York Yankees forGary Sánchez andGio Urshela.[24][25] Serving as the Yankees' startingshortstop throughout the2022 season,[26] Kiner-Falefa finished the season batting .261/.314/.327 with four home runs and 48 RBIs in 142 games.[1][2]
During the2023 spring training, Kiner-Falefa competed withAnthony Volpe andOswald Peraza for the Yankees' starting shortstop position.[27] Volpe ultimately won the role,[28] and Kiner-Falefa transitioned into autility player.[29] On April 13, he made hispitching debut in the ninth inning of an 11–2 loss against theMinnesota Twins. Notably, his second pitch, a 38.5miles per hour (mph)eephus pitch, was the slowest pitch ever recorded in Yankees history during theStatcast era.[30] This record was subsequently broken byAustin Slater, anotherposition player who threw a 36.4 mph pitch during arelief appearance on September 10, 2025.[31] On June 14, during theSubway Series against theNew York Mets, Kiner-Falefastolehome off pitcherBrooks Raley, becoming the first Yankee to accomplish this feat sinceDidi Gregorius on August 27, 2016.[32] On June 22, he made his third pitching appearance of the season in the ninth inning of a 10–0 loss to theSeattle Mariners, marking the first time a Yankees position player pitched three times in a single season.[33] He pitched a scoreless inning and recorded his first careerstrikeout againstEugenio Suárez. Additionally, batting as a pitcher in the same game, he hit a two-run home run off relieverChris Flexen, becoming the first Yankee to homer as a pitcher sinceLindy McDaniel on September 28, 1972, the finalseason before theAmerican League (AL) adopted thedesignated hitter rule.[34] Kiner-Falefa finished the2023 season batting .242/.306/.340 with six home runs and 37 RBIs in 113 games.[1][2] Following the 2023 season, he became afree agent.
On December 29, 2023, Kiner-Falefa signed a two-year, $15 million contract with theToronto Blue Jays.[35][36] He began the2024 season with the Blue Jays, batting .292/.338/.420 with seven home runs and 33 RBIs in 83 games.[1][2]
On July 30, 2024, theToronto Blue Jays traded Kiner-Falefa to thePittsburgh Pirates forCharles McAdoo.[37][38] He played with the Pirates for the remainder of the2024 season, batting .240/.265/.322 with one home run and 10 RBIs in 50 games.[1][2]
Kiner-Falefa began the2025 season with the Pirates, batting .264/.300/.332 with one home run and 35 RBIs in 119 games.[1][2]
On August 31, 2025, theToronto Blue Jays claimed Kiner-Falefa offwaivers from thePittsburgh Pirates.[39] He played with the Blue Jays for the remainder of the2025 season, batting .233/.258/.367 with one home run and five RBIs in 19 games.[1][2]
InGame 7 of the 2025 World Series, with the Toronto Blue Jays andLos Angeles Dodgers tied 4–4 in the bottom of the ninthinning, Kiner-Falefa entered the game as apinch runner for Blue Jayssecond basemanBo Bichette, who was limited by a knee injury. With oneout and thebases loaded, Kiner-Falefa was onthird base when Blue JaysbatterDaulton Varsho hit aground ball to Dodgers second basemanMiguel Rojas. Attempting to score the potential championship-winningrun, Kiner-Falefa was forced out athome plate on aforce play. Although coaching instructed him to hold a closelead at third base to avoid a possibledouble play on aline drive, Kiner-Falefa faced criticism onsocial media after the game for taking only a small primary lead, especially since Dodgersthird basemanMax Muncy was positioned far from the base. He was also faulted for not taking a larger secondary lead while DodgerspitcherYoshinobu Yamamoto delivered thepitch. Additionally, Kiner-Falefa received criticism forsliding feet-first into home plate rather than running through it, a technique generally considered faster and more common on force plays similar to those atfirst base. Ultimately, the Dodgers won the game 5–4 inextra innings, and Kiner-Falefa was widely perceived as having possibly cost the Blue Jays thechampionship title.[40][41]
Following the 2025 season, Kiner-Falefa became afree agent.[42]
On February 10, 2026, Kiner-Falefa signed a one-year, $6 million contract with theBoston Red Sox.[43]
Kiner-Falefa is ofSamoan descent through his father and ofJapanese andWhite American descent, with traces ofPennsylvania Dutch ancestry, through his mother.[3] His maternal grandmother was fromHiroshima, Japan.[44]
Kiner-Falefa is the middle of three siblings. He has an older half-brother, Jaris, and a younger sister, Leka, who playedcollege volleyball for theNorth Texas Mean Green,UNLV Rebels, andChaminade Silverswords.[45]
Through his mother's lineage, Kiner-Falefa is thesecond cousin twice removed ofBaseball Hall of FamerRalph Kiner. Their shared ancestor, Mary McPherran Kiner ofMifflin County, Pennsylvania, was Kiner's great-grandmother and Kiner-Falefa's great-great-great-grandmother. Kiner-Falefa's maternal grandfather, John Kiner, attended theUniversity of Hawaii and chose to remain inHawaii rather than return to themainland; he often shared stories with young Isiah about his second cousin Ralph.[46]
Kiner-Falefa married Tayea Chun, a fellow Hawaii native, on December 21, 2024, in a wedding ceremony inKapolei, Hawaii.[47]
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