| Rougned Odor | |
|---|---|
 Odor with theTexas Rangers in 2017 | |
| Delfines de La Guaira – No. 12 | |
| Second baseman | |
| Born: (1994-02-03)February 3, 1994 (age 32) Maracaibo,Venezuela | |
Bats: Left Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 8, 2014, for the Texas Rangers | |
| MLB statistics (through 2023 season) | |
| Batting average | .230 |
| Home runs | 178 |
| Runs batted in | 568 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Rougned Roberto Odor (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈruɣneðoˈðoɾ]) (born February 3, 1994), nicknamed "Rougie", is a Venezuelan professionalbaseballsecond baseman for theNavegantes del Magallanes of theVenezuelan Major League. He has previously played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theTexas Rangers,New York Yankees,Baltimore Orioles, andSan Diego Padres.
Odor played for Texas’s minor league affiliates from 2011 until he was called up to the MLB team in 2014. The Rangers traded him to the Yankees in 2021 where he would be released following the season. He was later signed by the Orioles for the 2022 season.
Odor was born inMaracaibo, Venezuela, on February 3, 1994.[1] His first name is a combination of his grandfather's name, Douglas, and his grandmother's name, Nedia; in keeping with the family custom of giving boys names that begin with the letter "R", the "D" in Douglas was changed to an "R," yielding Rougned.[2]
His father, also named Rougned, playedcollege baseball for theUniversity of New Orleans.[3] He has a sister[4] and a younger brother, Rougned José Odor,[5] who signed with theTexas Rangers organization on February 19, 2015.[6] His uncle,Rouglas, played for eight seasons inMinor League Baseball for the Cleveland andMilwaukee Brewers organizations,[4][7] and was themanager of theAkron RubberDucks from 2019 to 2023.[8] Three of his uncles on his mother's side played baseball. All three played for theAguilas de Zulia in theVenezuelan Professional Baseball League, whileEduardo Zambrano also played in MLB for theChicago Cubs.[3]
Though raised in Maracaibo, he also visited his mother's family in the country during weekends. He spent time around horses, and he enjoystoros coleados, a sport involving horses.[9]
Odor began playing baseball at the age of two.[3] He played in the2009 World Youth Baseball Championship. He was named to the tournament's all-star team as asecond baseman.[10]
Odor signed with the Texas Rangers as an internationalfree agent in 2011, receiving a $425,000signing bonus.[8] The Rangers aggressively assigned him to theSpokane Indians of theLow–ANorthwest League. He was the youngest player in the Northwest League, and had a .262batting average on the season.[11] Odor was suspended for four games after starting a brawl during a game with the Vancouver Canadians.[12] In 2012, Odor batted .259 with theHickory Crawdads of theSingle–ASouth Atlantic League.[11]
Odor began the 2013 season with theMyrtle Beach Pelicans of theHigh–ACarolina League, where he had a .303batting average in 99games played.[1][13] In August 2013, Odor was promoted to theFrisco RoughRiders of theDouble–ATexas League.[14] Odor's emergence with the Rangers allowed them to tradeutility infielderLeury Garcia to theChicago White Sox forall-starright fielderAlex Rios that month.[13] He finished the season with a .305 batting average with 41doubles, sixtriples, 11home runs, and 78runs batted in in 130 games for Myrtle Beach and Frisco. The Rangers named Odor their minor league player of the year.[15]
The Rangers invited Odor tospring training in 2014.[15] He began the year with Frisco.[16][17]
The Rangers promoted Odor to the major leagues on May 8, 2014.[17] On May 9, againstBoston Red Sox pitcherClay Buchholz, Odor hit a single for his first major league hit. On May 12, againstHouston Astros pitcherBrad Peacock, Odor hit his first major league home run.[18] He hit his firstgrand slam on August 27, in a 12–4 decision against theSeattle Mariners. Odor was the youngest player in the MLB during his rookie season and helped the Rangers' second base problem even though they finished 67–95, the third-worst record in baseball that year.
Odor finished the year hitting a .259 batting average, 39 runs, 14 doubles, nine home runs, four stolen bases, and 48 RBIs in 386 at-bats over 110 games.[19] He was the youngest player in the American League, was 8th in the league in triples (7), and was 10th in caught stealing (7).[20]
Odor began 2015 as the Rangers' starting second baseman, but he struggled mightily, hitting .144 with one home run, nine RBIs, and 25 strikeouts to go with seven walks in 29 games. He wasoptioned to theRound Rock Express of theTriple–APacific Coast League on May 11.[21] However, upon his demotion, Odor found his stroke, beating up Triple-A pitching to a .352/.426/.639 slash with five home runs, 19 RBIs, and only 10 strikeouts to 12 walks in roughly the same number of appearances. On June 15, following an injury toDelino DeShields Jr.,[22] Odor was recalled to the Rangers, and in his return, promptly went 3-for-3 with two RBI against the Dodgers. Rougned proceeded to hit very hot in the month of June, hitting .391 with two home runs and nine RBIs and hit .319 with five home runs and 16 RBI in July.[23]
He ended the regular season hitting .261, with 16 home runs, 61 RBIs, and 54 runs scored.[24] He led all AL second basemen in errors, with 17.[20]
On May 15, 2016, Odor was involved in an on-field brawl, punchingJose Bautista in the face during the eighth inning of a game against theToronto Blue Jays after Bautista slid into Odor at second base during a double play. Odor first pushed and then swung at Bautista, hitting him squarely in the face.[25] There was speculation that this incident spilled over from the bad blood that resulted fromGame 5 of 2015'sAmerican League Division Series between the Rangers and the Blue Jays, a game that included Blue Jays fans throwing trash onto the field and Bautista flipping his bat emphatically after hitting the Blue Jays' go-ahead home run.[25][26] Odor received an eight-game suspension from MLB two days later for his actions that resulted in the brawl.[27] After an appeal, Odor's suspension was revised, eventually finalized at seven games.[28]
In 150 games, Odor finished the year with a .271 batting average, 33 home runs, 33 doubles, and 88 RBI. He walked in 3.0% of his at-bats, the lowest percentage in the major leagues, and had the lowest walks-per-strikeout ratio in the majors (0.14).[29] He saw the highest percentage of curveballs of all MLB hitters (16.0%).[30] He led all AL second basemen in errors, with 22.[20]
On October 9, Odor was charged with a throwing error which allowed the Toronto Blue Jays to score the winning run in the 10th inning of Game 3 of the ALDS, thus eliminating the Rangers despite holding the best record in the AL in 2016.
Before the 2017 season, Odor played for theVenezuelan national baseball team in the2017 World Baseball Classic.[31] On March 25, Odor signed a six-year extension worth $49.5 million. The deal was finalized on March 30.[32] In the Rangers' season opener against the Cleveland Indians, Odor hit two home runs in his first two at-bats of the season.[33]
For the 2017 season, he batted .204/.252/.397, had the lowest on base percentage of all qualified major league batters, and had the lowestbatting average on balls in play (.224) of all major league players.[34] For the third consecutive season he led all AL second basemen in errors, with 19.[20]
In 2018, Odor batted .253/.326/.424 with 18 home runs and 63 RBI.[20] He stole 12 bases, but led the American League in caught stealing, with 12.[20]
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In 2019, he batted .205/.283/.439/.721 with 30 home runs and 93 RBIs.[20][35] He led the American League with 178 strikeouts.[20] In 2019, on defense he led all American League second basemen in errors, with 15.[36]
In 2020, Odor batted .167/209/.413 with 10 home runs and 30 RBI. Odor only played in 38 games on the year because of the shortened season due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[37]
On March 29, 2021, Odor was informed that he had not made the Rangers'Opening Day roster.[38] He wasdesignated for assignment when the Rangers' set their Opening Day roster on April 1.[39]
On April 6, 2021, the Rangers traded Odor to theNew York Yankees forJosh Stowers and Antonio Cabello.[39] In July and August, he moved to third base for 23 games to fill in forGio Urshela.
The Yankeesdesignated Odor for assignment on November 19.[40] Odor was released by the Yankees on November 23.[41]
Odor signed a one-year contract with theBaltimore Orioles on November 30, 2021.[42] He struggled with the team in 2022, ending with a negative WAR.[43] He ended the 2022 season with the Orioles with a .207/.275/.357 slash line, 13 home runs, 53 RBI, and six stolen bases.
On March 1, 2023, Odor signed a minor league contract with theSan Diego Padres, receiving a non-roster invitation to spring training.[44] He had his contract selected on March 30.[45][46] In 59 games for the Padres, he batted .210/.306/.370 with 4 home runs and 18 RBI. Odor wasdesignated for assignment by San Diego on July 18, following the promotion ofTaylor Kohlwey.[47] On July 24, Odor cleared waivers and elected free agency.[48]
On January 20, 2024, Odor signed a one-year contract with theYomiuri Giants ofNippon Professional Baseball.[49] However, Odor was released on March 26, as he left the team just 3 days before Opening Day, despite the team wanting him to start in their minor league system after he finished the preseason with a .176 batting average across 12 games.[50][51]
On April 5, 2024, Odor signed a minor league contract with theNew York Yankees.[52] He did not play in a game for the Yankees organization before he was released on August 1.[53]
In 2025, Odor signed with the Navegantes del Magallanes of theVenezuelan Major League as a transfer from Águilas del Zulia.[54]
As part of the contract Odor signed in 2017, Rangers ownerRay Davis included a pair ofquarter horses. These are the seventh and eighth horses Odor owns.[9] Odor plans to build a ranch in theNorth Texas area, so that his family can move from Venezuela.[55]
