| Wil Myers | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Myers with the San Diego Padres in 2021 | |
| Outfielder /First baseman | |
| Born: (1990-12-10)December 10, 1990 (age 35) Thomasville, North Carolina, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 18, 2013, for the Tampa Bay Rays | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 23, 2023, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .252 |
| Home runs | 156 |
| Runs batted in | 533 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
William Bradford Myers (born December 10, 1990) is an American former professionalbaseballoutfielder andfirst baseman. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theTampa Bay Rays,San Diego Padres, andCincinnati Reds.
Originally drafted by theKansas City Royals, he was traded to the Rays in 2012. He won theAL Rookie of the Year Award in 2013.
Myers attended and played baseball atWesleyan Christian Academy inHigh Point, North Carolina.[1] As a freshman, Myers had a .450 batting average and was an all-statethird baseman. During his junior year, he went 10–0 as apitcher. After committing to theUniversity of South Carolina, Myers was drafted by theKansas City Royals.[2] In 2008, his team won a state championship.[3]
Myers was drafted by the Kansas City Royals as acatcher in the third round, with the 91st overall selection, of the2009 Major League Baseball draft.[4][5] Myers signed a contract with the Royals, that included a $2 millionsigning bonus, in August 2009.[6] Before the draft, Myers had committed toSouth Carolina during his junior year.[3]
Myers made his debut in professional baseball in 2009, when he played catcher andbatted .369 with fivehome runs in 84at bats with Royals'Rookie League affiliates, theIdaho Falls Chukars and theBurlington Royals.[7] Myers began the 2010 season playing catcher for theBurlington Bees of theMidwest League and was named to the Midwest League All Star team.[8] On July 1, 2010, the Royals promoted Myers to theWilmington Blue Rocks of theCarolina League,[9] a league generally considered more advanced than those in which he had previously played. Myers played catcher and finished the 2010 season batting .315 with a .429on-base percentage overall, and totaled 14 home runs, 83runs batted in, and 85walks between his time in the Midwest League and Carolina League.[7] In 2011, playing for the Double–ANorthwest Arkansas Naturals, he batted .254 with eight home runs and 49 RBIs in 99 games.[10] He played primarily outfield in 2012, and was named to appear in the 2012All-Star Futures Game.[11]
On December 9, 2012, Myers was traded to theTampa Bay Rays (along withJake Odorizzi,Patrick Leonard, andMike Montgomery) in exchange forJames Shields,Wade Davis, and aplayer to be named later (later chosen to beElliot Johnson).[12] He started the 2013 season with the Triple-ADurham Bulls of theInternational League. On June 17, Myers was called up to the Rays, for whom he played outfield.[13]
Myers won theAL Rookie of the Year award in 2013, beating teammate and pitcherChris Archer andDetroitshortstopJosé Iglesias.[14] In spite of the fact he had not joined the Rays until their 70th game on June 18, Myers led AL rookies with a 53 RBIs in the 88 games he did play in. The last player to lead AL rookies in RBIs in fewer than 90 games wasHoot Evers playing for the Detroit Tigers in 1946, when he had 33 in 81 games, and also became the first-ever hitter to win the award in under 100 games.[15]
In the post-season, Myers had two singles in 20 at bats.[16]
Myers entered 2014 as the Rays' everyday right fielder. On May 4, Myers hit his first career inside-the-park home run.[17] During a game against theBoston Red Sox on May 30, Myers collided withDesmond Jennings while attempting to catch a fly ball, resulting in astress fracture in Myers' right wrist, which required a cast and significant rehab time.[18] Myers returned to the club on August 20, initially slotted as aDH before returning to the field.[19]
In 2014, he batted .222/.294/.320 with six home runs and 35 RBIs in 325 at bats.[16]
On December 19, 2014, the Rays traded Myers,Ryan Hanigan, andJose Castillo to theSan Diego Padres as part of a three-team transaction, in which the Padres tradedJake Bauers,Burch Smith, andRené Rivera to the Rays, the Padres tradedJoe Ross andTrea Turner to theWashington Nationals, and Washington tradedSteven Souza andTravis Ott to Tampa Bay.[20]
Myers was the Padres2015 Opening Day center fielder and manned the position through April and into May. Myers went on thedisabled list in early May withtendinitis in his left wrist, and missed a month. After returning for only three games in June, he went back on the disabled list as the wrist continued to bother him.[21] Myers returned from the DL on September 4 after a surgical procedure to shave down abone spur irritating thetendon.[22] Following his return, Myers began playingfirst base in addition to the outfield, withMelvin Upton Jr. andTravis Jankowski getting most of the starts in center after the trade ofWill Venable.[23]
In 2015, he batted .253/.336/.427 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs in 225 at bats.[16]
On January 17, 2017, Myers signed a six-year $83 million extension with the Padres.[24]
Myershit for the cycle on April 10, 2017, atCoors Field against theColorado Rockies. It was the second cycle in Padres history. On September 2, a commemorativebobblehead celebrating his accomplishment was handed out to fans at Petco Park.[25]
For the season, Myers continued to hit for power, hitting 30 home runs, and speed, stealing 20 bases. He tied for the National League lead inpower-speed number (24.0).[26] However, his consistency declined, as the season saw himstriking out 180 times, the second-highest total in the National League, with his batting average declining to .243, and him hitting just .222 withrunners in scoring position. On defense, he played almost exclusively first base.[10]
In early April, Myers suffered from nerve irritation in his right arm and was placed on the disabled list, and on April 28 he suffered a leftoblique strain and was again placed on the disabled list.[27] On July 7, Myers hit three homers in a 20–5 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 15-run loss was the first time in Major League history that a team had a player hit three home runs and go on to lose by double digits.[28] On August 4, he was placed on the disabled list with a bruised left foot.[29]
Myers was involved in a controversy in early September, when footage emerged during a live stream of teammateCarlos Asuaje playing the video gameFortnite involved Myers, chatting with Asuaje while playing, criticizing managerAndy Green. Myers apologized to Green and took responsibility for the remarks.[30]
He ended the season batting .253 with 11 home runs and 39 RBIs in 83 games. He played 41 games in the outfield, 36 at third base, and two at first base.[10] In his major league career through 2018, Myers played 329 games at first base, 248 games in the outfield, and 37 games at third base.[10]
Over the offseason before the 2019 season, the Padres signed star third basemanManny Machado,[31] which moved Wil Myers to the outfield. Due to the emergence of corner outfieldersFranmil Reyes andHunter Renfroe in 2018 while Myers was injured, he was also involved in trade rumors, but nothing materialized. On opening day, Myers hit the first home run of the Padres season.[32] On April 15, Myers hit his 100th career home run in a home loss to the Rockies. However, Myers would have a disappointing season, striking out 168 times (over 30% of his plate appearances) while batting .239 with only 18 home runs.[33]
Following the DFA ofRobbie Erlin on October 31, Myers became the longest-tenured Padre.
In the 2020 season shortened by COVID-19, Myers played in 55 of the 60 games and batted .288/.353/.606 with 15 home runs and 40 RBIs.[34]
On August 18, Myers hit a grand slam in a 6–4 road win against theTexas Rangers, which extended San Diego's grand slam streak to 2 games. Two days later, the Padres would make history as the first team in MLB history to hit a grand slam in four consecutive games.[35]
This year also marked the first winning season and first postseason appearance for Myers in San Diego, with the Padres making the playoffs for the first time since 2006 as the division second place team in the 16-team playoff format for 2020.[36] In six postseason games, Myers slashed .227/.346/.545 with two home runs and five RBIs; Myers hit both of his home runs in Game 2 of the2020 National League Wild Card Series, which was the first series that the Padres won since 1998 after they beat St. Louis in three games. They lost in the2020 National League Division Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-game sweep.[37]
Following the addition ofBlake Snell, Myers switched to number 5 for the first time in his career.[38]
In 146 games, Myers regressed to a .256/.334/.434 batting line, adding 17 home runs and 68 RBIs.[39]
Due to injuries and the midseason acquisition ofJuan Soto, Myers saw a drastic reduction in playing time, batting .261/.315/.398 with 7 home runs and 41 RBI in just 77 games. However, Myers left his mark off the field when he paid for $1,000 worth of drinks in downtown San Diego following Game 4 of theNLDS, in which the Padres stunned and eliminated the rivalLos Angeles Dodgers.[40] On November 7, 2022, the Padres declined their $20 million club option on Myers for the 2023 season and he became a free agent.[41]
Myers signed a one-year contract worth $7.5 million, $1.5 million in achievable incentives, and a mutual option for the 2024 season with theCincinnati Reds on December 22, 2022.[42] In 37 games for the Reds in 2023, Myers hit just .189/.257/.283 with 3 home runs and 12 RBI. After a stint on the injured list in which he dealt withkidney stones and a left shoulder sprain, Myers wasdesignated for assignment upon being activated on June 20, 2023.[43] He was released by the Reds on June 23.[44]
On December 22, 2024, Myers announced that he had retired from professional baseball after not playing in the 2024 season.[45]
On January 14, 2026, theSan Diego Padres announced that Myers had been hired as a special assignment coach for player development.[46]
Myers' parents are Eric and Pamela Myers.[47] He has a younger brother named Beau who pitched to him in the2016 Home Run Derby.[48] He married Maggie Reaves on November 3, 2018. During his tenure with the Padres, broadcasterMark Grant nicknamed him "El Gallo" ("The Rooster" in Spanish), due to his hairstyle.[49]
In November 2021, Myers and Carmel Country Club in Charlotte sued each other.[50] Carmel claims Myers owes the club $64,000 in initiation fees, and Myers is calling for more than $150,000 in damages, claiming that the club hides how difficult it is to get tee times.[51]
| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Hitting for the cycle April 10, 2017 | Succeeded by |
