| Alex Verdugo | |||||||||||||||
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_(cropped).jpg) Verdugo with theLos Angeles Dodgers in 2019 | |||||||||||||||
| Atlanta Braves – No. 8 | |||||||||||||||
| Outfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Born: (1996-05-15)May 15, 1996 (age 28) Tucson, Arizona, U.S. | |||||||||||||||
Bats: Left Throws: Left | |||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||
| September 1, 2017, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through April 27, 2025) | |||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .272 | ||||||||||||||
| Hits | 796 | ||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 70 | ||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 321 | ||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Alexander Brady Verdugo (born May 15, 1996) is an American professionalbaseballoutfielder for theAtlanta Braves ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for theLos Angeles Dodgers,Boston Red Sox, andNew York Yankees.
The Dodgers selected Verdugo in the second round of the2014 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut with the Dodgers in 2017, was traded to the Red Sox after the 2019 season, and was traded to the Yankees prior to the 2024 season. In 2017, Verdugo committed to represent the Mexican national team and was later called up for the2017 and2023 World Baseball Classics.[1][2]
Verdugo's father, Joe, is fromHermosillo,Sonora,Mexico.[3] His mother, Shelly, is fromMinnesota. Verdugo attendedSahuaro High School inTucson, Arizona.[4]
TheLos Angeles Dodgers selected Verdugo in the second round of the2014 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Dodgers, forgoing his commitment to playcollege baseball atArizona State University.[5] In 49 games for theArizona League Dodgers, he hit .347 and was awarded with post-seasonArizona League All-Star honors andBaseball America Rookie league All-Star honors. He was assigned to the Single-AGreat Lakes Loons of theMidwest League to start 2015.[6] He was selected to the post-season all-star team[7] after he hit .295 in 101 games.[8] Verdugo also received a late season promotion to the High-ARancho Cucamonga Quakes of theCalifornia League[9] where he played in 23 games and hit .385.[8] He also hit for the cycle in a game against theLancaster JetHawks on August 27.[10] He was named the organization's minor league player of the year.[11]
To start the 2016 season, Verdugo was promoted to the Double-ATulsa Drillers of theTexas League,[12] where he was selected as a starter for the mid-season all-star game[13] and named to the post-season all-star team.[14] He had a .273 batting average in 126 games for the Drillers and hit 13 home runs with 63 RBIs.[8] He was assigned to theGlendale Desert Dogs of theArizona Fall League at the conclusion of the season, and batted .140/.213/.233. Verdugo also played for theMexico national baseball team in an exhibition series in Japan in November[15] and in the2017 World Baseball Classic.[16] He began 2017 with theOklahoma City Dodgers and was named as a starter for the mid-seasonPacific Coast League all-star team[17] and chosen to represent the world team at theAll-Star Futures Game.[18] In 117 games for Oklahoma City, he hit .314.[8]
Verdugo was promoted to the majors for the first time on September 1, 2017.[19] He made his MLB debut as the startingcenter fielder that night against theSan Diego Padres and was hitless in three at-bats with one walk.[20] His first MLB hit was a single off ofClayton Richard of the Padres on September 2.[21] He hit his first major league home run on September 10 off ofAdam Ottavino of theColorado Rockies.[22] Verdugo was kept off the playoff roster that lost to theHouston Astros in the2017 World Series. He played in 16 games for the Dodgers in 2017 and had four hits in 23 at-bats, batting .174/.240/.304.[23]
In 2018, he was selected to represent thePacific Coast League at theTriple-A All-Star Game[24] and was also selected to the post-season all-star team.[25] He appeared in 37 games for the Dodgers, hitting .260[23] while spending most of the season with Oklahoma City, where he hit .329.[8]
On March 23, 2019, Verdugo was announced as a member of the 2019 Dodgers opening day roster.[26] He appeared in 106 games for the Dodgers, with a .294 batting average, 27 home runs and 44 RBIs.[23] He played center field whileA. J. Pollock was out with an injury[27] but lost playing time when Pollock returned.[28] Verdugo went on the injured list on August 6 with an oblique strain and later came down with a back injury during a rehab assignment.[29] The injury kept him out the rest of the season and the playoffs.[30]
On February 10, 2020, the Dodgers traded Verdugo,Jeter Downs, andConnor Wong to theBoston Red Sox in exchange forMookie Betts,David Price, and cash considerations.[31] During the start-delayed 2020 season, he was a regularcorner outfielder for Boston, appearing in 22 games in left field and 31 games in right field.[23] Overall with the2020 Red Sox, Verdugo batted .308 with six home runs and 15 RBIs in 53 games.[23] Of all qualified major league outfielders, Verdugo had the lowestfielding percentage, at .959.[32]
Verdugo began the 2021 season as a regular member of Boston's outfield, playing all three positions. He was placed on the paternity list on August 8, and returned to the team on August 13.[33] He played in 146 regular-season games for Boston, batting .289 with 13 home runs and 63 RBIs.[23] He also played in 11 postseason games, batting 13-for-42 (.310) as the Red Sox advanced to theAmerican League Championship Series.[23] Late in the season, Verdugo expressed his desire to become a two-way player, saying that he wanted to not be "Shohei Ohtani where he is starting and all that" but that he wanted to be a two-way player by the 2023 season.[34] Beginning in 2021, Verdugo started experiencing blistering, bleeding, scabbing and pain in his hands.[35]
Verdugo returned as a corner outfielder for Boston during 2022, appearing in 150 games in the outfield and two atdesignated hitter.[23] He batted .280 with 11 home runs and 74 RBIs.[23] At the end of the regular season, Red Sox managerAlex Cora highlighted Verdugo as a player who could improve for 2023, stating, “Yeah, he hit for average, but he can be a lot better baserunning, defensively."[36]
On January 13, 2023, the Red Sox and Verdugo reached agreement on a one-year contract, avoiding salary arbitration.[37] He batted .303 with five home runs and 31 RBIs through June 22, when he was placed on thebereavement list.[38] He returned to the team on June 27.[39]
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On December 5, 2023, the Red Sox traded Verdugo to theNew York Yankees forRichard Fitts,Greg Weissert, and Nicholas Judice.[40][41]
After struggling to start the 2024 season and continuing to experience the skin issues and pain which had been present in his hands since 2021, Verdugo submitted to anallergy test during theAll-Star break. It was determined that he was allergic to thecobalt andchromate in hisbatting gloves.[35] Verdugo played in 149 games for the Yankees in 2024, batting .233/.291/.356 with 13 home runs and 61 RBI.[42] After the season, he became a free agent.
On March 20, 2025, Verdugo signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with theAtlanta Braves.[43] He subsequently consented to being optioned to the Triple-AGwinnett Stripers to begin the season, in order to get in shape after missing spring training.[44] Verdugo joined the active roster on April 17.[45][46]
Verdugo and his partner, Yamille Alcala, have two sons, A.J. and Efrain, and a daughter, Alianna.[47][48][49]
