| Isiah Kiner-Falefa | |
|---|---|
 Kiner-Falefa with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2024 | |
| Pittsburgh Pirates – No. 7 | |
| 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 April 5, 2025) | |
| Batting average | .263 |
| Home runs | 34 |
| Runs batted in | 247 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Isiah Kiner-Falefa (born March 23, 1995), often abbreviated asIKF, is an American professionalbaseballutility player for thePittsburgh Pirates ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for theTexas Rangers,New York Yankees, andToronto Blue Jays.
Kiner-Falefa was born and raised inHawaii where he attendedMid-Pacific Institute inHonolulu. Out of high school, he was drafted by theTexas Rangers in the fourth round of the2013 MLB draft. After spending five seasons in the Rangersfarm system, Kiner-Falefa made his major league debut in April 2018. In 2020, he won the American LeagueGold Glove Award at third base. In 2020 and 2021, he led the Rangers in several statistical batting categories. Prior to the 2022 season, Kiner-Falefa was sent to theMinnesota Twins but was flipped to the Yankees the following day as part of a multi-player trade.
Kiner-Falefa attendedMid-Pacific Institute inHonolulu,Hawaii. He was drafted by theTexas Rangers in the fourth round of the2013 Major League Baseball Draft.[1]
He made his professional debut with theArizona League Rangers and spent all of 2013 there, batting .322 with 11 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in 41 games. In 2014, he played for the AZL Rangers,Hickory Crawdads, andSpokane Indians where he batted .246 with 16 RBIs in 79 games, and in 2015, he played with Hickory and theHigh Desert Mavericks, where he batted .296 with 40 RBIs in 98 games. Kiner-Falefa spent 2016 with theFrisco RoughRiders where he compiled a .256 batting average with 27 RBIs in 108 games.
Kiner-Falefa played numerous positions in the Rangers organization, includingshortstop,second base,third base andcatcher.[2][3][4] He played in 2017 with Frisco where he batted .288 with five home runs and 48 RBIs in 129 games.[5] The Rangers added him to their 40-man roster after the 2017 season.[6] He opened the 2018 season with theRound Rock Express, appearing in five games before being recalled to the major leagues for the rest of the season.
Kiner-Falefa made his Major League debut against theLos Angeles Angels on April 10, 2018.[7] On April 14, against the Houston Astros, he hit his first career home run.[8] Kiner-Falefa appeared in 111 games during his rookie season of 2018, hitting .261/.325/.357/.682 with 4 home runs and 34 RBI, while playing games atcatcher,third base,shortstop, andsecond base. He opened the 2019 season with Rangers in a catching tandem with veteranJeff Mathis.[9] Kiner-Falefa was placed on theinjured list on June 7, and recalled on August 2 in the role of utility infielder and third string catcher.[10] He finished 2019 hitting .238/.299/.322 with one home run and 21 RBI.
In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Kiner-Falefa hit .280/.329/.370 with 3 home runs and 10 RBI in 58 games. He was awarded theAL Gold Glove Award for third basemen.[11] Over 158 games in 2021, he hit .271/.312/.357/.670 with 8 home runs, 53 RBI, and 20 stolen bases.[12] He led the major leagues with 136 singles. Defensively, he moved to shortstop and led his position with 436 assists and 98 double plays.
On March 12, 2022, Texas traded Kiner-Falefa, along with pitcherRonny Henríquez, to theMinnesota Twins forMitch Garver.[13] One day later, Minnesota traded Kiner-Falefa, along withBen Rortvedt andJosh Donaldson, to theNew York Yankees forGary Sánchez andGio Urshela.[14][15] Kiner-Falefa finished the 2022 season batting .261 with four home runs and 48 RBIs in 142 games.[16]
During spring training in 2023, Kiner-Falefa competed withAnthony Volpe andOswald Peraza to be the Yankees starting shortstop.[17] Volpe won the starting shortstop job,[18] as the Yankees turned Kiner-Falefa into autility player.[19] On April 13, 2023, Kiner-Falefa made his pitching debut in the ninth inning during an 11-2 loss for the Yankees against theMinnesota Twins. His second pitch on the mound, 38 MPHeephus pitch, was the slowest tracked pitch in Yankees history.[20] On June 14, during theSubway Series against theNew York Mets, Kiner-Falefa stole home off pitcherBrooks Raley. He became the first Yankee player sinceDidi Gregorius on August 27, 2016, to steal home.[21] On June 22, Kiner-Falefa was sent out for his third career pitching appearance in the top of the ninth inning of a 10–0 blowout loss against theSeattle Mariners. In the bottom of the ninth, he became the first Yankees position player to pitch three times in a season.[22] He pitched a scoreless inning, recording his first strikeout (Eugenio Suarez). He was called to bat as the pitcher in the lineup, which resulted in a 2-run home run against relieverChris Flexen. Kiner-Falefa became the first Yankee to hit a home run as a pitcher sinceLindy McDaniel did so on September 28, 1972, the last season before theAmerican League's adoption of thedesignated hitter rule.[23] He batted .242/.306/.340 for the season.[24] He became a free agent following the season.
On December 29, 2023, Kiner-Falefa signed a two-year, $15 million contract with theToronto Blue Jays.[25][26] In 82 games for Toronto in 2024, he batted .292/.338/.420 with seven home runs and 33 RBI.
On July 30, 2024, the Blue Jays traded Kiner–Falefa to thePittsburgh Pirates in exchange forCharles McAdoo.[27][28]
Kiner-Falefa is ofSamoan,Hawaiian,Japanese andCaucasian descent.[29][30][31] He is the second cousin twice removed ofMajor League Baseball Hall of FamerRalph Kiner on his mother's side.[32] His grandmother was fromHiroshima,Japan.[31]
