Josh Rutledge
| Josh Rutledge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Colorado Rockies – No. 14 | |
| Shortstop | |
|
Born: April 21, 1989 Cullman, Alabama | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| July 13, 2012 for the Colorado Rockies | |
| Career statistics (through 2013 season) | |
| Batting average | .254 |
| Home runs | 15 |
| Runs batted in | 56 |
| Teams | |
| |
Joshua Alan Rutledge (born April 21, 1989) is an American professional baseball infielder with the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He won a state championship in high school before playing college baseball at the University of Alabama. Then, after a short stint in the minor leagues, he made his MLB debut for the Rockies in 2012.
High school
Rutledge attended Cullman High School, where he was a four-year starter on the baseball team. In 2006, he had a batting average of .436 with 5 home runs and 33 runs batted in (RBI). Cullman was the runner-up in the Class 5A state championship. In 2007, his senior season, Rutledge hit .454 with 12 home runs and 69 RBI, and he helped his team win the state championship. The Birmingham News and the Alabama Sports Writers Association named him the Class 5A Player of the Year.[1]
College
Rutledge then played shortstop for the University of Alabama team. In 2008, as a freshman, he started 61 games and led the team in batting average (.369), hits (99), runs scored (62), and stolen bases (16). He became the second freshman to ever lead the team in hitting.[1] From March 26 to May 10, he had a 28-game hitting streak, the third-longest in school history. In 30 SEC games, he batted .406, and his 56 hits led the league. The following season, Rutledge batted .305 with 5 home runs and 44 RBI. He was named to the All-SEC first team.[1]
Minor leagues
Rutledge was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the third round of the 2010 amateur draft, and he signed with the team on June 25.[2] That season, he played 11 games for the Northwest League's Tri-City Dust Devils, batting .128 with 4 RBI. The following season, he played for the Modesto Nuts of the California League. He batted .348 with 9 home runs and 71 RBI and was named the league's player of the week twice.[3][4] Rutledge was then moved up to the Tulsa Drillers of the Class AA Texas League in 2012. He hit .308 with 13 home runs and 35 RBI.[3]
Major leagues
Rutledge was called up to the major league Rockies in 2012 to play shortstop while Troy Tulowitzki was injured. Rutledge made his MLB debut on July 13. In his first 145 at bats, he batted .345 with 24 extra base hits. Towards the end of the season, he injured his quadriceps and batted .197 in September. He finished his first major league season with a .274 batting average, 8 home runs, and 37 RBI.[2][5][6]
Personal life
Rutledge was born to Tony and Cheryl Rutledge in Cullman, Alabama, on April 21, 1989. His older brother, Michael, won the 2002 state championship as a member of the Cullman High School baseball team. Josh is 6 feet, 1 inch tall, and weighs 190 pounds.[1][2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Player Bio: Josh Rutledge". rolltide.com. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Josh Rutledge Statistics and History". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Josh Rutledge Minor League Statistics & History". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
- ↑ 'S'§ionType=career&statType=1&season=2013&level='ALL' "Josh Rutledge". colorado.rockies.mlb.com. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
- ↑ Renck, Troy E. "Offseason work has Rockies' Josh Rutledge ready to challenge for starting job". denverpost.com. January 27, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
- ↑ "Josh Rutledge". espn.go.com. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
- Josh Rutledge on Twitter