Rougned Odor

Rougned Odor

Odor with the Texas Rangers in 2014
Texas Rangers – No. 12
Second baseman
Born: (1994-02-03) February 3, 1994
Maracaibo, Venezuela
Bats: Left Throws: Right
MLB debut
May 8, 2014, for the Texas Rangers
MLB statistics
(through October 4, 2015)
Batting average .260
Hits 211
Home runs 25
Runs batted in 109
Teams
Career highlights and awards
  • AL Player of the Week (Week of July 27th, 2015)

Rougned Roberto Odor (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈruɣneð oˈðor]; born February 3, 1994) is a Venezuelan professional baseball second baseman for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the team's minor league affiliates from 2011 until he was called up to the MLB team in May 2014.

Early life

Odor is from Maracaibo.[1] He played in the 2009 World Youth Baseball Championship. He was named to the tournament's all-star team as a second baseman.[2]

Career

Odor signed with the Texas Rangers as an international free agent in 2011, receiving a $425,000 signing bonus.[3] The Rangers aggressively assigned him to the Spokane Indians of the Class A-Short Season Northwest League. He was the youngest player in the Northwest League, and had a .262 batting average on the season.[4] In 2012, Odor batted .259 with the Hickory Crawdads of the Class A South Atlantic League.[4]

Odor at Minute Maid Park in August 2014.

Odor began the 2013 season with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League, where he had a .303 batting average in 99 games played.[1][5] In August 2013, Odor was promoted to the Frisco RoughRiders of the Class AA Texas League.[6] Odor's emergence with the Rangers allowed them to trade utility infielder Leury Garcia to the Chicago White Sox for all-star right fielder Alex Rios that month.[5] He finished the season with a .305 batting average with 41 doubles, six triples, 11 home runs, and 78 runs batted in in 130 games for Myrtle Beach and Frisco. The Rangers named Odor their minor league player of the year.[7]

The Rangers invited Odor to spring training in 2014.[7] He began the year with Frisco and was promoted to the major leagues on May 8.[8] On May 12, 2014, against Houston Astros pitcher Brad Peacock, Odor hit a single for his first major league hit.[9] He hit his first grand slam on August 27, 2014, in a 12-4 decision against the Seattle 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. He finished the year hitting a .259 batting average, 9 homeruns, and 48 RBIs.[10]

Odor began 2015 as the Rangers' starting second baseman, but he struggled mightily, hitting .144 with 1 HR, 9 RBI, and 25 strikeouts to go with just 7 walks in 29 games, and he was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on May 11.[11] However, upon his demotion, Odor found his stroke, beating up Triple-A pitching to a .352/.426/.639 slash with 5 HR, 19 RBI, and only 10 strikeouts to 12 walks in roughly the same amount of appearances. On June 15, following an injury to Delino DeShields, Jr.,[12] Odor was recalled to the Rangers, and in his return, promply went 3-3 with 2 RBI against the Dodgers. Rougned proceeded to hit very hot in the month of June, hitting .391 with 2 HR and 9 RBI and hit .319 with 5 HR and 16 RBI in July.[13] He ended the regular season hitting .261, with 16 home runs, 61 RBIs, and 54 runs scored.[14]

Personal

His uncle, Rouglas, is a hitting coach in minor league baseball with the Akron RubberDucks.[3] On February 19, 2015, Odor's younger brother, also named Rougned (middle name José), signed a contract with the Rangers.[15]

References

  1. 1 2 "Diario La Verdad - El zuliano Rougned Odor impacta en Doble A". Laverdad.com. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  2. ↑ Sedgman, Cassandra (August 24, 2009). "Guy Edmunds named in AA World All-Star Team". Australian Baseball Federation. Archived from the original on September 8, 2009. Retrieved August 24, 2009.
  3. 1 2 Evan Drellich / MLB.com. "Rangers agree to deal with shortstop Odor | texasrangers.com: News". Texas.rangers.mlb.com. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  4. 1 2 SportsDayDFW.com. "Rangers prospect primer: 2B Rougned Odor rising quickly through Texas' system | Dallasnews.com - News for Dallas, Texas - SportsDayDFW". Dallasnews.com. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Odor's rise makes Garcia expendable | texasrangers.com: News". Texas.rangers.mlb.com. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  6. ↑ Wills, Todd. "Minors: Sardinas, Odor promoted to Frisco - Dallas Texas Rangers Blog - ESPN Dallas". Espn.go.com. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  7. 1 2 Grant, Evan (February 3, 2014). "Texas Rangers will bring second base prodigy Rougned Odor to big league spring training". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  8. ↑ http://rangersblog.dallasnews.com/2014/05/rangers-swap-out-2b-platoon-add-justin-germano-to-pitching-staff.html/
  9. ↑ Jaffe, Jay (May 13, 2014). "Rangers rookie Rougned Odor hits first MLB homer, fields ball with his jersey vs. Astros". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  10. ↑ Wilson, Jeff (27 August 2014). "Odor’s slam lifts Rangers to rout of Seattle". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  11. ↑ Jennings, Randy (May 11, 2015). "Struggling Rougned Odor optioned to Round Rock". ESPN.com.
  12. ↑ Grant, Evan (June 15, 2015). "Rougned Odor returns, Joey Gallo moves to left for Texas Rangers". Dallas Morning-News.
  13. ↑ d'Oliveira, Sean (June 15, 2015). "Rangers 2B Rougned Odor collects three hits in Monday's win". CBS Sports.
  14. ↑ Baseball Reference
  15. ↑ Brisbee, Grant (February 19, 2015). "Rougned Odor has a brother named Rougned Odor, and both Rougneds Odor are on the Rangers. Odor inow". sbnation.com. Retrieved February 19, 2015.

External links

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