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Rowdy Tellez

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Ryan John "Rowdy" Tellez (/təˈlɛz/ tə-LEZ;[1] born March 16, 1995) is an American professional baseball first baseman who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He has played for the Mexico national baseball team.

Rowdy Tellez
Tellez with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2020
Free agent
First baseman
Born: (1995-03-16) March 16, 1995 (age 29)
Sacramento, California, U.S.
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
MLB debut
September 5, 2018, for the Toronto Blue Jays
MLB statistics
(through 2024 season)
Batting average.234
Home runs105
Runs batted in319
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  Mexico
World Baseball Classic
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Miami Team

In 2013, Tellez was both a Baseball America and a Rawlings First Team High School All-American. He was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 30th round of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft. In 2015, Tellez was a Midwest League All-Star, and named to the Arizona Fall League (AFL) All-Prospect Team and an AFL Rising Star. The following year, he was named an Eastern League All-Star, an MiLB.com Toronto Blue Jays Organization All-Star, and a Baseball America Double-A All-Star.

He made his major league debut in 2018, and is the only player since 1913 to hit seven doubles in his first seven major league games.

Early life

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Born in Sacramento, California, he is the oldest child of Greg and Lori (née Bernick) Tellez.[2][3] He is Jewish.[4][5] Through 2022, he was 3rd in career home run frequency (17.46) on the all-time list of Jewish major leaguers (behind Hank Greenberg and Joc Pederson).[6] His father said of him before he was born: "We didn't know the sex and we didn't want to know, and we stayed away from calling him 'Baby' or 'It.' But he was so active in there, moving around all of the time in the womb, that we ended up calling him 'Baby Rowdy', and it stuck. Now he's just 'Rowdy', and that's how everybody knows him."[2][7] Tellez is of Mexican descent through his father, and his paternal grandfather played in the Mexican Baseball League.[8][9]

High school

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Tellez attended Elk Grove High School. There, he was a 2013 Baseball America High School All-American, 2013 Rawlings First Team All-American, and 2013 Rawlings/Perfect Game All-Region First Team – California.[10]

He was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 30th round of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft.[11] Entering the draft, Tellez was ranked as the 59th-best player available by Baseball America, but he was passed over for a number of rounds as he had accepted a scholarship to attend the University of Southern California.[12] He signed with the Blue Jays for an $850,000 signing bonus, which at the time was the most ever paid to a post-10th-round pick in the two years since the new draft rule was put in place.[10][11]

Professional career

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Minor leagues

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2013–15

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Tellez batting for the Dunedin Blue Jays in 2015.

Tellez was assigned to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Blue Jays for the 2013 season, and batted .234 with two home runs and 20 runs batted in (RBIs) in 34 games.[13] Baseball America rated him the best power hitter in the Blue Jays minor league organization.[14] He played most of the 2014 season with the Bluefield Blue Jays of the Appalachian League, and earned a late-season promotion to the Class-A Lansing Lugnuts of the Midwest League. In total, Tellez played 65 games in 2014, and batted .305 with six home runs and 43 RBIs.[13]

Tellez opened the 2015 season with Lansing, and was Midwest League Player of the Week for the week ended May 18.[13][15] He was named a Midwest League midseason All-Star.[15] At that time, he led the league in runs batted in, with 41.[16] Tellez was promoted to the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Advanced-A Florida State League in late June, and hit three home runs in his first four games with the team, earning a spot on MLBPipeline's Prospect Team of the Week and being named Florida State League Player of the Week for the week ended June 29.[17][15] He ended the 2015 season on the disabled list. Tellez set several career-highs in 2015, playing in 103 games and batting .289 with 14 home runs and 77 RBIs.[13] In the offseason, he played 21 games with the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, batting .293 and leading the team with four home runs and 17 RBIs.[18][19] He was named to the AFL All-Prospect Team, and AFL Rising Stars.[15]

2016–18

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Tellez was invited to Major League spring training in 2016.[20][21] He was assigned to the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats to open the 2016 minor league season.[22] Tellez was named an Eastern League mid-season All-Star, and one of 13 Full-Season Eastern League All-Stars.[23][15] Tellez had a stellar 2016 season, posting career-highs in almost every offensive category. In 124 games, he hit .297 (10th in the Eastern League) with a .389 on-base percentage (2nd), .530 slugging percentage (3rd), 23 home runs (4th), 63 walks (4th), 81 RBIs (6th), 71 runs (6th), and 29 doubles (tied for 8th).[13][24] He was named an MiLB.com Toronto Blue Jays Organization All-Star, and a Baseball America Double-A All-Star.[15]

Tellez was named the sixth-best first base prospect by Major League Baseball, and Toronto's 5th-best prospect by MLB Pipeline, heading into the 2017 season.[25][26] In spring training, Jays manager John Gibbons described him as being the closest prospect in the team's minor league system to being ready for the Major Leagues.[27] Tellez was assigned to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons in late March. In his first game for the Bisons, Tellez hit two home runs to lead the team to a 4–2 victory over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.[28] From that point on, however, Tellez struggled in Triple-A. In 122 games, he hit .222 with six home runs and 56 runs batted in.[13] On November 20, 2017, Tellez was added to Toronto's 40-man roster.[29]

Tellez began the 2018 season playing again for the Bisons.[30] He was ranked 29th on MLB's 2018 Top 30 Blue Jays prospects list.[31] He played in 112 games and hit .270/.340/.425 with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs.[13] On September 4, Tellez was called up by the Blue Jays.[32]

Toronto Blue Jays

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2018

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On September 5, 2018, Tellez made his Major League debut with the Blue Jays. In his first at bat, pinch hitting, he hit the first pitch he saw for a double against the Tampa Bay Rays.[33]

Over his first three career games, Tellez hit six doubles, becoming the first Major League player since 1913 to do so.[34] His six doubles represented the first time in the live-ball era that a Major League player debuted with three consecutive doubles, were the first time since Joe DiMaggio in 1936 that an American League rookie hit six doubles in a three-game span, and tied the record set by Chris Dickerson in 2008 for the most extra-base hits in a player's first three games.[34] Tellez then became the only player since 1913 to hit seven doubles in his first seven major league games.[35] In his first 40 plate appearances he had 10 extra base hits, tying former catcher Taylor Teagarden for the most by any ballplayer since 1913.[36]

For the 2018 season, he batted .314/.329/.614. He hit nine doubles, four home runs, and 14 RBIs in 70 at-bats.[37]

2019

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In 2019, Tellez made the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster.[38] On April 11, he hit a home run with a 115.2 mph exit velocity, the highest for a Toronto Blue Jays home run in the Statcast era (since 2015).[39] On April 23, he became the fifth-youngest Blue Jay of all time to hit a grand slam, at 24 years and 38 days.[39] He became the first player in Blue Jays history to hit 13 home runs in his first 65 major league games, and 17 home runs in his first 85 games.[39]

He played 26 games with Buffalo in 2019, batting .366/.450/.688 with 7 home runs and 21 RBIs in 93 at-bats.[40]

For the season with Toronto, he batted .227/.293/.449 with 21 home runs and 51 RBIs in 370 at-bats.[40] Tellez became the third rookie in Blue Jays history to hit 21 or more home runs, joining Eric Hinske (24 in 2002) and J.P. Arencibia (23 in 2011).[41] He hit a ball with an exit velocity of 115.2 mph, in the top 3% of the highest exit velocities of batted balls by major leaguers in 2019.[42][43]

2020

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Tellez playing first base in 2020.

In the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, Tellez batted .283/.346/.540. He hit eight home runs and 23 RBIs, with 20 strikeouts in 113 at-bats, as on defense he played error-free baseball.[44][45]

His strikeout percentage decreased 12.7% from the prior year, the greatest decrease among major league hitters.[46] Tellez drove in runs at a rate of 4.91 AB/RBI (10th-best in the AL).[42] On August 20 he hit a home run with an exit velocity of 117.4 mph, the highest for a home run by a Blue Jay in the Statcast era (since 2015), and the third-highest exit velocity of any batted ball for all major leaguers in 2020 (behind Pete Alonso (118.4) and Gary Sanchez (117.5)).[42][43]

Milwaukee Brewers

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2021

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On July 6, 2021, Tellez was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for pitchers Trevor Richards and Bowden Francis.[47]

In the 2021 regular season for the Brewers, Tellez batted .272/.333/.481. He hit 10 doubles, seven home runs, and 28 RBIs in 158 at bats.[45]

He hit a two-run home run in the first game of the 2021 NLDS off Charlie Morton, providing the winning margin as the Brewers went on to beat the Atlanta Braves 2–1.[48] He hit another two-run home run in Game 4, though the Brewers lost that game and the series to the eventual World Series champion Braves.

2022

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On May 4, 2022, Tellez set a Milwaukee Brewers record with eight RBIs in one game, doing so with a double and two home runs in an 18–4 win over the Cincinnati Reds.[49]

On May 8, 2022, Tellez received the NL Player of the Week Award.[50]

In 2022 he batted .219/.306/.461 in 529 at bats, with 35 home runs (5th in the NL), 89 RBIs, 9 intentional walks (4th), and 15.1 at bats per home run (3rd).[51] The maximum exit velocity of balls he hit was 116.9 mph, 7th-highest in major league baseball.[52] On defense, his .998 fielding percentage was second-best among NL first basemen, and the best in franchise history.[53]

2023

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On January 13, 2023, Tellez agreed to a one-year, $4.95 million contract with the Brewers, avoiding salary arbitration.[54] Though his season started off with him batting .244/.330/.500 and through the beginning of June and with 12 home runs in the first half, his production declined thereafter as he had only one home run in the second half after he spent six weeks on the injured list, first with right forearm inflammation and then with a torn fingernail and fractured left ring finger that required 17 stitches.[55][56][57][58] He pitched a scoreless ninth inning to close out a 16–1 away win over the Miami Marlins on September 22 which clinched a postseason berth for the Brewers.[59]

In the 2023 regular season he batted .215/.291/.376 in 311 at bats with 13 home runs and 47 RBIs.[51] His maximum exit velocity on batted balls, which was 114.8 mph, was in the top 6% of MLB batters for the fifth year in a row.[60] He played 76 games at first base, 20 at DH, and one as a pitcher.[51] He was non-tendered and became a free agent on November 17.

Pittsburgh Pirates

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On December 15, 2023, Tellez signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was worth $3.2 million, that with incentives could make it worth $4 million.[61][62]

He played in 131 games for the Pirates in 2024, slashing .243/.299/.392 with 13 home runs and 56 RBIs over 421 plate appearances, with a maximum exit velocity of 115.5 mph that was 20th-highest in MLB for the year, as on defense his .998 fielding percentage was second-highest among NL first basemen. He was at his best in the clutch, batting .302/.361/.547 in games that were late and close, and .351/.415/.460 when there were two outs and runners in scoring position.[63] Tellez was designated for assignment by Pittsburgh on September 24, 2024, and released the next day.[64] At the time, he was on the verge -- just 4 plate appearances short -- of receiving a $200,000 bonus for reaching 425 plate appearances in the season, and had batted .299 in July and August combined.[65][63]

International career

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Tellez played for Mexico in the 2023 World Baseball Classic as a designated hitter, slashing .280/.333/.440 including one home run and five RBI.[66] Tellez was also invited to play for Team Israel, as he and his mother were Jewish, but chose Mexico for various reasons, including logistical ones—the paperwork was all in order, and Mexico was in the pool that played in Phoenix, close to the Brewers’ spring training home, while Israel trained and played in Florida.[67]

Personal life

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Tellez's mother, Lori, was diagnosed with stage IV melanoma in late 2016 and later she battled brain cancer.[68] She died on August 18, 2018, just over two weeks before his major league debut.[69]

Tellez served as the officiant at former Blue Jays teammate Danny Jansen’s wedding in 2022.[70]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "MLB releases Blue Jays player name pronunciations list," Sportsnet, March 16, 2018, Retrieved April 2, 2019
  2. ^ a b Sanchez, Jesse (August 7, 2012). "At Area Code Games, Tellez making name known". MLB.com. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  3. ^ "Lori Bernick Tellez". Elk Grove Citizen. September 28, 2018.
  4. ^ Barancik, Scott (February 2, 2017). "Introducing slugger Rowdy Tellez, Jays' #9 prospect". Jewish Baseball News. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  5. ^ Shi Davidi (June 18, 2017). "How a chance encounter led Rowdy Tellez to a mentor and the Blue Jays," Sportsnet.
  6. ^ "All-Time Jewish Batting Leaders; Season and Career; Through 2022 season". Jewish Baseball News.
  7. ^ Pleskoff, Bernie (November 2, 2015). "Scouting profile: Rowdy Tellez". MLB.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  8. ^ Woodson, Brian (June 17, 2014). "Highly-touted Tellez has something to prove". Bluefield Daily Telegraph.
  9. ^ Rivera, Marly (April 26, 2019). ".@vladdyjr27 brought over teammate Rowdy Tellez (whose father is Mexican American) to meet his grandma, and he promptly thanked her for cooking for all of them! #VladdyDaypic.twitter.com/WmtIDw9I8n".
  10. ^ a b Wray, Michael (December 30, 2014). "2014 Toronto Blue Jays Top Prospects: #25 Rowdy Tellez". Jays Journal. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  11. ^ a b Davidi, Shi (May 1, 2015). "Farm Report: Hoffman, Tellez progress for Jays". Sportsnet. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
  12. ^ "Blue Jays sign 2013 draftees Rowdy Tellez, Jake Brentz at eleventh hour". Bluebird Banter. July 12, 2013. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g "Rowdy Tellez Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
  14. ^ Longenecker, Clint (December 13, 2013). "Toronto Blue Jays Top 10 Prospects". Baseball America. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  15. ^ a b c d e f "Rowdy Tellez Stats, Highlights, Bio". MiLB.com. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  16. ^ Goldberg-Strassler, Jesse (June 5, 2015). "Four Lugs named Midwest League All-Stars". milb.com. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
  17. ^ Mayo, Jonathan (June 29, 2015). "Twins trio, led by Sano, on Prospect Team of Week". MLB.com. Archived from the original on July 2, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  18. ^ "2015 Salt River Rafters Statistics". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  19. ^ "Salt River Rafters 2015 Individual Stats". MiLB.com. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  20. ^ "Blue Jays Invite 14 to Spring Training". Bluebird Banter. January 12, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  21. ^ "Ben Nicholson-Smith on Twitter". Twitter. March 12, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  22. ^ Rosenbaum, Mike (April 7, 2016). "Where the Blue Jays' Top 30 prospects are starting the season". MLB.com. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  23. ^ "Rowdy Tellez Named to E.L. All-Star Team". MiLB.com. August 27, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
  24. ^ "2016 Eastern League Awards and Leaderboards". Baseball Cube. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  25. ^ Rosenbaum, Mike (January 19, 2017). "2017 Prospect Watch: Top 10 First Basemen". MLB.com. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  26. ^ Chisholm, Gregor (January 12, 2017). "Could Tellez take Toronto's first-base reins in '17?". MLB.com. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  27. ^ Buffery, Steve (April 1, 2017). "Rowdy Tellez gives Blue Jays fans glimpse of future". Toronto Sun. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  28. ^ Arlington, Blake (April 8, 2017). "Bisons get Rowdy in Opening Day Win". MiLB.com. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  29. ^ Davidi, Shi (November 20, 2017). "Jansen, Tellez among players added to Blue Jays' 40-man roster". Sportsnet. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  30. ^ Tom Dakers (April 11, 2018). "Better know your Blue Jays 40-man: Rowdy Tellez," Bluebird Banter.
  31. ^ "MLB 2018 Prospect Watch". MLB.com. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  32. ^ "Tellez joins Blue Jays in latest wave of September call-ups". Sportsnet. September 4, 2018. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  33. ^ Macleod, Robert (September 5, 2018). "Blue Jays prospect Rowdy Tellez delivers RBI double in first MLB at-bat". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  34. ^ a b Chisholm, Gregor (September 8, 2018). "Rowdy Tellez hits 6 doubles in first 3 games". MLB.com. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  35. ^ Jason Rowan (September 13, 2018). "Rookie Rowdy Tellez records feat last done in 1913," Yardbarker.
  36. ^ Steve Buffery (September 22, 2018). "Where there’s Smoak, there’s defence. Is Tellez ready to unseat the veteran 1B?," Toronto Sun.
  37. ^ "Rowdy Tellez Stats," Baseball-Reference.com.
  38. ^ Sadler, Emily (March 28, 2019). "Blue Jays' Rowdy Tellez cracks 25-man Opening Day roster". Sportsnet. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  39. ^ a b c "Rowdy Tellez Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  40. ^ a b "Rowdy Tellez Minor, Fall & Winter Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  41. ^ "Tellez hits two solo HRs as Blue Jays beat Orioles 3–2". WTOP. September 25, 2019. Archived from the original on October 2, 2019. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  42. ^ a b c "Rowdy Tellez Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com.
  43. ^ a b "Statcast Leaderboard". Baseball Savant.
  44. ^ "Blue Jays' Rowdy Tellez: Progressing well from knee injury". CBS Sports. September 27, 2020.
  45. ^ a b "Rowdy Tellez Stats". Baseball-Reference.com.
  46. ^ "Statcast Year to Year Stats". Baseball Savant.
  47. ^ "Brewers get 1B Tellez from Jays for two pitchers". July 6, 2021.
  48. ^ "Braves vs. Brewers – Game Summary – October 8, 2021". ESPN.
  49. ^ McCalvy, Adam (May 4, 2022). "Brewers start new celebration ... just in time for Rowdy's record-setting game". MLB.com. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  50. ^ "MLB Major League Baseball Players of the Week". Baseball-Reference.com.
  51. ^ a b c "Rowdy Tellez Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com.
  52. ^ "Major League Leaderboards » 2022 » Batters » Statcast". FanGraphs.
  53. ^ "Rowdy Tellez Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com.
  54. ^ "2023 MLB Arbitration Tracker". MLBTradeRumors. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  55. ^ Jake Crouse (December 20, 2023). "Why Rowdy will fit right in with pesky Pirates". MLB.com.
  56. ^ "Brewers' Rowdy Tellez has surgery after hurting finger in accident, out 4 more weeks". NBC Sports. July 16, 2023.
  57. ^ "Pittsburgh Pirates: Three Moves That Will Pay Dividends In 2024". Rum Bunter. February 6, 2024.
  58. ^ Farkas, Brady (July 24, 2023). "Milwaukee Brewers Slugger Makes Early Progress in Recovery From Injury". Fastball.
  59. ^ McCalvy, Adam (September 22, 2023). ."Brewers clinch playoff spot with Tellez(!) on mound," MLB.com. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  60. ^ "Rowdy Tellez Statcast, Visuals & Advanced Metrics | MLB.com". Baseball Savant.
  61. ^ Crouse, Jake (December 17, 2023). "Rowdy Tellez, Billy McKinney, Edward Olivares join Pirates". MLB.com. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  62. ^ Gorman, Kevin (February 8, 2024). "Pirates by Position: Rowdy Tellez hoping to make 'big impact' in possible platoon at 1B". TribLIVE.com.
  63. ^ a b "Rowdy Tellez," mlb.com.
  64. ^ "Tellez, 4 PA's shy of $200K bonus, cut by Pirates". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 24, 2024. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  65. ^ Wells, Adam (September 25, 2024). "Rowdy Tellez Released by Pirates; Was 4 Plate Appearances Shy of $200K Contract Bonus". Bleacher Report. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  66. ^ "Team Mexico player statistics". MLB.com.
  67. ^ McCalvy, Adam (February 3, 2023). "Rowdy Tellez to play for Mexico in World Baseball Classic". MLB.com. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  68. ^ Armstrong, Laura (August 3, 2018). "Mom's cancer battle inspires Jays prospect Rowdy Tellez". The Star. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  69. ^ Lott, John (September 5, 2018). "Two weeks after his mom died, Blue Jays' prospect Rowdy Tellez is in the big leagues. In pain, he says, there is gain". The Athletic. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  70. ^ McCalvy, Adam; Matheson, Keegan (March 25, 2022). "Ex-teammate Tellez helps Jansen tie the knot". MLB.com. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
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