Brent Rooker
Brent Rooker | |
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![]() Rooker with the El Paso Chihuahuas in 2022 | |
Oakland Athletics – No. 25 | |
Outfielder / Designated hitter | |
Born: Germantown, Tennessee, U.S. | November 1, 1994|
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
MLB debut | |
September 4, 2020, for the Minnesota Twins | |
MLB statistics (through August 24, 2024) | |
Batting average | .252 |
Home runs | 70 |
Runs batted in | 179 |
Teams | |
| |
Career highlights and awards | |
Terry Brent Rooker Jr. (born November 1, 1994) is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2020 with the Minnesota Twins and has also played for the San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals. He was selected to the 2023 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Amateur career
[edit]Rooker attended Evangelical Christian School in Memphis, Tennessee, and enrolled at Mississippi State University to play college baseball for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Rooker redshirted for the 2014 season. He played in 34 games in 2015, hitting .257/.325/.378 with two home runs and 12 runs batted in (RBIs). In 2016, he helped lead the Bulldogs to an Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship, hitting .324/.376/.578 with 11 home runs and 54 RBIs. In 2016, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and was named a league all-star.[1]
In 2017, Rooker was named Collegiate Baseball national Player of the Year[2] and SEC Player of the Year after leading the conference with a .387 batting average, 23 home runs, and 82 RBIs, winning only the second triple crown in SEC history, along with a .495 on base percentage, .810 slugging percentage, 30 doubles, and 18 stolen bases.[3] He also won the C Spire Ferriss Trophy, given to Mississippi's top college baseball player.[4][5]
Professional career
[edit]Minnesota Twins
[edit]The Minnesota Twins selected Rooker with the 35th overall selection of the 2017 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft. He signed with the Twins for a $1.935 million signing bonus.[6] Rooker was assigned to the Elizabethton Twins and was later promoted to the Fort Myers Miracle. In 62 games between both clubs, he batted .281/.364/.566 with 18 home runs, 52 RBIs, and a .930 OPS.[7]
Rooker spent 2018 with the Chattanooga Lookouts. He batted .254/.333/.465 with 22 home runs (2nd in the Southern League), 79 RBIs (leading the league), 32 doubles (tied for the league lead), and 150 strikeouts (4th) in 130 games.[8] He spent 2019 with the Rochester Red Wings,[9] earning International League All-Star honors.[10] Over 65 games, he hit .281/.398/.535 with 14 home runs and 47 RBIs.[5] After the season, on October 10, he was selected for the United States national baseball team in the 2019 WBSC Premier 12.[11] In the tournament he batted .300/.333/.800 with three home runs and five RBIs in 20 at bats.[12] He was named the best designated hitter in the tournament.[13]
On September 4, 2020, Rooker was promoted to the major leagues for the first time[14] and made his major league debut that day against the Detroit Tigers.[citation needed]
San Diego Padres
[edit]On April 7, 2022, the Twins traded Rooker, Taylor Rogers, and cash considerations to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Chris Paddack, Emilio Pagán, and a player to be named later.[15]
Kansas City Royals
[edit]On August 2, 2022, the Padres traded Rooker to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Cam Gallagher.[16] In 14 games for Kansas City, he batted .160/.276/.200 with 2 RBI. On November 15, Rooker was designated for assignment by the Royals.[17]
Oakland Athletics
[edit]2023
[edit]On November 17, 2022, Rooker was claimed off outright waivers by the Oakland Athletics. He earned a spot on the team out of spring training. On May 1, 2023, Rooker was named the AL Player of the Week after going 10 for 24 with 5 home runs and 11 RBIs from April 24 through 30.[18] In July, Rooker was named to the 2023 Major League Baseball All-Star Game as a reserve.[19] He was the team's sole representative.[20] Entering the game as a replacement to Randy Arozarena and playing left field, Rooker went 1-2 with a double.[21]
He led the A's in home runs (30), RBIs (69), OPS (.817), games played (137), at-bats (463), total bases (226) and strikeouts (172). He tied with Esteury Ruiz for the team-lead in hits (114). He led the American League in strikeout percentage (32.7%), while batting .246/.329/.488.[22]
2024
[edit]Rooker began the 2024 as the team's clean-up hitter on opening day. After hitting only .200 with 2 home runs and 16 strikeouts in his first eight appearances, Rooker was placed on the 10-day injured list on April 11, retroactive to April 8.[23] On May 6, Rooker was named the American League Player of the Week for April 29 to May 5.[24]
References
[edit]- ^ "#34 Brent Rooker - Profile". pointstreak.com. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
- ^ "2017 NCAA Div 1 Baseball All-Americans. Collegiate Baseball's All-Americans Announced". Collegiate Baseball. June 1, 2017. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
- ^ Sammon, Will (May 24, 2017). "Rafael Palmeiro rooting for Brent Rooker to capture Triple Crown". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
- ^ "Brent Rooker Claims 2017 C Spire Ferriss Trophy". HailSTate.com.
- ^ a b "Brent Rooker Amateur, College & Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
- ^ "Twins officially sign former college slugger Brent Rooker". Twin Cities. June 16, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
- ^ "Brent Rooker Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". Retrieved November 28, 2017.
- ^ "Brent Rooker Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ^ "Twins pitching on cruise control through first series | Duluth News Tribune". Archived from the original on April 6, 2019. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
- ^ "IL baseball: Rochester Red Wings post 19 runs for second time this month". Democratandchronicle.com. June 27, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
- ^ "USA Baseball Names Premier12 Roster". USA Baseball. October 10, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
- ^ "II Premier12 2019 - the official site - WBSC". premier12.wbsc.org. Archived from the original on November 17, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
- ^ "Japan's Seiya Suzuki leads amazing All World Team".
- ^ "Twins Place Max Kepler on Injured List, Promote Brent Rooker".
- ^ Park, Do-Hyoung (April 7, 2022). "Twins get Paddack, Pagán from Padres for Rogers, Rooker". MLB.com. MLB. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ Rieper, Max. "Royals trade Cam Gallagher to the Padres for outfielder Brent Rooker". RoyalsReview.com.
- ^ "The Royals made a flurry of roster moves on Tuesday. Here's why … and what it means". amp.kansascity.com. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
- ^ Adams, Steve (November 17, 2022). "A's Claim Brent Rooker Off Waivers From Royals". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
- ^ "Emotional Rooker earns first All-Star selection". MLB.com.
- ^ Burke, Jason (July 3, 2023). "A's Brent Rooker, All Star". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ "2023 All-Star Game Box Score, July 11". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Major League Leaderboards - 2023 - Batting". FanGraphs Baseball.
- ^ Willis, Kris (April 11, 2024). "Athletics place Brent Rooker on injured list, select contract of Max Schuemann". Athletics Nation.
- ^ "A's outfielder Rooker earns AL Player of the Week for power outburst". Yahoo Sports. May 7, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Mississippi State Bulldogs bio
- 1996 births
- Living people
- All-American college baseball players
- American League All-Stars
- Baseball players from Tennessee
- Brewster Whitecaps players
- Chattanooga Lookouts players
- Elizabethton Twins players
- Fort Myers Miracle players
- Gulf Coast Twins players
- Kansas City Royals players
- Major League Baseball first basemen
- Major League Baseball outfielders
- Minnesota Twins players
- Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball players
- Oakland Athletics players
- Sportspeople from Germantown, Tennessee
- Rochester Red Wings players
- San Diego Padres players
- St. Paul Saints players
- United States national baseball team players
- 2019 WBSC Premier12 players
- Southeastern Conference Athlete of the Year winners