Alex Bregman

At 30 years old, Alex Bregman has this physical status:

High school career

Bregman attended Albuquerque's Academy. He primarily played catcher. Bregman led his high school team to the state championship as a freshman shortstop in 2009. He batted leadoff with three home runs, including one during the championship game that left Isotopes Park, the Dodgers' Class AAA team park. While he was a sophomore at the 2010 COPABE Pan American Baseball Championships in Lagos de Mareno, Mexico, he batted.564 for the gold-medal-winning 16-and-under USA National Team, and he was named MVP. He was the first high school player to win the USA Baseball Richard W. "Dick" Case Player of the Year Award in 1996 at the age of 16.

In 2011, Bregman batted.678 as a junior in high school and set a season record in New Mexico with 19 home runs. Bregman was named first team All-State and was given All-Metro and All-District awards. He led the 18-and-under U.S. National Team to a gold medal at the International Baseball Federation World Championships in the fall of that year.

Bregman was expected to be a first-round draft pick out of high school. But the 'change' came as he shattered the second knuckle on his right (throwing) hand in the fifth game of his high school senior season, when he used his bare hand to deflect a bad hop on a ground ball. He missed the bulk of his senior season due to his injury. Since making it clear that he would not sign with any club until it picked him in the first round, the Boston Red Sox drafted him as a second baseman in the 2012 Major League Baseball Draft. He did not sign with the Red Sox because he did not want to. Rather, he opted to attend LSU.

College career

Bregman, a sports administrator at LSU, majored in sports administration. In the Southeast Conference, he also played shortstop for the LSU Tigers baseball team in the Southeastern Conference. (SEC). In the first round of the 2012 draft, he ranked number 30 as a freshman, reflecting the 30 teams that had lost.

In 2013, he batted.369(5th in the SEC), 104 at bats (3rd in the SEC), six homers, 52 RBIs (seventh in the SEC), and 16 steals (8th in the SEC) in 171 at bats, his second in the country) in 282 at bats (4th in the SEC), 13 runs (4th in the SEC), 78 runs (4th in the SEC) in 17170 runs (second in SEC) in SEC) in 81(546(5th) in (5) in 417369(SEC), 11221 (leading the SEC), 5th (SEC), 112 (5th in the SEC) in (5) in the SEC) in SEC) in 13 runs (6th in SEC) in batting streak (SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in 13 runs (4th), 14th in the SEC) in the SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in 2013/SEC) in the SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in 2013 (SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in 2013 (SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in 2013 -SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) in SEC) with SEC) in SEC Bregman was named the country's best college shortstop by the 2013 Brooks Wallace Award. He was also selected by Baseball America, the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), Perfect Game, and the Jewish Sports Review, and was also named first-team All-American by Baseball America, the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). In addition,, he was named 2013 National Freshman of the Year by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), and the league coaches selected him as the first-team all-SEC. In addition, he was named 2013 ABCA First-Team All-South, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Baton Rouge Regional Most Outstanding Player, Louisiana Freshman of the Week, and SEC Player of the Week (March 25, 2013), and member of the 2013 USA Collegiate National Team (for which he batted.361).

With 16 doubles, 6 home runs, 35 runs, 35 runs, 35 runs, and 12 stolen bases in 244 at bats, he batted.316/.397/.455 in 2014. Bregman was selected in the 2014 USA Collegiate National Team, second-team all-SEC, NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team, Second-Team All-Louisiana, and named to the 2014 USA Collegiate National Team. Aaron Nola, a teammate and a potential All Star in the Major Leagues, shared an apartment with him this season.

Bregman batted.312/.534 (tops in the SEC, tops in the SEC), 22 doubles (second highest steals in a season), 7 sacrifice flies (2nd), and the nation's No. 206 assists (leading the game) in 2015. 1-ranked baseball team made it to the College World Series, and the LSU Skip Bertman Award was given to the player who best captures the LSU baseball team's spirit. He was also named by the ABCA at shortstop, and the NCBWA named him as the first-team All-American by both Baseball America and the NCBWA for the second time, as well as second Team Collegiate Baseball.

He was one of four finalists for the 2015 Golden Spikes Award, which is given annually to the country's top college athlete and winner by outfielder Andrew Benintendi. In addition,, he was a candidate for the Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Award, which he had won in 2013.

Bregman batted.338/.412/520, with 66 strikeouts and 87 walks in 761 at bats in his 190 games at LSU.

Professional career

Bregman was praised for his sense of the strike zone, bat speed, and his ability to make frequent contact and strike out infrequently going into the draft. He was also praised for his excellent range to both directions, first-step quickness, and instincts at shortstop, strong arm, strong stamina, and smart baserunning.

In the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Houston Astros selected Bregman as the second overall pick in the second round. He was the fifth LSU Tiger to be drafted in the first round in seven years, and the second-most drafted position player in LSU's history, behind pitcher Ben McDonald (1989). He is the highest-drafted Jewish player from New Mexico, ahead of 9th-picked pitchers Jim Kremmel (1971) and Duane Ward (1982), and the second-highest-drafted Jewish player, behind Ron Blomberg (1967).

Rather than a shortstop, TV analyst and former big league second baseman Harold Reynolds said Bregman was projected as a major league second baseman rather than a shortstop. However, Bregman said he could play shortstop in the majors and that every club that contacted him leading up to the draft had done the same. "If you don't believe Alex Bregman can play shortstop at the Major League level, you don't know the first thing about baseball," LSU head coach Paul Mainieri said. Bregman will remain a shortstop, according to Mike Elias, the Astros' Director of Amateur Scouting, and he expects the Bregman to play shortstop through Houston's minor league system and into the major leagues. Jeff Luhnow, Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow, said that there was "no doubt" that Bregman had the capabilities to play shortstop.

In June 2015, Bregman signed with the Astros for a $5.9 million signing bonus. In late June, he made his professional debut with the Quad Cities River Bandits of the Class A Midwest League. The Astros named Bregman to the Lancaster JetHawks of the Class A-Advanced California League in late July. He batted a.294/.415/.415 in 272 at bats while playing shortstop for the two teams.

Bregman's first appearance with the AA Corpus Christi Hooks in the Texas League in 2016 was.297/.415(2nd in the league)/.559(3rd) in 236 at bats. On April 17, he was named Player of the Week by the league, and he was named a AA Mid-Star All-Star. He scored.333/.6401/1.015 in AAA with the Fresno Grizzlies in 18 games. In 80 games, he had 71 runs, 20 home runs, and 61 RBIs in 314 at bats, while playing 64 games at shortstop and 13.13 at third base.

Bregman was named Player of the Year by USA Today in 2016. Bregman was also named as the third baseman for the MLB Pipeline 2016 Prospect Team of the Year, and he was chosen as the third baseman for the MLB Pipeline 2016 Prospect Team of the Year. In addition,, he was named the 2016 Astros Minor League Player of the Year, ESPN.com Prospect of the Year, and a Baseball America Minor League All-Star.

The Astros acquired Bregman's contract from the Grizzlies on July 25, 2016, bringing him to their 25-man roster. He made his major league debut against the New York Yankees on the same day. He was the first position player from the 2015 Draft to make his Major League debut. Since being hitless in his first 17 major league at bats in five games, the Astros upgraded him to second in the batting order to give him better pitches and more confidence in him.

Bregman hit the Detroit Tigers in center field on July 31 with a single into center field. At Minute Maid Park on August 16, his first home run came at home, tying the game against the Cardinals in the first inning after a two-run home run to right field. He batted.264/.478 in 49 games for the 2016 season, his highest performance in the series was 8 home runs and 34 RBIs. His slugging percentage was the seventh-best of any Astros rookie all-time. Bregman played 40 games at third base and four at shortstop for his first base in the AL Rookie of the Year, Carlos Correa at shortstop.

Bregman, 20, began his 2017 baseball career as the youngest participant of Team USA in the World Baseball Classic (WBC), winning its first gold medal in the WBC by beating Puerto Rico 8–0 in the final. He was able to play for Team Israel, which finished sixth at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, as WBC rules permitted all Jewish ballplayers to play for the team, and he later said he may have "just] four at-bats" serving as a backup for Team USA.

At 23 years and four days old, he was the youngest third baseman on the team in history. Bregman scored his first major league grand slam off Masahiro Tanaka in a 10–7 victory over the Astros on May 14, 2017. Bregman tied for extra base hits in consecutive games at ten games on August 10, the first by outfielder Richard Hidalgo.

He batted.362/.475 for 39 doubles and five triples (the latter two were ninth in the AL), 19 home runs, 88 runs, 71 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases (tied for first place among all major league third basemen). His.331 batting average against left-handers was 9th in the AL. Bregman played third base mainly (132 games) and led AL third baseman in fielding percentage (.970, the fourth-highest fielding percentage by a third baseman in team history), while also playing 30 games at shortstop. Houston defeated the AL West division with a 102–61 record, advancing Bregman to his first major league playoff appearance.

During the 2017 season, Bregman was a key force for the Astros. In Game 4 of the ALDS, Chris Sale, his second off Sale in the series, tied the game 3-3 and lifted the Astros to a 5–4 victory over the Red Sox, propelling them to their first appearance in a Championship Series since 2005. Throughout the season, Bregman demonstrated his defensive abilities, but particularly during the ALCS against the Yankees. Bregman threw out Greg Bird at home on a chopper to third off Todd Frazier's bat in Game 7, with the Astros up 1–0 with Yankees on first and third in the top of the 5th. It was a game that culminated in the Astros' 4–0 win in the pennant-clinching match.

In Game 4 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bregman would shoot down Austin Barnes at the plate in the top of the 6th inning to keep a scoreless tie. The Bregman hit Kenley Jansen in the bottom of the 9th, but the Astros lost 6–2. Bregman's best contribution came during Game 5 when the Astros came back from two separate 3-run deficits to win by a single runner for the Astros in the 10th inning off Jansen, giving the Astros a 13–12 victory and a 3–2 series lead. It was Bregman's first walk-off hit in his career. In each of his first five World Series games, he became the second player to drive. The Astros won the World Series for the first time ever, and the Astros earned the series for the seventh time ever. With 4 home runs and ten RBIs, Bregman's first postseason was a success.

The Astros renewed Bregman's deal in 2018 for $599,000, an increase of $60,000. He was named AL Player of the Month in June after hitting.306/.723 in 108 at bats, with 11 home runs and 30 RBIs, a new Astros record for June). He became the second Astros third baseman to win the award, alongside Art Howe (May 1981). Bregman was also named AL Player of the Week for the week June 25-July 1, during which he batted.464/1.179 in 28 at bats, five home runs, and ten RBIs.

With 17 home runs, 57 RBIs, and 29 doubles, he was named to the 2018 MLB All-Star Game. In the 2018 Home Run Derby, Bregman was also selected to compete. Since being named the Astros' first All-Star Game MVP after he hit a go-ahead home run in the tenth inning off Ross Stripling in the 10th inning.

Bregman became the Astros' main focal point in the second half of the season, with injuries to Carlos Correa, George Springer, and José Altuve keeping all three of them out of the lineup for most of July and early August. Bregman was a keystone for the Astros' victory over a rough skid in which he batted.342 with 6 home runs and 18 RBIs. During this stretch, the Dugout Stare, a home run celebration that Bregman began performing during the 2017 postseason, became extremely popular among his colleagues and on social media. In a game against the Seattle Mariners on August 22, Tyler White hit a solo home run in the top of the 9th inning of a 10–7 victory. A large group of Astros, including Bregman, snapped a coordinated dugout gaze into the camera, resulting in the creation of their new team home run celebrations. Local Houston businesses and news outlets are among the current moment of high-profile social media buzz.

Bregman became the youngest Astro to reach 30 home runs in a season on September 8, at 24 years old. He recorded his 50th double of the season on September 12 as well as his 100th RBI and 100th run scored. Bregman was the first Astro to reach 100 RBIs in a season since Carlos Lee in 2009, and the first primary third baseman in Major League history to reach 50 doubles and 30 home runs in a season. In 2012, he became Albert Pujols' first player to reach 30 home runs and 50 doubles, as well as drive in 100 runs. He also extended his on-base streak to 39 games (the longest in team history since 1999), and tied Jeff Bagwell's franchise record of reaching base in 51 consecutive games (established in 2001).

He batted.394 (4th in the AL)/.532 (6th in the AL), 96 runs and 103 RBIs (each 5th in the AL), and a 15.1 at bats per strikeout (9th). With runners in scoring position, Bregman's highest slugging percentage in the major leagues and the second-best OPS (behind Mike Trout). He demonstrated plate discipline by being second in the American League in the lowest swinging strike percentage (20.0%) and third in contact percentage (88.5%), and the third in the major leagues in walks/strike out (1.13).

Bregman was a finalist for the Gold Glove Award at third base on defense. He was named the Astros' Most Valuable Player by the Houston chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. In the voting for the American League Most Valuable Player, Bregman came in 5th place.

Bregman batted.556, his.714 OBP, the third-highest in a division series, while his 1.333 slugging percentage was fourth-highest all-time.

Bregman underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips in his right elbow in early January 2019. On March 2, he returned to action in spring training.

Bregman and the Astros also agreed to a six-year, $100 million contract extension in March. The 2019 season, the three years he'd have been deemed eligible for arbitration, and the first two years he may have been a free agent. It was the second-highest season in club history. The deal was also the third-largest for a player with between two and three years in major league service time.

Bregman was voted the American League Player of the Month for August 2019.

He batted.296/.592 (tied for eighth-highest in Astros history), led the major leagues in walks (119; 6th-most in Astros history), and led the American League in terms of team wins (292; second-best in Astros history) and Wins Above Replacement ("WAR") during the 2019 regular season. In bats-per-home runs, Bregman ranked second in the AL in on base percentage (4.23), 3rd in home runs (41; 7th-most in team history), 4th in runs scored (118), 5th in bats-per-home runs (6.7), and 7th in overall games played (144), 6th in all seasons (139); 7th-most in Astros history); 8th in home runs (14th), and 9th in team history (81; 9th He had the lowest percentage of pitches outside of all major league batters' strike zone (18.8%). He was one of three major league players with at least 100 runs, 100 walks, and 100 RBIs, as well as Mike Trout and Juan Soto. He became the only Astros player to hit 40 or more homers in a season while only striking out fewer than 100 times, and joined Joe Morgan as the only Astros to have more walks and strike out fewer than 90 times in a season. He played 99 games at third base and 65 games at shortstop, including five on defense.

Bregman had a stellar ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2019 playoffs, batting.353/.647, three walks, and two RBIs. In the ALCS and first three games of the World Series, Bregman's bat batted ice cold, but he did not win with just one home run and three RBIs. In an 8-1 victory that tied the series at 2-2, Bregman broke out of his slump in Game 4 of the World Series by going 3-for-5 with a grand slam and 5 RBIs. In seven games, the Astros eventually lost the series.

He was named as the best offensive player in the league at third base by the end of the season. With 335 points (13 first-place votes and 17 second-place votes), Bregman placed second in the 2018 American League Most Valuable Player poll, with 335 points (17 first-place votes, and 13 second-place votes), with the two candidates ranked first and second on every ballot. He was named second member of the 2019 All-Member Team.

The Houston Astros' sign stealing case in late 2019 emerged, revealing that the Astros had illegally taken signs using technology in 2017 and 2018. The Astros organization was investigated and disciplined by MLB. Bregman appeared before the cameras at the Astros' annual fan festival in Houston in January 2020. "The commissioner made his report, made his decision, and the Astros made their decision, and I have no further comment on it," he said. On February 13, the Astros held a press conference at their spring training facility to discuss the scandal. "I am really sorry about the decisions made by my team, by the company, and by myself," Bregman said. I've learned a lot from this and I'd like to regain baseball fan's confidence. "I actually believe there were no buzzers, ever," Astros owner Jim Crane denied charges that Bregman and other Astros players wore buzzer bags in 2019, saying, "I don't even know where it came from."

The Seattle Mariners' Kendall Graveman scored his 100th home run on July 27, 2020.

Bregman batted.242/.451 with 6 home runs and 22 RBIs in 153 at bats in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He had the second-highest fielding percentage of all AL third basemen, at.979, and played 42 games at third base. He had the fourth-best career on-base percentage (.381), slugging percentage (.521), and OPS (.902) of all Astros batters through 2020, as well as the 8th-best career rate of at-home runs (19.6).

Bregman suffered his left quadriceps in a game against the Texas Rangers on June 16, 2021, when he attempted to prevent Bregman from crashing into a double play. At the time, he was batting.275 with seven home runs and 34 RBIs. He missed more than two months of the season due to the injury. He made the winning run against the Kansas City Royals on August 25, scoring his winning run against the Kansas City Royals.

Bregman batted.270/.422 in 91 games and 348 at bats in 91 games and 348 at bats, playing third base exclusively. The Darryl Kile Good Guy Award for 2021 was given to Bregman by the Houston chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA).

Bregman got off to a better postseason with José Altuve, Carlos Correa, and Yuli Gurriel, which were more postseason in major league history, than Yankees Derek Jeter, Tino Martinez, Paul O'Neill, and Bernie Williams, who had played in 68 games together, getting him off to a 78th World Series game.

On April 10, 2022, Bregman was named AL Player of the Week, his second weekly honor. He batted.429 (6-for-14) with two home runs, six RBIs, and a 1.286 OPS over the four games that made up MLB's Opening Weekend. Bregman scored three times, walked twice, and homered to help the Chicago White Sox win by 13–3. In a 2–1 Astros victory, his bases-loaded double in the third innings on June 30 against the Yankees provided the critical runs in a 2–1 Astros victory. Bregman's three hits, including a home run and a double, all contributed to the tense victory over Kansas City on July 5. Bregman registered for a two-run home run and added an RBI double to help Houston defeat the Mariners by 4–2.

On August 18, Bregman scored four runs in a career-high six runs over the White Sox, making it a 21-5 victory with 25 hits, tied for the second-highest scoring output and most hits in team history. On August 18, Bregman's 200th game appearance in the third inning was his 200th game to reach the threshold (765), beating teammate Altuve (804). Bregman batted.373/.667, with seven home runs, 26 RBIs, 11 bases on balls, and 11 strikeouts from July 27 to August 18.

Bregman was a hitter on August 23, with three hits and home run versus the Minnesota Twins. Bregman batted 362/.681 with nine doubles, seven home runs, 17 walks, and 27 runs scored over 27 games to earn AL Player of the Month awards in August. He was a.773 OPS in August. It was his third time he had been a monthly award. In a 12–3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on September 11, Bregman hit a grand slam that gave the Astros the go-ahead runs. It was his fourth grand slam and first since May 5, 2019. On September 19, Bregman doubled and ran in two runs against the Rays, delivering a 4–0 victory in the eighth AL West division title in over six seasons.

Bregman batted.366/.454 in 548 at bats (20th in the AL), 38 doubles (10th), 93 RBIs (8th), and 7.1 at-bats-per-strike out (9th) in 2022, while leading the AL with 10 sacrifice flies. He led the AL in the lowest percentage of balls outside of the strike zone, swung at (21.8%) and was 3rd in the AL in BB/SO ratio (1.13). He led all AL third basemen in assists and was second in putouts, double plays, and fielding percentage (.983).

In hit by pitch (45), ninth in home runs (140) and extra base hits (359), and 10th in doubles (204). He came in 10th on base percentage (.375) among all active ballplayers in career.

Bregman batted.333/.600 with one home run and three RBIs in 15 at bats during the 2022 ALDS. In Game 2 of the 2022 ALCS, he claimed his 14th home run in his career, beating Justin Turner for the most by a third baseman.

Source