Alex Bregman
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Alexander David Bregman (born March 30, 1994) is an American professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system u ...
and
shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...
for the
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...
of
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
(MLB). As a high school sophomore at
Albuquerque Academy Albuquerque Academy is an independent, co-educational day school for grades 6-12 located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. It is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest
in 2010, Bregman became the first high school player to win the
USA Baseball USA Baseball is the national governing body for organized baseball in the United States, and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and the World Baseball Softball Confederation. The organization selects and trains the World Basebal ...
Player of the Year Award Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year (POY) . In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award. Association football In association football, this award is h ...
. As a junior the following year he batted .678, while setting a New Mexico season record with 19
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s. In three years of
college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
for
Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 n ...
(LSU), Bregman was voted the 2013 National Freshman of the Year by ''Baseball America'', won the 2013
Brooks Wallace Award The Brooks Wallace Award is an award given by the College Baseball Foundation (CBF) to the best college baseball shortstop of the year. The award has been given annually since 2004. Until 2008 the award was presented to the nation's most outstandi ...
as the country's best college shortstop, and was a two-time All-American. Toward the end of his junior year of college, he was selected by the
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...
with the second pick in the first round of the
2015 MLB draft Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music * Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak album ...
. Bregman made his MLB debut in 2016. He started 2017 as the youngest member of
Team USA The United States national team or Team USA may refer to any of a number of sports team representing the United States in international competitions. Olympic teams Additionally, these teams may compete in other international competitions such as ...
, which won the gold medal in the
2017 World Baseball Classic The 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, composed of 16 competing nations, held from March 6 to March 22, 2017. It was the fourth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. The first-round hosts ...
, and he ended the season winning the
2017 World Series The 2017 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2017 season. The 113th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National League (NL) champion Los Angeles Dodgers and th ...
with the Astros. He was named
MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
of the
2018 MLB All-Star Game The 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 89th Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The game was hosted by the Washington Nationals and was played at Nationals Park on July 17, 2018. It was televised nationally by Fox. The American Le ...
, and led the American League in doubles in 2018. In 2019 he was again an All Star, led the AL in walks and
WAR War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
, and received the 2019 American League
Silver Slugger Award The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball. These voters ...
at third base. Bregman is the all-time leader in postseason home runs (15) and runs batted in (47) for a third baseman in baseball history.


Early life

Bregman was born in
Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding i ...
, and raised in the Northeast Heights section. He is
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
, and was a member of Albuquerque's
Congregation Albert Congregation Albert is a Reform synagogue, located at 3800 Louisiana Boulevard NE in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was established in 1897. The synagogue is the oldest Jewish organization of continued existence in the state. History Formation and ea ...
growing up. At age 13–at the time, a head shorter than his mother–in his Bar Mitzvah speech he said: "I want to be a professional athlete who plays for the love of the game, never quits trying to give my best, and is a good role model for all of the kids who look up to baseball players."Ben Reiter (March 20, 2019)
"Almost Famous: The Astros' Alex Bregman Is Freshly Paid and Trying To Return Baseball to the Limelight,"
''Sports Illustrated''.
His father, Samuel Bregman, and his mother, Jackie Bregman (née De Oliveira), met in law school and are both lawyers. Sam Bregman also served as the chair of the
Democratic Party of New Mexico The Democratic Party of New Mexico (DPNM) is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is headquartered in Albuquerque and led by Chair Jessica Velasquez, Vice Chair Manny Crespin, Secretary Pamelya Herndon, and T ...
. He has two younger siblings, Jessica and Anthony (A.J.); his brother A.J. is also a baseball player, and was selected by the Astros in the 35th round of the
2018 MLB Draft The 2018 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft began on June 4, 2018. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order was determined based on the reverse order of the 2017 MLB season final standings. In a ...
. His father played baseball as a freshman for the
University of New Mexico Lobos The New Mexico Lobos are the athletic teams that represent the University of New Mexico, located in Albuquerque. The university participates in the NCAA Division I in the Mountain West Conference (MW) since 1999, after leaving the Western A ...
in 1982, a team for which his uncle Ben Bregman also played; they both originally moved to Albuquerque to play baseball for the college on baseball scholarships. His father was also a part owner, starting in 2006, of the
NBA Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA Dev ...
’s New Mexico Thunderbirds. His grandfather Stan Bregman was the son of
Russian-Jewish The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest pop ...
immigrants."Obituary for Bregman"
''Albuquerque Journal'', May 11, 2014.
His grandfather was general counsel for the Washington Senators from the late 1960s until the team moved to Texas in 1971 in a sale that he negotiated, and he helped the club sign Hall of Famer
Ted Williams Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily as a left fielder, for the Boston Red Sox from 193 ...
as the team's
general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
. His grandfather saw all of his games in high school. His great-grandfather Samuel "Bo" Bregman immigrated from Russia to Washington, D.C., around 1900 at age 11 to escape Russian
anti-Jewish pogroms Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...
, and ultimately married Sadie Hurwitz. He promoted
boxing card In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
s that featured, among others,
Joe Louis Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1934 to 1951. Nicknamed the Brown Bomber, Louis is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential boxers of all time. He re ...
,
Billy Conn William David Conn (October 8, 1917 – May 29, 1993) was an Irish American professional boxer and Light Heavyweight Champion famed for his fights with Joe Louis. He had a professional boxing record of 63 wins, 11 losses and 1 draw, with 14 wins ...
, and Bob Foster. He was also part of the ownership group with
George Preston Marshall George Preston Marshall (October 11, 1896 – August 9, 1969) was an American businessman best known for founding the Washington Commanders, an American football franchise belonging to the National Football League (NFL). He founded the team as ...
that moved the
Boston Redskins The Washington Commanders, an American football team belonging to the National Football League (NFL), have also played as the Boston Braves, Boston Redskins, Washington Redskins, and Washington Football Team. Founded in 1932, the team has won fi ...
to Washington, D.C., to become the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...
. Bregman began playing
tee-ball Tee-ball (also teeball, tee ball or T-ball) is a team sport based on a simplified form of baseball or softball. It is intended as an introduction for children aged 4 to 6 to develop ball-game skills and have fun. Description Tee-ball association ...
at age 4. In his first game, he turned an
unassisted triple play In baseball, an unassisted triple play occurs when a defensive player makes all three outs by himself in one continuous play, without his teammates making any assists. Neal Ball was the first to achieve this in Major League Baseball (MLB) under ...
by catching a
line drive In the sports of baseball and softball, a batted ball is a pitch that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either fair or foul, and can be characterized as a fly ball, pop-up, line drive, or ground ball. In baseball, a fou ...
, tagging a runner, and then stepping on second base. He was a
batboy In baseball, a batboy or batgirl is an individual who carries baseball bats to the players on a baseball team. Duties of a batboy may also include handling and preparing players’ equipment and bringing baseballs to the umpire during the game. ...
for the
University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...
baseball team, and in 2004 served as a batboy for a game against
Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
and his then-favorite baseball player,
Dustin Pedroia Dustin Luis Pedroia (born August 17, 1983) is an American former professional baseball second baseman who played his entire Major League Baseball career for the Boston Red Sox, from 2006 to 2019. He was a four-time All-Star, and won the Americ ...
. His best friend is Blake Swihart, who played for the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...
. Bregman and Swihart played travel ball together growing up.


High school career

Bregman attended
Albuquerque Academy Albuquerque Academy is an independent, co-educational day school for grades 6-12 located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. It is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest
. He primarily played
catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the cat ...
.James Moran (May 20, 2015
"Alex Bregman—Flipping the Script,"
, ''Tiger Rag''.
In 2009, Bregman led his high school team to a state championship as a freshman
shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...
. He batted leadoff, hitting for an average of .514 with three home runs, including one during the championship game that left
Isotopes Park Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park, previously known only as Isotopes Park, is a minor league baseball stadium located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is the home field of the Albuquerque Isotopes of the Pacific Coast League, the Tr ...
, the Dodgers'
Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...
team park. At the October 2010 COPABE Pan American Baseball Championships in Lagos de Mareno, Mexico, while he was a sophomore, he batted .564 for the gold-medal-winning 16-and-under USA National Team, and was named the MVP. That year, at the age of 16, he became the first high school player to win the
USA Baseball USA Baseball is the national governing body for organized baseball in the United States, and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and the World Baseball Softball Confederation. The organization selects and trains the World Basebal ...
Richard W. "Dick" Case Player of the Year Award. In 2011, Bregman batted .678 as a junior in high school, and established a season record in New Mexico with 19 home runs. Bregman was named first team All-State, and received All-Metro and All-District honors. In the fall of that year he led the 18-and-under U.S. National Team to a gold medal at the International Baseball Federation World Championships. Bregman was originally projected to be a first-round draft pick out of high school. That changed, however, when he shattered the second knuckle on his right (throwing) hand in the fifth game of his high school senior season, while using his bare hand to deflect a bad hop on a
ground ball In the sports of baseball and softball, a batted ball is a pitch that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either fair or foul, and can be characterized as a fly ball, pop-up, line drive, or ground ball. In baseball, a fou ...
. The injury made him miss most of his senior season. He was drafted by the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
in the 29th round of the
2012 Major League Baseball Draft The 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 4 through June 6, 2012, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Houston Astros, with the first overall pick, selected Carlos Correa from the Puerto ...
as a second baseman, after he made clear that he would not sign with any team unless it picked him in the first round. He elected not to sign with the Red Sox. Instead, he chose to attend LSU.


College career

At LSU, Bregman majored in sports administration. He also played shortstop for the
LSU Tigers baseball The LSU Tigers baseball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The team participates in the West Division of the Southeastern Conference. It ranks seventh overall with 18 College World Series app ...
team in the
Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities o ...
(SEC). He wore number 30 as a freshman, reflecting the 30 teams that had passed on him in the first round of the 2012 draft. In 2013, he batted .369(5th in the SEC)/.417/.546(6th) with 104 hits (second in the nation) in 282 at bats, with 18 doubles (3rd in the SEC), seven triples (leading the SEC), six homers, 52 RBIs (5th in the SEC), 59 runs (4th in the SEC), and 16 steals (8th in the SEC) in 17 attempts, and had a 23-game
hitting streak In baseball, a hitting streak is the number of consecutive official games in which a player appears and gets at least one base hit. According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is not necessarily ended when a player has at least 1 pla ...
. Bregman won the 2013
Brooks Wallace Award The Brooks Wallace Award is an award given by the College Baseball Foundation (CBF) to the best college baseball shortstop of the year. The award has been given annually since 2004. Until 2008 the award was presented to the nation's most outstandi ...
as the country's best college shortstop. He was also voted first-team
All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
n by ''
Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...
'', the
American Baseball Coaches Association The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) is the world's largest Amateur baseball in the United States, amateur baseball Manager (baseball), coaching organization. It was founded in 1945 as the American Association of College Baseball Coach ...
(ABCA), Perfect Game, and the '' Jewish Sports Review''. In addition, he was named the 2013 National Freshman of the Year by ''Baseball America'', ''
Collegiate Baseball ''Collegiate Baseball Newspaper'' (also known as ''Collegiate Baseball Magazine'' and ''Collegiate Baseball'') is an American publication based in Arizona that considers itself the "voice of amateur baseball" which has been published for over 40 ...
'', and the
National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) is an association of baseball writers, broadcasters, and publicists in the United States. It was founded in 1962. The NCBWA compiles a preseason ranking of the top 35 teams in the nat ...
(NCBWA), and was voted 2013 SEC Freshman of the Year and first-team all-SEC by the league coaches. Moreover, he was named 2013 ABCA First-Team All-South Region,
National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
(NCAA) Baton Rouge Regional Most Outstanding Player, Louisiana Freshman of the Year, and SEC Player of the Week (March 25, 2013), and named to the 2013 USA Collegiate National Team (for which he batted .361). In 2014, he batted .316/.397/.455 with 16 doubles, 6 home runs, 35 runs, and 12 stolen bases in 244 at bats. Bregman was voted 2014 second-team all-SEC, NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team, SEC All-Tournament Team, Second-Team All-Louisiana, and named to the 2014 USA Collegiate National Team. He shared an apartment that season with teammate and future fellow major league All Star
Aaron Nola Aaron Michael Nola (born June 4, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). Nola was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and played baseball alongside his older brother Austin. H ...
. In 2015, Bregman batted .312/.406/.534 with 59 runs (8th in the SEC), 22 doubles (tops in the SEC), 9 home runs, 49 RBIs, 7 sacrifice flies (2nd), 38 stolen bases (leading the SEC, and the second-most steals in a season in LSU history), and 206 assists (leading the conference), led the nation's No. 1-ranked baseball team to the
College World Series The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is an annual baseball tournament held in June in Omaha, Nebraska. The MCWS is the culmination of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divisi ...
, and won LSU's Skip Bertman Award, which goes to the player who best exemplifies the spirit of the LSU Baseball program. He was also voted the Rawlings Gold Glove winner at shortstop by the ABCA, and voted first-team All-American by both ''Baseball America'' and the NCBWA for the second time, First Team D1Baseball, First Team Perfect Game, and Second Team Collegiate Baseball. He was one of four finalists for the 2015
Golden Spikes Award The Golden Spikes Award is bestowed annually to the best amateur baseball player in the United States. The award, created by USA Baseball and sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association, was first presented in 1978. It is given to ...
, presented annually to the nation's top college player and won by outfielder
Andrew Benintendi Andrew Sebastian Benintendi (born July 6, 1994) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals and New York Yanke ...
. Also, he was a candidate once more for the Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Award that he had won in 2013. In 190 career games at LSU, Bregman batted .338/.412/.520, with 66 strikeouts and 87 walks in 761 at bats.


Professional career


Draft and minor leagues

Going into the draft, Bregman was lauded for his sense of the
strike zone In baseball, the strike zone is the volume of space through which a pitch must pass in order to be called a strike even if the batter does not swing. The strike zone is defined as the volume of space above home plate and between the batter's k ...
, bat speed, and ability to make frequent contact and strike out infrequently. He was also praised for his good range to both sides, first-step quickness, and instincts at shortstop, strong arm, good speed, and smart
baserunning In baseball, base running is the act of running from base to base, performed by members of the team at bat. Base running is a tactical part of the game with the goal of eventually reaching home base ( home plate) to score a run. Batters strive t ...
. The
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...
selected Bregman with the second overall selection in the first round of the
2015 MLB Draft Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music * Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak album ...
. He became the fifth LSU Tiger to be drafted in the first round in seven years, the highest-drafted position player in LSU's history, and the second-highest overall behind
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or dr ...
Ben McDonald Larry Benard McDonald (born November 24, 1967) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. The first overall pick in the 1989 MLB Draft, McDonald played for the Baltimore Orioles and Milwaukee Brewers from 1989 through 1997. Baseball career Col ...
(1989). He is the highest-ever-drafted player from New Mexico, ahead of 9th-picked pitchers
Jim Kremmel James Louis Kremmel (February 28, 1949 – October 12, 2012) was an American left-handed pitcher who spent two seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Texas Rangers (1973) and Chicago Cubs (1974). Born in Belleville, Illinois, on F ...
(1971) and
Duane Ward Duane may refer to: * Duane (given name) * Duane (surname) * Duane, New York, a US town * the title character of ''Duane Hopwood'', a 2005 film featured in the Sundance Film Festival * Duane Adelier, a main character of ''Unsounded'', a 2012 fantas ...
(1982), and the second-highest-ever drafted Jewish player, behind
Ron Blomberg Ronald Mark Blomberg (born August 23, 1948), nicknamed "Boomer", is an American former professional baseball player and minor league manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a designated hitter, first baseman, and right fielder. He played f ...
(1967). TV analyst and former major league second baseman
Harold Reynolds Harold Craig Reynolds (born November 26, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player and current television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball as a second baseman from to , most prominently as a member of the Se ...
said he believed Bregman projected as a major league second baseman, rather than a shortstop. However, Bregman believed he could play shortstop in the majors, and said that every team that contacted him leading up to the draft had said the same. LSU head coach Paul Mainieri opined: "If you don't think Alex Bregman can play shortstop at the Major League level, you don't know the first thing about baseball." Mike Elias, the Astros' Director of Amateur Scouting, said Bregman would remain a shortstop, and that he thought Bregman would play shortstop through Houston's minor league system and into the major leagues. Similarly, Astros General Manager
Jeff Luhnow Jeff Luhnow (born June 8, 1966) is a Mexican-American former baseball executive and owner of Mexican club Cancún F.C. and CD Leganés of Spain. He worked for the St. Louis Cardinals in their scouting department from 2003 through 2011, before j ...
said that there was "no question" that Bregman had the skills to play shortstop. Bregman signed with the Astros in June 2015 for a $5.9 million
signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
. He made his professional debut with the
Quad Cities River Bandits The Quad Cities River Bandits are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Their home games are played at Modern Woodmen Park (formerly John O'Donnell Stadium) in Davenport, Iowa, on ...
of the Class A
Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganiza ...
in late June. In late July, the Astros promoted Bregman to the
Lancaster JetHawks The Lancaster JetHawks were a baseball team located in Lancaster, California. They were named for the city's association with the aerospace industry and played their home games at The Hangar. From 1996 to 2020, they were members of Minor League ...
of the
Class A-Advanced High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...
California League The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major L ...
. Playing shortstop for the two teams, he batted an aggregate .294/.366/.415 in 272 at bats. Bregman started 2016 with the AA
Corpus Christi Hooks The Corpus Christi Hooks are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and are named for the city's association with fishing. The team is owned by ...
in the
Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
, hitting .297/.415(2nd in the league)/.559(3rd) with 14 home runs and a .975 OPS in 236 at bats. He was named the league's Player of the Week on April 17, and was named a AA mid-season All-Star.Matthew Bartlett (July 24, 2016)
"Bregman Watch has Ended, the Astros Call Alex Bregman Up,"
Climbing Tal's Hill.
In AAA with the
Fresno Grizzlies The Fresno Grizzlies are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They are located in Fresno, California, and play their home games at Chukchansi Park, which was opened in 2002 in d ...
, in 18 games he hit .333/.373/.641/1.015. Between the two teams, in 80 games he hit .306/.406/.580 with 71 runs, 20 home runs, and 61 RBIs in 314 at bats, while playing 64 games at shortstop and 13 at third base. ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' named Bregman the 2016 Minor League Player of the Year. Bregman was also named MLB Pipeline 2016 Hitter of the Year, and was selected 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."Alex Bregman Stats, Fantasy & News,"
MLB.com.


Houston Astros (2016–present)


Rookie season (2016)

On July 25,
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
, the Astros purchased Bregman's contract from the Grizzlies, adding him to their
25-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, and ...
. He made his major league debut at third base against the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
that same day. He was the first position player from the 2015 Draft to debut in the Major Leagues. After he was hitless in his first 17 major league at bats through five games, the Astros moved him up to second in the batting order, to get him better pitches and demonstrate their confidence in him. Bregman recorded his first major league hit on July 31 against the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
, with a single into center field. His first home run came at home on August 16, tying the game against the Cardinals in the first inning with a two-run home run to right field at
Minute Maid Park Minute Maid Park is a retractable roof stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. It opened in 2000 as the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Houston Astros. It has a seating capacity of 41,168, which includes 5,197 club seats and 63 ...
. For the 2016 season, he batted .264/.313/.478 with 8 home runs and 34 RBIs in 49 games. His slugging percentage was the seventh-best of any Astros rookie all-time. With 2015 AL Rookie of the Year
Carlos Correa Carlos Javier Correa Oppenheimer Jr. (born September 22, 1994) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, who selected him first overall in ...
at shortstop, Bregman played 40 games at third base and four at shortstop.


World Series and World Baseball Classic champion (2017)

At age 22, Bregman started his 2017 baseball season as the youngest member of
Team USA The United States national team or Team USA may refer to any of a number of sports team representing the United States in international competitions. Olympic teams Additionally, these teams may compete in other international competitions such as ...
in the
World Baseball Classic The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is an international baseball tournament sanctioned from 2006 to 2013 by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and after 2013 by World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) in partnership with Major Leagu ...
(WBC), which won its first
gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have be ...
in the WBC by defeating
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
8–0 in the final. He had been invited as well to play for Team Israel which finished sixth at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, as WBC rules allow all Jewish ballplayers to play for the team, and he later said that in retrospect "I probably should've" played for Team Israel "because I got ustfour at-bats" playing as a backup for Team USA. He was the youngest
Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years ...
third baseman in team history, at 23 years and 4 days old. During the May 14,
2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
, game versus
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
at
Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the orig ...
, Bregman hit his first major league grand slam off
Masahiro Tanaka is a Japanese professional baseball player for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). From 2007 through 2013, he played for the Eagles in NPB. Tanaka was posted by the Eagles after the 2013 season to be ...
in a 10–7 Astros win. On August 10, Bregman tied the Astros' record for
extra-base hit In baseball, an extra-base hit (EB, EBH or XBH), also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire anot ...
s in consecutive games at 10 games, first accomplished by outfielder
Richard Hidalgo Richard José Hidalgo (born June 28, 1975) is a former professional outfielder. He played with the Houston Astros (1997–2004), New York Mets (2004), and the Texas Rangers (2005) of Major League Baseball (MLB). He batted and threw right-hand ...
. For the 2017 season, he batted .284/.352/.475 with 39 doubles and five triples (the latter two both ninth in the AL), 19 home runs, 88 runs, 71 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases (tied for the lead among all major league third basemen). His .331 batting average against left-handers was 9th in the AL. Bregman played third base primarily (132 games), and led AL third basemen in fielding percentage (.970; the 4th-highest fielding percentage by a third baseman in team history), while also playing 30 games at shortstop. Houston won the
AL West The American League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The division has five teams as of the 2013 season, but had four teams from 1994 to 2012, and had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams cur ...
division with a 101–61 record, thus advancing Bregman to his first career major league playoff. Bregman was a major force for the Astros throughout the 2017 postseason. His home run off
Chris Sale Christopher Allen Sale (born March 30, 1989) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Chicago White Sox, with whom he made his major league debut ...
, his second off Sale in the series, in the 8th inning of Game 4 of the
ALDS In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
tied the game 3-3 and jump-started the Astros' rally that led them to a 5–4 win over the
Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
and propelled them to their first appearance in a Championship Series since
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; " Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discover ...
. Bregman also showcased his defensive skills throughout the postseason, but especially during the
ALCS The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the two winners of the American ...
against the
Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
. In Game 7, with the Astros up 1–0 with Yankees on first and third in the top of the 5th, Bregman threw out Greg Bird at home on a chopper to third off the bat of
Todd Frazier Todd Brian Frazier (born February 12, 1986), nicknamed "The Toddfather", is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Texas Rang ...
to help preserve the lead. It helped lead the Astros to a 4–0 victory in the pennant-clinching game. Bregman would once again throw out a runner at home from third base in Game 4 of the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the Worl ...
against the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...
, when he gunned down
Austin Barnes Austin Scott Barnes (born December 28, 1989) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the Arizona State Sun Devils. Barnes was selected by the Florida M ...
at the plate in the top of the 6th inning to preserve a scoreless tie. Bregman also homered off Kenley Jansen in the bottom of the 9th, but the Astros ultimately fell 6–2. His biggest contribution came during Game 5 when, after a back-and-forth game in which the Astros came back from two separate 3-run deficits, Bregman hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning off Jansen to give the Astros a 13–12 victory and a 3–2 series lead. It was Bregman's first career walk-off hit. He became the second player to drive in a run in each of his first five World Series games, joining Amos Otis. The series lasted seven games, and the Astros won the World Series for the first time ever. Bregman finished his first postseason with 4 home runs and 10 RBIs.


All-Star Game MVP (2018)

In 2018 the Astros renewed Bregman's contract at $599,000 – an increase of $60,000. In June he was named AL Player of the Month, after batting .306/.372/.713 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, along with
Art Howe Arthur Henry Howe Jr. (born December 15, 1946) is an American former professional baseball infielder, coach, scout, and manager, who appeared as a player in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates (–), Houston Astros (–), and ...
(May 1981). Bregman was also named the
AL Player of the Week In Major League Baseball (MLB), the Player of the Week Award is given weekly during the regular season to two outstanding players, one each in the National League (NL) and American League (AL). The NL first awarded the honor during the season, an ...
for the week of June 25 – July 1, during which he batted .464/.516/1.179 in 28 at bats with five doubles, five home runs, and ten RBIs. Batting .284 with 17 home runs, 57 RBIs, and 29 doubles, he was named to the
2018 MLB All-Star Game The 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 89th Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The game was hosted by the Washington Nationals and was played at Nationals Park on July 17, 2018. It was televised nationally by Fox. The American Le ...
. Bregman was also selected to participate in the 2018 Home Run Derby. After he hit a go-ahead home run in the 10th inning off Ross Stripling, he was named the Astros' first All-Star Game MVP.Chandler Rome (November 1, 2018)
">"2018 Astros review: Alex Bregman,"
''Houston Chronicle''.
In the second half of the season, Bregman became the focal point of the Astros offense as injuries to
Carlos Correa Carlos Javier Correa Oppenheimer Jr. (born September 22, 1994) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, who selected him first overall in ...
, George Springer, and
José Altuve José Carlos Altuve (; born May 6, 1990) is a Venezuelan professional baseball second baseman for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Astros signed Altuve as an amateur free agent in 2007, and he made his major league debut ...
took all three of them out of the lineup for most of July and early August. Bregman helped carry the Astros offense through 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 had begun performing during the 2017 postseason, became popular among his teammates and on social media. In a game against the Seattle Mariners on August 22,
Tyler White Tyler may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tyler (name), an English name; with lists of people with the surname or given name * Tyler, the Creator (born 1991), American rap artist and producer * John Tyler, 10th president of the United ...
hit a solo home run in the top of the 9th inning of a 10–7 win. A large group of Astros players, including Bregman, performed a synchronized dugout stare into the camera, eventually becoming their new team home run celebration. The moment gained social media buzz with local Houston businesses and news outlets. On September 8, Bregman became the youngest Astro ever to hit 30 home runs in a season, at 24 years old.Sonny Shipp (October 31, 2018)
"LeMahieu, Bregman finalists for 2018 MLB Gold Glove Award,"
247 Sports.
On September 12 he picked up his 50th double of the season as well as his 100th RBI and 100th run scored. Bregman became the first Astro to log 100 RBIs in a season since Carlos Lee in 2009, and the first primary third baseman in Major League history to record 50 doubles and 30 home runs in a season. He also became the first player since
Albert Pujols José Alberto Pujols Alcántara () (); born January 16, 1980) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball first baseman, designated hitter and third baseman who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "The Machine ...
in 2012 to hit 30 home runs and 50 doubles, and drive in 100 runs. Bregman 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 on the road (established in 2001). For the 2018 regular season, he batted .286/.394 (4th in the AL)/.532 (6th in the AL) with 31 home runs and 51 doubles (leading the AL; the 3rd-most in Astros history), 83 extra base hits (2nd in the league), 96 walks (3rd), 105 runs and 103 RBIs (each 5th in the AL), 7.0 at bats per strikeout (9th), and a 15.1
power–speed number Power–speed number or power/speed number (PSN) is a sabermetrics baseball statistic developed by baseball author and analyst Bill James which combines a player's home run and stolen base numbers into one number.http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heism ...
(10th). Bregman batted .386/.488/.735 with
runners in scoring position In the sport of baseball, a baserunner is said to be in scoring position when they are on second or third base. The distinction between being on first base and second or third base is that a runner on first can usually only score if the batter ...
, the highest slugging percentage in the major leagues and the second-best OPS (behind
Mike Trout Michael Nelson Trout (born August 7, 1991) is an American professional baseball center fielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). Trout is a ten-time MLB All-Star, three-time American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MV ...
). He demonstrated plate discipline, as he was 2nd in the American League in lowest swinging strike percentage (4.3%) and O-Swing percentage (20.0%), and 3rd in contact percentage (88.5%), and 3rd in the major leagues in walks/strikeout (1.13). On defense, Bregman was a finalist for the
Gold Glove The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in b ...
Award at third base. The Houston chapter of the
Baseball Writers' Association of America The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) is a professional association for journalists writing about Major League Baseball for daily newspapers, magazines and qualifying websites. The organization was founded in 1908, and is known ...
named him the Astros' most valuable player. Bregman came in 5th in the voting for
American League Most Valuable Player The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) award given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers' ...
. In the
2018 American League Division Series The 2018 American League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series to determine the participating teams of the 2018 American League Championship Series. The three divisional winners, seeded first through third, and a fourth team—the Wi ...
Bregman batted .556, and his .714 OBP was the third-highest all-time in a division series, while his 1.333 slugging percentage was fourth-highest all-time.


Silver Slugger Award and All-MLB Second Team (2019)

In early January
2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, Bregman had
arthroscopic surgery Arthroscopy (also called arthroscopic or keyhole surgery) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure on a joint in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage is performed using an arthroscope, an endoscope that is inserted into the ...
to remove bone chips in his right elbow. He returned to action in spring training on March 2. In March, Bregman and the Astros agreed to a six-year, $100 million contract extension. The deal covered the 2019 season, the three years he would have been eligible for arbitration, and the first two years he could have been a
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who i ...
. It was the second-highest contract in club history. The contract was also the third-largest ever for a player with between two and three years of major league service time. Bregman was named the American League Player of the month for August 2019. For the 2019 regular season, he batted .296/.423/.592 (tied for 8th-highest in Astros history), led the major leagues in walks (119; 6th-most in Astros history) and walk-to-strikeout ratio (1.43), and led the American League in times on base (292; 9th-highest in team history) and
Wins Above Replacement Wins Above Replacement or Wins Above Replacement Player, commonly abbreviated to WAR or WARP, is a non-standardized sabermetric baseball statistic developed to sum up "a player's total contributions to his team". A player's WAR value is claimed to ...
("WAR"; 8.4; second-best in Astros history). Bregman was also 2nd in the AL in on base percentage (.423), 3rd in home runs (41; 7th-most in team history), slugging percentage (.592), and on base plus slugging percentage (1.015), 4th in runs scored (122; 9th-most in Astros history), 5th in RBIs (112), extra base hits (80; 8th-most in Astros history), and sacrifice flies (8), 7th in games played (156), 8th in at-bats-per-strikeout (6.7), and 9th in at-bats-per-home-run (13.5; 10th-best in team history). He swung at the lowest percentage of pitches outside the strike zone of all major league batters (18.8%). He was one of three major league players with at least 100 runs, 100 walks, and 100 RBIs, joining
Mike Trout Michael Nelson Trout (born August 7, 1991) is an American professional baseball center fielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). Trout is a ten-time MLB All-Star, three-time American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MV ...
and Juan Soto. He became the only player in Astros history to hit 40 or more homers in a season while striking out fewer than 100 times, and joined
Joe Morgan Joe Leonard Morgan (September 19, 1943 – October 11, 2020) was an American professional baseball second baseman who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Colt .45s / Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, ...
as the only players in team history to amass 100 or more walks and strike out fewer than 90 times in a season. On defense, he played 99 games at third base, and 65 games at shortstop. In the 2019 postseason, Bregman enjoyed an excellent
ALDS In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
against the
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
, batting .353/.450/.647 with two doubles, one home run, three walks, and two RBIs. Bregman's bat went ice cold in the
ALCS The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the two winners of the American ...
and first three games of the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the Worl ...
, though, as he struggled through a 4-for-31 (.129) slump with only one home run and three RBIs. Bregman broke out of his slump in Game 4 of the World Series by hitting 3-for-5 with a grand slam and 5 RBIs in an 8-1 Astros win that tied the series at 2-2. The Astros eventually lost the series to the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
in seven games. After the season, he received the 2019 American League
Silver Slugger Award The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball. These voters ...
at third base, as the best offensive player in the league at the position. Bregman came in second in the vote for 2019
American League Most Valuable Player The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) award given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers' ...
, with 335 points (13 first-place votes, and 17 second-place votes) as winner Mike Trout garnered 355 points (17 first-place votes, and 13 second-place votes), with the two players being listed first and second on every ballot. He was voted 2019
All-MLB Team The All-MLB Team is an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) honor given to the best players across both leagues at each position during the season. Selections to the first and second teams are determined by a fan vote and a panel consisting of media ...
Second Team.


2020

In late 2019, the
Houston Astros sign stealing scandal The Houston Astros sign stealing scandal resulted from a series of rule violations by members of the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB), who used technology to steal signs of opposing teams during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. For yea ...
broke, revealing that the Astros had illegally stolen signs using technology in 2017 and 2018. MLB investigated and punished the Astros organization. In January 2020, Bregman appeared before the media at the Astros' annual fan festival in Houston. He answered repeated attempts by reporters to have him address the scandal with variations of the same phrase: "The commissioner made his report, made his decision, and the Astros made their decision and I have no further comment on it." On February 13, the Astros held a news conference at their spring training facility to address the scandal. Bregman said, "I am really sorry about the choices that were made by my team, by the organization, and by me. I have learned from this and I hope to regain the trust of baseball fans." At that same news conference, Astros owner
Jim Crane James Robert Crane (born January 17, 1954) is an American businessman from Houston, Texas. Crane is chairman and chief executive of Crane Capital Group, Crane Worldwide Logistics, and Crane Freight and Shipping. He is also the owner and chairm ...
denied allegations that Bregman and other Astros players wore buzzer devices in
2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, saying, "I truly believe there were no buzzers, ever, and I don't even know where that came from." On July 27, 2020, Bregman hit his 100th career home run, off
Kendall Graveman Kendall Chase Graveman (born December 21, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Marin ...
of the
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion ...
. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Bregman batted .242/.350/.451 with 6 home runs and 22 RBIs, in 153 at bats. On defense he had the second-highest fielding percentage of all AL third basemen, at .979, and played 42 games at third base. Through 2020 he had the fourth-highest career on-base percentage (.381), slugging percentage (.521), and OPS (.902) of all Astros batters, and the 8th-best career rate of at-bats-per-home-run (19.6).


2021

On June 16,
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
, Bregman strained his left
quadriceps The quadriceps femoris muscle (, also called the quadriceps extensor, quadriceps or quads) is a large muscle group that includes the four prevailing muscles on the front of the thigh. It is the sole extensor muscle of the knee, forming a large ...
in a game versus the Texas Rangers, as he attempted to avoid hitting into a double play. He was batting .275 with seven home runs and 34 RBIs at the time. The injury caused him to miss over two months of the season. He returned August 25, scoring the winning run versus the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
. In the regular season, Bregman batted .270/.355/.422 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs in 91 games and 348 at bats, playing third base exclusively. For his meritorious character and service to the community, the
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...
chapter of the
Baseball Writers' Association of America The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) is a professional association for journalists writing about Major League Baseball for daily newspapers, magazines and qualifying websites. The organization was founded in 1908, and is known ...
(BBWAA) honored Bregman with the
Darryl Kile Darryl Andrew Kile (December 2, 1968 – June 22, 2002) was an American professional baseball starting pitcher. He pitched from 1991 to 2002 for three Major League Baseball (MLB) teams, primarily for the Houston Astros. Kile was known for his shar ...
Good Guy Award for 2021. In Game 6 of the
2021 World Series The 2021 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2021 season. The 117th World Series was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Atlanta Braves and the American League (AL) champion H ...
, Bregman made his 73rd postseason start as part of the infield unit of
José Altuve José Carlos Altuve (; born May 6, 1990) is a Venezuelan professional baseball second baseman for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Astros signed Altuve as an amateur free agent in 2007, and he made his major league debut ...
,
Carlos Correa Carlos Javier Correa Oppenheimer Jr. (born September 22, 1994) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, who selected him first overall in ...
, and Yuli Gurriel, which was more postseason starts together than any quartet of teammates in major league history, surpassing the Yankees'
Derek Jeter Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees ...
,
Tino Martinez Constantino "Tino" Martinez (born December 7, 1967) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays from ...
, Paul O’Neill, and
Bernie Williams Bernabé Williams Figueroa Jr. (born September 13, 1968) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player and a musician. He played his entire 16-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the New York Yankees from 1991 through 2006. ...
, who had started 68 postseason contests together.


2022

Bregman was named AL Player of the Week on April 10,
2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
, his second career weekly award. Over the four games comprising MLB's Opening Weekend, he batted .429 (6-for-14) with two home runs, six RBIs, and a 1.286 OPS. Bregman drove in a career-high six runs versus the White Sox on August 18, both homering and doubling twice and scoring four runs to lead a 21–5 win with 25 hits, tied for both the second-highest scoring output and most hits in team history. His two-run double in the third inning of the game was the 200th of Bregman's career, setting a club record for fewest games to reach the threshold (765), surpassing that of teammate Altuve (804). Entering the month of August with a .773 OPS, Bregman batted 362/.452/.681 with nine doubles, seven home runs, 22 RBIs, 17 walks, and 27 runs scored over 27 games to win AL Player of the Month honors. It was his third career monthly award. On September 11, Bregman hit a grand slam that gave the Astros the go-ahead runs in a 12–3 win over the
Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...
. It was his fourth career grand slam, and first since 2019. Bregman doubled and drove in two runs on September 19 versus the
Rays Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (gra ...
to power a 4–0 Astros' win that clinched a fifth
AL West The American League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The division has five teams as of the 2013 season, but had four teams from 1994 to 2012, and had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams cur ...
division title over the previous six seasons. In 2022, Bregman batted .259/.366/.454 in 548 at bats with 93 runs (5th in the AL), 38 doubles (10th), 23 home runs, 93 RBIs (8th), 87 walks (2nd), and 7.1 at-bats-per-strikeout (9th), while leading the AL with 10 sacrifice flies. He led the AL in lowest percentage of balls outside the strike zone swung at (21.8%), and was 3rd in the AL in BB/SO ratio (1.13). Bregman was also one of two qualified batters in the majors to collect more walks than strikeouts while hitting at least 20 home runs, alongside Juan Soto. He was named a finalist for the 2022 Silver Slugger Award (3B). On defense, he led all AL third basemen in assists, and was second in putouts, double plays, and fielding percentage (.983). Bregman ended the season 8th on the Astros' all-time career list in hit by pitch (45), 9th in home runs (140) and extra base hits (359), and 10th in doubles (204). He was 10th among all active ballplayers in career on base percentage (.375). During the
2022 ALDS The 2022 American League Division Series (ALDS) were the two best-of-five playoff series in Major League Baseball (MLB) to determine the participating teams of the 2022 American League Championship Series. These matchups are: *(1) Houston Astr ...
, Bregman batted .333/.375/.600 with one home run and three RBIs in 15 at bats. In the
2022 American League Championship Series The 2022 American League Championship Series was the best-of-seven playoff between the two American League Division Series winners, the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees, for the American League (AL) pennant and the right to play in the 202 ...
, he batted a nearly identical .333/.375/.600 with one home run and four RBIs in 15 at bats. He hit his 14th career postseason home run in Game 2 of the
2022 ALCS The 2022 American League Championship Series was the best-of-seven playoff between the two American League Division Series winners, the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees, for the American League (AL) pennant and the right to play in the 202 ...
to move past
Justin Turner Justin Matthew Turner (born November 23, 1984) is an American professional baseball third baseman for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets and Los Angeles Dod ...
for most by a third baseman; his 43 career RBIs in the playoffs set a record as the most all-time by a third baseman. In the second game of the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the Worl ...
, Bregman hit a home run, setting the record for the most career World Series home runs by a third baseman, at six, in his 22nd career World Series game. It was also his 15th career postseason home run, tying him with
Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
. The Astros won the World Series, defeating the Philadlphia Phillies in six games, as Bregman earned his second
World Series ring A World Series ring is an award given to Major League Baseball players who win the World Series. Since only one Commissioner's Trophy is awarded to the team, a World Series ring is an individual award that players and staff of each World Series ...
; immediately after the series ended, it was revealed that Bregman had broken his finger late in the game, which might have meant he would've missed a potential Game 7. At any rate, he would prove fine to return before the 2023 season began.


Personal life

In January 2020, Bregman became engaged to Reagan Howard, and they married in December of that year. They reside in Houston year-round. Their son, named Knox Samuel, was born on August 1, 2022. With several Astros teammates of Latin descent, including
José Altuve José Carlos Altuve (; born May 6, 1990) is a Venezuelan professional baseball second baseman for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Astros signed Altuve as an amateur free agent in 2007, and he made his major league debut ...
, Yordan Alvarez, and Yuli Gurriel, Bregman consistently practices and improves his
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
-speaking ability. He began to study Spanish as a child in school in his hometown of Albuquerque, where nearly half of the population is Latino.


See also

*
Houston Astros award winners and league leaders This is a list of award winners and league leaders for the Houston Astros, an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL), having moved to the ...
* List of Jewish baseball players * List of Louisiana State University alumni *
List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders In baseball, a doubles is recorded when the ball is hit so that the batter is able to advance to second base without an error by a defensive player. In Major League Baseball (MLB), the leader in each league (American League and National League) ...
* List of people from Albuquerque, New Mexico


References


External links


LSU Tigers bioAlex Bregman Official Website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bregman, Alex 1994 births Living people American League All-Stars American people of Russian-Jewish descent Baseball players from Albuquerque, New Mexico Corpus Christi Hooks players Fresno Grizzlies players Houston Astros players Jewish American baseball players Jewish Major League Baseball players Lancaster JetHawks players LSU Tigers baseball players Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVPs Major League Baseball infielders Quad Cities River Bandits players Silver Slugger Award winners Sugar Land Skeeters players World Baseball Classic players of the United States 2017 World Baseball Classic players 21st-century American Jews