Isiah Kiner-Falefa (born March 23, 1995), often abbreviated as IKF, is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

utility player In sports, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently. Sports in which the term is often used include association football, basketball, American football, baseball, rugby union, rugby league, softball, ice hockey, and water ...

for the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Texas Rangers,

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

, and

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

. Kiner-Falefa was born and raised in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

, where he attended Mid-Pacific Institute in

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

. Out of high school, he was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the fourth round of the

2013 MLB draft The 2013 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. Each team received one selection per round, going in reverse order of t ...

. After spending five seasons in the Rangers

farm system In sports, a farm team (also referred to as farm system, developmental system, feeder team, or nursery club) is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful pl ...

, Kiner-Falefa made his major league debut in April 2018. In 2020, he won the American League

Gold Glove Award 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 (baseball), fielding performances. It is awar ...

at third base. In 2020 and 2021, he led the Rangers in several statistical batting categories. Prior to the 2022 season, Kiner-Falefa was sent to the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

but was flipped to the Yankees the following day as part of a multi-player trade. Kiner-Falefa signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in December 2023 and was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in July 2024.

Professional career

Minor leagues

Kiner-Falefa attended Mid-Pacific Institute in

. He was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the fourth round of the

2013 Major League Baseball Draft The 2013 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. Each team received one selection per round, going in reverse order of ...

. He made his professional debut with the

Arizona League Rangers The Arizona Complex League Rangers are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Texas Rangers, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Arizona. The team is composed m ...

and spent all of 2013 there, batting .322 with 11 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in 41 games. In 2014, he played for the AZL Rangers,

Hickory Crawdads The Hickory Crawdads are a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. They are located in Hickory, North Carolina, and play their home games at L. P. Frans St ...

, and

Spokane Indians The Spokane Indians are a Minor League Baseball team located in Spokane Valley, the city immediately east of Spokane, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest. The Indians are members of the High-A Northwest League (NWL) as an affiliate of the Co ...

where he batted .246 with 16 RBIs in 79 games, and in 2015, he played with Hickory and the

High Desert Mavericks The High Desert Mavericks were an American Minor League Baseball team in Adelanto, California, that played their home games at Heritage Field at Stater Bros. Stadium. They played in the Class A-Advanced California League. The franchise had eight d ...

, where he batted .296 with 40 RBIs in 98 games. Kiner-Falefa spent 2016 with the

Frisco RoughRiders The Frisco RoughRiders (often shortened to 'Riders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. Based in Frisco, Texas, the team is named aft ...

where he compiled a .256 batting average with 27 RBIs in 108 games. Kiner-Falefa played numerous positions in the Rangers organization, including

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...

second base In baseball and softball, second baseman, abbreviated 2B, is a fielding position in the infield, between second and first base. The second baseman often possesses quick hands and feet, needs the ability to get rid of the ball quickly, and must ...

third base 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 us ...

and

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 catc ...

. He played in 2017 with Frisco where he batted .288 with five home runs and 48 RBIs in 129 games. The Rangers added him to their 40-man roster after the 2017 season. He opened the 2018 season with the

Round Rock Express The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home ...

, appearing in five games before being recalled to the major leagues for the rest of the season.

Texas Rangers

Kiner-Falefa made his Major League debut against the

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...

on April 10, 2018. On April 14, against the Houston Astros, he hit his first career home run. Kiner-Falefa appeared in 111 games during his rookie season of 2018, hitting .261/.325/.357/.682 with 4 home runs and 34 RBI, while playing games at

, and

. He opened the 2019 season with Rangers in a catching tandem with veteran

Jeff Mathis Jeffrey Stephen Mathis (born March 31, 1983) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Toronto Blue Jays, Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Range ...

. Kiner-Falefa was placed on the

injured list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...

on June 7, and recalled on August 2 in the role of utility infielder and third string catcher. He finished 2019 hitting .238/.299/.322 with one home run and 21 RBI. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Kiner-Falefa hit .280/.329/.370 with 3 home runs and 10 RBI in 58 games. He was awarded the AL Gold Glove Award for third basemen. Over 158 games in 2021, he hit .271/.312/.357/.670 with 8 home runs, 53 RBI, and 20 stolen bases. He led the major leagues with 136 singles. Defensively, he moved to shortstop and led his position with 436 assists and 98 double plays.

New York Yankees

On March 12, 2022, Texas traded Kiner-Falefa, along with pitcher Ronny Henríquez, to the

for

Mitch Garver Mitchell Lynn Garver (born January 15, 1991) is an American professional baseball catcher and designated hitter for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers (b ...

. One day later, Minnesota traded Kiner-Falefa, along with

Ben Rortvedt Benjamin Thomas Rortvedt (born September 25, 1997) is an American professional baseball catcher in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees. He made his ...

and

Josh Donaldson Joshua Adam Donaldson (born December 8, 1985) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. In his 13-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he played for the Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves ...

, to the

for

Gary Sánchez Gary Sánchez Herrera (born December 2, 1992) is a Dominican professional baseball catcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, San D ...

and

Gio Urshela Giovanny Urshela Salcedo (born October 11, 1991) is a Colombian professional baseball third baseman for the Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees ...

. Kiner-Falefa finished the 2022 season batting .261 with four home runs and 48 RBIs in 142 games. During spring training in 2023, Kiner-Falefa competed with Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza to be the Yankees starting shortstop. Volpe won the starting shortstop job, as the Yankees turned Kiner-Falefa into a

. On April 13, 2023, Kiner-Falefa made his pitching debut in the ninth inning during an 11-2 loss for the Yankees against the

. His second pitch on the mound, 38 MPH eephus pitch, was the slowest tracked pitch in Yankees history. On June 14, during the

Subway Series A Subway Series in Major League Baseball (MLB) is one played between teams based in New York City, currently the New York Yankees and New York Mets, and historically the Yankees versus the New York Giants or Brooklyn Dodgers. The venues for g ...

against the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

, Kiner-Falefa stole home off pitcher Brooks Raley. He became the first Yankee player since

Didi Gregorius Mariekson Julius "Didi" Gregorius (born February 18, 1990) is a Curaçao, Curaçaoan-Netherlands, Dutch professional baseball shortstop for the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Basebal ...

on August 27, 2016, to steal home. On June 22, Kiner-Falefa was sent out for his third career pitching appearance in the top of the ninth inning of a 10–0 blowout loss against the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

. In the bottom of the ninth, he became the first Yankees position player to pitch three times in a season. He pitched a scoreless inning, recording his first strikeout ( Eugenio Suarez). He was called to bat as the pitcher in the lineup, which resulted in a 2-run home run against reliever

Chris Flexen Christopher John Flexen (born July 1, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies, and Chicago W ...

. Kiner-Falefa became the first Yankee to hit a home run as a pitcher since

Lindy McDaniel Lyndall Dale McDaniel (December 13, 1935 – November 14, 2020), known as Lindy McDaniel, was an American professional baseball pitcher who had a 21-year career in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1975. During his career, he witnessed approxim ...

did so on September 28, 1972, the last season before the American League's adoption of the

designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. Unlike other players in a team's lineup, they generally only play as an offensive player and usually do not play defense as ...

rule. He batted .242/.306/.340 for the season. He became a free agent following the season.

Toronto Blue Jays

On December 29, 2023, Kiner-Falefa signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the

. In 82 games for Toronto in 2024, he batted .292/.338/.420 with seven home runs and 33 RBI.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On July 30, 2024, the Blue Jays traded KinerFalefa to the

in exchange for Charles McAdoo.

Personal life

Kiner-Falefa is of Samoan, Hawaiian,

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

and

Caucasian Caucasian may refer to: Common meanings *Anything from the Caucasus region or related to it ** Ethnic groups in the Caucasus ** ''Caucasian Exarchate'' (1917–1920), an ecclesiastical exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Caucasus re ...

descent. He is the second cousin twice removed of Major League Baseball Hall of Famer

Ralph Kiner Ralph McPherran Kiner (October 27, 1922 – February 6, 2014) was an American Major League Baseball player and broadcaster. An outfielder, Kiner played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, and Cleveland Indians from 1946 through 1955. Fo ...

on his mother's side. His grandmother was from

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kiner-Falefa, Isiah 1995 births Living people Altoona Curve players American baseball players of Japanese descent American people of Native Hawaiian descent American sportspeople of Samoan descent Arizona League Rangers players Baseball players from Honolulu Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Frisco RoughRiders players Gold Glove Award winners Hawaii people of Japanese descent Hickory Crawdads players High Desert Mavericks players Major League Baseball catchers Major League Baseball utility players Nashville Sounds players New York Yankees players Pittsburgh Pirates players Round Rock Express players Spokane Indians players Surprise Saguaros players Texas Rangers players Toronto Blue Jays players Samoan people of Japanese descent Samoan people of European descent