Joseph Patrick Wendle (born April 26, 1990) 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 ...

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field, between first base and third base. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns pla ...

who is a free agent. He has previously played in

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) for the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...

, and

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 ...

. Wendle made his MLB debut in 2016 with the Athletics. He is one of the few MLB players to not use

batting glove Batting gloves are a component in bat-and-ball games sportswear. Typically consisting of a leather palm and back made of nylon or another synthetic fabric, the glove covers one or both hands of a batter, providing comfort, prevention of blisters ...

Early life

Wendle was born in

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

on April 26, 1990. He attended

Avon Grove High School Avon Grove High School is a public high school located in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Avon Grove School District. Avon Grove High School enrolls about ~1,826 students in grades 9-12. The school was e ...

West Grove, Pennsylvania West Grove is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,775 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. History The village of West Grove derived its ...

, and

West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester University (also known as West Chester, WCU, or WCUPA, and officially as West Chester University of Pennsylvania) is a public university, public research university located in and around West Chester, Pennsylvania. The university i ...

. Wendle played travel baseball for the Chester County Crawdads. Wendle was a four-year starter for the

West Chester Golden Rams baseball The West Chester Golden Rams baseball program represents West Chester University of Pennsylvania in baseball. The Golden Rams compete in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Led by former head coach Jad Prachniak, the Golden Rams claimed th ...

team, where he compiled a .366 career

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

with 23

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s and 185

runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...

(RBIs). During his senior season, Wendle hit .399 with 12 home runs and 59 RBIs as the Golden Rams went on to win the 2012

NCAA Division II baseball tournament The NCAA Division II baseball tournament (formerly the NCAA College Division baseball tournament) is an annual college baseball tournament held at the culmination of the spring regular season and which determines the National Collegiate Athletic ...

Professional career

Cleveland Indians

The

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

selected Wendle in the sixth round of the

2012 Major League Baseball draft The 2012 Major League Baseball 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 Rico Baseball Ac ...

. He made his professional debut with the

Mahoning Valley Scrappers The Mahoning Valley Scrappers are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Niles, Ohio, a city in the valley of the Mahoning River, and play their home games at Eastwood Field. From 1999 to 2020, they were ...

of the Low–A

New York-Penn League New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

. In 61 games he hit .327/.375/.469 with four home runs and 37 (RBI). Wendle played the 2013 season with the

Carolina Mudcats The Carolina Mudcats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Zebulon, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh, and play their home games ...

of the High–A

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

. He hit .295/.372/.513 with 16 home runs and 64 RBI over 107 games. He won the

Lou Boudreau Louis Boudreau (July 17, 1917 – August 10, 2001), nicknamed "Old Shufflefoot", "Handsome Lou", and "the Good Kid", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 15 seasons, primarily as a ...

Award as the Indians minor league player of the year. He started the 2014 season with the

Akron RubberDucks The Akron RubberDucks are a Minor League Baseball team based in Akron, Ohio. The team, which plays in the Eastern League (1938–present), Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They play in Canal Park (Akron, Ohio) ...

of the Double–A Eastern League.

Oakland Athletics

On December 8, 2014, the Indians traded Wendle to the

for

Brandon Moss Brandon Douglas Moss (born September 16, 1983) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, Oakland Athlet ...

. On April 21, 2015, Wendle (as a member of Oakland's Triple-A affiliate, the

Nashville Sounds The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the ci ...

) hit the first

in the history of

First Tennessee Park First Horizon Park, formerly known as First Tennessee Park, is a baseball park in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The home of the Triple-A Nashville Sounds of the International League, it opened on April 17, 2015, and can seat ...

. The Athletics added him to their 40-man roster after the season. Joey Wendle ST 2017

Wendle began the 2016 season with Nashville. The Athletics promoted Wendle to the major leagues on August 31, 2016. He made his major league debut that day. Over the next season and a half, Wendle would appear in 36 games for the Athletics, collecting 29 hits in 109 at bats. Following the conclusion of the 2017 season, Wendle was designated for assignment on December 7, 2017.

Tampa Bay Rays

On December 11, 2017, the Athletics traded Wendle to the

for catcher

Jonah Heim Jonah Nathan Heim (born June 27, 1995) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Oakland Athletics. Born in Buffalo, New York, Heim attended Amherst C ...

. Wendle entered

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

in 2018 competing for the starting

second baseman In baseball and softball, second baseman, abbreviated 2B, is a fielding position in the Infielder, infield, between Baseball field#Second base, second and Baseball field#First base, first base. The second baseman often possesses quick hands and f ...

job with Micah Johnson and Daniel Robertson. After hitting .327 in 52 spring training

at bats In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, b ...

, Rays manager

Kevin Cash Kevin Forrest Cash (born December 6, 1977) is an American professional baseball Manager (baseball), manager and former player who is the manager of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, Cash played catcher in MLB for th ...

announced Wendle had made the team's Opening Day roster to platoon at second base with Robertson. Wendle ended the season leading all rookies in wins above replacement (4.3),

(.300),

on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...

(.350), and

triples TripleS (; ; stylized as tripleS) is a South Korean 24-member multinational girl group formed by Modhaus. They aim to be the world's first decentralized idol group, where the members will rotate between the full group, sub-units, and solo activi ...

(6), as well as placing second in

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014, a British compilation album s ...

(146), doubles (33), and runs (62). Wendle was the first Rays player since 2011 to hit .300, and the first rookie to ever reach that mark. He tied for the major league lead in

sacrifice flies In baseball, a sacrifice fly (sometimes abbreviated to sac fly) is defined by Rule 9.08(d): "Score a sacrifice fly when, before two are out, the batter hits a ball in flight handled by an outfielder or an infielder running in the outfield in fair o ...

(10). At the conclusion of the season, Wendle was unanimously chosen as the Rays Outstanding Rookie award for the 2018 season and finished fourth in the

American League Rookie of the Year award American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

. Wendle began the 2019 season starting at second base with the intention of playing nearly every day. However, on March 31, Wendle injured his hamstring tagging out Jake Marisnick attempting to steal second base and was placed on the 10-day injured list. He was activated 3 weeks later. He was placed back on the disabled list on April 24 due to a fracture in his right wrist by a hit by pitch. Overall, Wendle ended the season playing in just 75 games. Wendle appeared in 5 postseason games, recording 2 hits in 10 at bats as the Rays were eliminated In the ALDS in five games by the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are 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) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

. In 2020, Wendle started 50 games for the Rays despite being considered a back-up player. His defensive versatility allowed him to give fellow teammates

Willy Adames Willy Rafael Luna Adames (born September 2, 1995) is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers. Adames mad ...

and

Brandon Lowe Brandon Norman Lowe ( ; born July 6, 1994) is an American professional baseball second baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2018. Lowe has been named an MLB All-Star in 2019 and 2025. Amateur ca ...

games off, while platooning at

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 ...

with Yandy Diaz. For the season, Wendle hit .286 with 4 home runs and 17 RBIs as the Rays clinched their first division title in ten years. In the ALDS against the Yankees, Wendle hit .353 as the Rays beat the Yankees in 5 games. Against the Houston Astros in the ALCS, Wendle garnered attention for his stellar defense at

manager

Dusty Baker Johnnie B "Dusty" Baker Jr. (born June 15, 1949) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and Manager (baseball), manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for 19 seasons, most notably with the Los Angeles Dodgers. D ...

went as far to compare his play to

Brooks Robinson Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. (May 18, 1937 – September 26, 2023) was an American baseball player who played his entire 23-year career in Major League Baseball as a third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles from 1955 to 1977. Nicknamed "Mr. Hoove ...

. The Rays would go on to beat the Astros in 7 games. Wendle was named to the 2021 All-Star Game as a reserve on July 9, 2021. He singled in his only plate appearance.

Miami Marlins

On November 30, 2021, Tampa Bay traded Wendle to the

in exchange for Kameron Misner. On January 13, 2023, Wendle agreed to a one-year, $6 million contract with the Marlins, avoiding salary arbitration. He became a free agent following the season.

New York Mets

On November 30, 2023, Wendle signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the

. In 18 games for the Mets, he batted .222/.243/.250 with no home runs, one RBI, and one stolen base. On May 15, 2024, Wendle was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

by the team. He was then released by the Mets organization on May 20.

Atlanta Braves

On May 24, 2024, Wendle signed a major league contract with the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

. On May 27, Wendle was designated for assignment without making an appearance with the team. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple–A

Gwinnett Stripers The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia ...

on May 29. However, Wendle subsequently rejected the assignment and elected free agency the following day.

References

External links

*
West Chester Golden Rams bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wendle, Joey 1990 births Living people Akron RubberDucks players American League All-Stars American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Arizona League Indians players Baseball players from Wilmington, Delaware Carolina Mudcats players Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp players Jupiter Hammerheads players Mahoning Valley Scrappers players Major League Baseball second basemen Miami Marlins players Nashville Sounds players New York Mets players Oakland Athletics players Surprise Saguaros players Tampa Bay Rays players West Chester Golden Rams baseball players Yaquis de Obregón players