Jon Singleton (baseball)
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Jonathan Lee Singleton (born September 18, 1991) 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 ...
first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
in 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 ...
organization. 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
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 ...
and
Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
. Singleton grew up in
Long Beach, California Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...
, and was drafted by the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
in 2009. He was one of several prospects traded to the Astros in exchange for
Hunter Pence Hunter Andrew Pence (born April 13, 1983), nicknamed "The Reverend", is an American former professional baseball right fielder and designated hitter. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, San Fra ...
in 2011. He signed a $10 million contract with the Astros before making his MLB debut in 2014, but he struggled, last playing for the Astros in 2015 before they relegated him to the minor leagues and released him in 2018. After playing in the
Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...
, Singleton signed a minor league contract with the Brewers, for whom he returned to the major leagues in 2023.


Early life

Singleton played baseball at
Millikan High School Robert A. Millikan Senior High School is a high school in Long Beach, California, United States, administered by the Long Beach Unified School District. It is located near the intersection of Spring Street and Palo Verde Avenue in the Los Alto ...
in
Long Beach, California Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...
. He committed to play at
California State University, Long Beach California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), also known in athletics as Long Beach State University (LBSU), is a public teaching-focused institution in Long Beach, California, United States. The 322-acre campus is the second largest in the ...
a few months before the
2009 Major League Baseball draft The 2009 Major League Baseball draft was held June 9 to June 11 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. The drafting order is as follows: First-round selections Key Supplemental first-round selections From Baseball Americ ...
.


Career


Philadelphia Phillies

The
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
drafted Singleton in the eighth round, with the 257th overall selection, of the
2009 Major League Baseball draft The 2009 Major League Baseball draft was held June 9 to June 11 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. The drafting order is as follows: First-round selections Key Supplemental first-round selections From Baseball Americ ...
. He had been projected for selection as high as the second round of the draft, but his senior year statistics caused him to fall. Singleton reported to the
Gulf Coast League Phillies The Florida Complex League Phillies are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Phillies. The team plays i ...
, where he played 31 minor league games that year. He spent 2010 with the Single-A
Lakewood BlueClaws The Jersey Shore BlueClaws (formerly Lakewood BlueClaws) are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Lakewood, New Jersey, and are named for their locat ...
, where he hit for a .290
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 ...
, 14
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 77
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 ...
(RBI). Prior to the 2011 season, Singleton was considered the Phillies' second best prospect by ''
Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...
''.


Houston Astros

On July 29, 2011, the Phillies traded Singleton,
Jarred Cosart Jarred Lynn Cosart (born May 25, 1990) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Miami Marlins, and San Diego Padres from 2013 to 2017 Career Cosart attended Clear Cree ...
,
Josh Zeid Joshua Alexander Zeid ( ; ; born March 24, 1987) is an American-Israeli former professional baseball pitcher and current coach. He plays for Israel national baseball team, Team Israel. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Ast ...
, and
Domingo Santana Domingo Alberto Santana (born August 5, 1992) is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, M ...
to 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 exchange for
Hunter Pence Hunter Andrew Pence (born April 13, 1983), nicknamed "The Reverend", is an American former professional baseball right fielder and designated hitter. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, San Fra ...
. ''Baseball America'' designated Singleton as Houston's top prospect following the 2011 season. He was named to appear in the 2012
All-Star Futures Game The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League- ...
. Singleton tested positive for
marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...
in June 2012. He competed in the
Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season baseball league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are filled ...
that offseason, and had a second positive test for marijuana in December. On January 9, 2013, Singleton was suspended for 50 games due to his second failed drug test. Singleton said that he had grown up around friends who used the drug and that he had been using it "on and off" since he was 14 years old. He spent a month in a rehabilitation center after the second failed test. Following the 2013 season, the Astros added Singleton to their 40-man roster. On June 2, 2014, the Astros signed Singleton to a 5-year contract that guaranteed him $10 million, and could have been worth as much as $35 million. The extension was the first to be signed by a drafted player with no major league experience. Singleton was promoted from the
Oklahoma City RedHawks Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
of the Triple-A
Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
(PCL) to make his major league debut on June 3. Singleton made his major league debut for the Astros on June 3, 2014, against the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. Since 1966, the team has pl ...
. In his first game, he went 1–3 with a home run, two RBIs, a walk, and two
strikeouts In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...
. It was his first major league home run, a solo homer off of
Matt Shoemaker Matthew David Shoemaker (born September 27, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, and Minnesota Twins and in Nippon Professional Baseball ...
. On June 8, Singleton lined his first career
grand slam Grand Slam or Grand slam may refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category terminology originating in contract bridge and other whist card games Athletics * Grand Slam Track, professional track and field league Auto racing * ...
off of
Glen Perkins Glen Weston Perkins (born March 2, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and a television analyst. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins. He made his major league debut with the Mi ...
of 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 ...
at
Target Field Target Field is a baseball stadium in the North Loop, Minneapolis, historic warehouse district of downtown Minneapolis. Since its opening in 2010, the stadium has been the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins. It is named for Tar ...
to help the Astros to a 14–5 win. Teammates Dexter Fowler, Chris Carter, and
George Springer George Chelston Springer III (born September 19, 1989) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Houston Astros from 2014 to 2020. Springer has played primarily i ...
also homered. (Carter's was also a grand slam). On August 2, 2014, Singleton hit an
inside-the-park home run In baseball, an inside-the-park home run is a rare play in which a Batter (baseball), batter rounds all four bases for a home run without the baseball leaving the baseball field, field of play. It is also known as an "inside-the-parker", "in-the-p ...
against the
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 ...
. It was initially ruled an out by the home plate umpire, but was later reversed following a challenge by Astros manager
Bo Porter Marquis Donnell "Bo" Porter (born July 5, 1972) is an American former professional baseball player, manager, and coach. He is the current first base coach for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was a special assistant to ...
. The Astros optioned Singleton to the Triple-A
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 ...
of the PCL to start the 2015 season. On May 13, 2015, Singleton recorded 10 RBIs, including a grand slam and two-run home run against the
Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an ...
. His 10-RBI game set a Fresno club record, and was one short of the modern-day PCL record, established by
Mike Moustakas Michael Christopher Moustakas (; born September 11, 1988) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, and L ...
in 2010. Including the previous two games, Singleton smashed 4 home runs—two of which were grand slams—and 18 RBI over three games. Over a five-day span, Singleton collected 22 RBIs, including the 18 in Fresno's four-game series in Albuquerque from May 12–15. On November 19, 2016, Singleton was placed on outright waivers by the Astros. He cleared waivers on November 22 and was assigned to Fresno. He played the 2017 season with the
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 b ...
of the Double-A
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 ...
, and led all minor leaguers with 500 or more plate appearances with a walk percentage of 21.4%. In January 2018, MLB announced that Singleton had failed a third test for a drug of abuse and would be suspended for 100 games. In a statement to the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
, Singleton admitted that he had a substance abuse problem: "At this point, it's pretty evident to me that I'm a drug addict. I don't openly tell everyone that, but it's pretty apparent to myself. I know that I enjoy smoking weed, I enjoy being high and I can't block that out of my mind that I enjoy that. So I have to work against that." On May 21, 2018, Singleton was released by the organization, while serving his suspension, during the final year of his contract.


Diablos Rojos de México

On April 2, 2020, Singleton signed with the
Diablos Rojos del México The Diablos Rojos del Mexico (English: Mexico Red Devils) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Mexico City, Mexico. The team was founded in 1940 by Salvador Lutteroth and Ernesto Carmona. The Diablos Rojos play their ho ...
of the
Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...
. He did not play that year due to the cancellation of the Mexican League due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. On November 4, 2020, he was traded to the
Guerreros de Oaxaca The Guerreros de Oaxaca (English: Oaxaca Warriors) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico. Their home field is Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos. History In October 1995, a group of businessmen, ...
. On May 24, 2021, Singleton was traded back to the Diablos Rojos without appearing in a game for the Guerreros. He appeared in 46 games for México in 2021, batting .321/.503/.693 with 15 home runs, 36 RBIs, and four stolen bases.


Milwaukee Brewers

On December 9, 2021, Singleton signed a minor league contract with the
Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
organization. He spent the 2022 season with the Triple-A
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 ...
, batting .219/.375/.434 in 456 at-bats, including 24 home runs and 87 RBIs. He led all of the minor leagues that year with 117 walks. On November 15, 2022, the Brewers selected Singleton to their 40-man roster to protect him from the
Rule 5 draft The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball (MLB) player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor lea ...
. On January 23, 2023, Singleton was designated for assignment after the signing of Brian Anderson was made official. He was released by the Brewers on January 26. On February 10, Singleton re-signed with the Brewers on a minor league contract. In 49 games for Nashville, Singleton hit .258/.384/.483 with 10 home runs and 29 RBI. On June 3, 2023, the Brewers promoted Singleton to the major leagues following an injury to
Darin Ruf Darin Cortland Ruf (born July 28, 1986) is an American former professional baseball first baseman, left fielder, and designated hitter. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets a ...
. In 11 games for Milwaukee, he went 3–for–29 (.103) with 2 RBI. On June 17, Singleton 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 Brewers. After clearing waivers, he elected for free agency on June 21.


Houston Astros (second stint)

On June 24, 2023, Singleton rejoined 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 ...
organization on a minor league contract and was subsequently assigned to the Triple-A
Sugar Land Space Cowboys The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. They are located in Sugar Land, Texas, part of the Greater Houston metro ...
. He was called up to the majors on August 8, after a .333/.446/.692 performance over 33 games at Sugar Land, including 12 home runs, 28 RBI, 26 walks and 34 strikeouts. Singleton made his 2023 Astros debut the same day versus the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
at
Oriole Park at Camden Yards Oriole Park at Camden Yards, commonly known as Camden Yards, is a ballpark in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of Major League Baseball (MLB)'s Baltimore Orioles, and the first of the "retro" major league ballparks constructed during the ...
. He pinch hit in the 9th inning against closer Félix Bautista, drew a walk, and scored on a go-ahead grand slam by
Kyle Tucker Kyle Daniel Tucker, nicknamed King Tuck (born January 17, 1997) is an American professional baseball right fielder for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Houston Astros. Internationally, Tuck ...
that led to a 7–6 Astros win. Making his return to
Minute Maid Park Daikin Park (originally Enron Field and formerly Astros Field and Minute Maid Park) is a retractable roof stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. It opened in 2000 and is the home ballpark of the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). ...
for the first time since 2015, Singleton homered twice for his first career multi-home run game in the major leagues while driving in a career-high five runs to lead an 11–3 win over 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 August 11. On September 10, 2024, Singleton hit his first major league
triple Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a " treble": Sports * Triple (baseball), a three-base hit * A basketball three-point field goal * A figure skating jump with three rotations * In bowling terms, three strikes in a row * I ...
in a game against 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 ...
at Minute Maid Park. In 2024, he batted .239/.321/.386 with 13 doubles, 13 home runs, and 42 RBIs. Singleton also played in 119 games and accrued 405 plate appearances, both career highs. On March 25, 2025, Singleton was released by the Astros after failing to make the team's
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 year ...
roster.


New York Mets

On April 2, 2025, Singleton signed a minor league contract with 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 ...
.


Notes


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Singleton, Jon 1991 births Living people Houston Astros players Milwaukee Brewers players African-American baseball players Florida Complex League Phillies players Lakewood BlueClaws players Clearwater Threshers players Lancaster JetHawks players Corpus Christi Hooks players Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente infielders Mesa Solar Sox players Quad Cities River Bandits players Oklahoma City RedHawks players Cangrejeros de Santurce (baseball) players Baseball players from Lakewood, California Major League Baseball first basemen American expatriate baseball players in Mexico 21st-century African-American sportsmen Millikan High School alumni Diablos Rojos del México players Nashville Sounds players Sugar Land Space Cowboys players Syracuse Mets players Baseball players suspended for drug offenses