Kevin James Kiermaier (; born April 22, 1990) is an American former 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 ...

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...

. He 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) from 2013 to 2024 for the

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 ...

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 ...

, and

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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

. Known for his strong defense, Kiermaier won the

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 ...

for center fielders in 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2023, and the Platinum Glove Award in 2015. Kiermaier was part of amateur championship teams at both the high school and college levels. His high school won a state championship in

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, and his team earned a

National Junior College Athletic Association The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is the governing association of community college, state college, and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions across 24 states ...

(NJCAA) national championship at Parkland College, where he was twice named an NJCAA

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

n. Kiermaier made his MLB debut on September 30, 2013 – also game 163 of the regular season, and a wild-card

tiebreaker In games and sport, a tiebreaker or tiebreak is any method used to determine a winner or to rank participants when there is a tie - meaning two or more parties have achieved a same score or result. A tiebreaker provides the additional criterion ...

game. He played for the Rays through 2022, and concluded his career with stints on the

and

Playing career

Amateur career, draft, and minor leagues

Kiermaier attended Bishop Luers High School in

Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in Allen County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 at the 2020 census ...

, and played for the school's baseball team. Bishop Luers won the state championship in Kiermaier's senior year. After being recruited by college programs for their

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

teams and almost committing to attend

Purdue University Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...

, Kiermaier opted to play

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

and enrolled at Parkland College instead, where he competed in the

(NJCAA). As a freshman, Parkland won the NJCAA National Championship. Kiermaier was named a NJCAA

n in his two years at Parkland. The

selected Kiermaier in the 31st round of the 2010 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft. Purdue again offered Kiermaier a scholarship, but he decided to sign with the Rays instead of transferring to Purdue. Kiermaier spent the 2013 season in Double–A and Triple–A, and was named the best defensive player in the Rays' organization and the

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player (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 particular competition, or ...

of the

Montgomery Biscuits The Montgomery Biscuits are a Minor League Baseball team based in Montgomery, Alabama. They are the Double-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays and play in the Southern League. The team was founded in Orlando, Florida, in 1973 as the Orlando Twins ...

of the Double–A Southern League. With Montgomery, he played 97 games, batting .307 with five home runs and 28 RBI. In Triple–A, he played 39 games with the

Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened ...

, batting .263 with a home run and 13 RBI.

Tampa Bay Rays

2013

Considering him the top defensive outfielder in their organization – including the major league club and all their minor league affiliates – the

activated Kiermaier to both the 40- and 25-man rosters for the first time on September 30, 2013. He made his major league debut in that evening's wild card tie-breaker game – the Rays' 163rd game of the season – and played one

inning In baseball, softball, and similar games, an inning is the basic unit of play, consisting of two halves or frames, the "top" (first half) and the "bottom" (second half). In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other tea ...

against the Texas Rangers in the ninth as a defensive replacement. Rays

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 ...

Andrew Friedman commented that the club included Kiermaier on the major league roster late that season specifically for his defense in center field. He played two innings in the 2013 American League Wild Card Game against 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 ...

, which was his only postseason appearance that year. That winter, ''

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 ...

'' rated him the tenth-best prospect in the Rays' minor league system.

2014

On May 18,

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

, Kiermaier hit his first major league home run against Mike Morin of 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 ...

. He finished 2014 hitting .263 with 10 home runs in 108 games and was one of the finalists for the

for American League

right fielder A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...

2015

In a game at

Tropicana Field Tropicana Field (nicknamed "The Trop") is a domed multipurpose stadium located in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. "The Trop" was the home of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1998 Tampa Bay Devil Rays season, 1998 to ...

against 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) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

on August 29,

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

, Kiermaier was involved in a failed but humorous attempt to rob

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 ...

Kendrys Morales of a home run. Morales hit a fly ball which appeared to be clearing the center field fence for a home run. Kiermaier leapt and momentarily perched himself upright on the top of the fence and waited to catch the ball before it landed. However, it dropped approximately in front of the fence, and Kiermaier watched it bounce as he continued to cling to the fence. The ball had deflected off one of the

catwalks A fashion show is an event put on by a fashion designer to showcase their upcoming line of clothing and/or accessories during a fashion week. Fashion shows debut every season, particularly the spring/summer and fall/winter seasons. This is where ...

suspended from the roof, and, in accordance with

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

rules, the

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awarded a home run to Morales. One of 15 MLB outfielders to register a throw back into the infield at or above in 2015, Kiermaier led all MLB outfielders by reaching 100 MPH nine times, while all others combined to reach that speed 27 times. Kiermaier finished the 2015 season leading all major league fielders in Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) with 42, the highest number since the start of calculations of the statistic and batted .263 with 10

home runs 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 ...

and 40 RBI in 150 games. He garnered 5.0 defensive Wins Above Replacement (WAR), fourth all-time according to Baseball-Reference.com. His overall 7.3 WAR ranked third in the American League behind

Mike Trout Michael Nelson Trout (born August 7, 1991) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). Trout is an 11-time Major League Baseball All-Star Game, All-Star, three-time American League (A ...

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 ...

. Kiermaier won his first each of the

Fielding Bible Award A Fielding Bible Award recognizes the best defensive player for each baseball positions, fielding position in Major League Baseball (MLB) based on "statistical analysis, the eye test, and any other factors that anelistswish to utilize." John D ...

for MLB center fielders, Gold Glove Award for American League center fielders, and the American League Platinum Glove Award, awarded to the best overall defensive player in each league.

2016

Improving upon the previous season's results as a hitter, Kiermaier began the 2016 season by decreasing his strikeout rate, nearly doubling his walk rate, and increasing his power. In a 5–4 loss to 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 club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

on May 21, he fractured two bones in his left hand while attempting to catch a sinking line drive off the bat of James McCann. After undergoing surgery to repair the fractures, he was medically cleared to resume limited workouts on May 27. Despite missing significant time, Kiermaier was once again one of the best defenders in all of baseball, leading all center fielders with 25 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) despite playing in almost 400 innings less than the next player on the list,

Kevin Pillar Kevin Andrew Pillar () (born January 4, 1989) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, Colorado ...

. Kiermaier also paced all major leaguers with a 2.95 dWAR (defensive wins above replacement). Kiermaier finished the season hitting .246 with 12 home runs in 105 games. He also stole 21 bases. He was awarded with his second

2017

Prior to the 2017 season, Kiermaier signed a 6-year, $53.5 million extension with the Rays. On June 9, it was revealed that Kiermaier had suffered a hairline fracture in his right hip after sliding into first base in a previous game. He was ruled out for at least two months. On August 18, Kiermaier returned to the lineup, batting lead off in a game 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 ...

. After a second straight injury shortened season, Kiermaier was still able to produce in the top tier of defensive players. He came in second place in Defensive Runs Saved at center field with 22, a career low, and short only of the Minnesota Twins'

Byron Buxton Byron Keiron Buxton (born December 18, 1993) is an American professional baseball center fielder and designated hitter for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). Buxton was considered by some baseball analysts to be the most talent ...

, who led with 24 Defensive Runs Saved, with Kiermaier having played in more than 300 fewer innings than did Buxton. Offensively, Kiermaier slashed .276/.338/.450 with 15 home runs and 16 stolen bases; all but the stolen bases were career highs, even though he played in a career low 98 regular season games. Kiermaier was not eligible for the

because he did not reach the innings requirement for his team's first 138 games. This was the first time he was not named a finalist for the award.

2018

On April 15, Kiermaier injured his thumb on the right hand while sliding to second base and left the game. The next day, MRIs revealed that Kiermaier's right thumb had a torn ligament, ruling him out for up to 3 months. He returned on June 19 against the Houston Astros. Kiermaier finished the 2018 season playing only in 88 games, hitting .217 with 7 home runs and 29 RBIs. His nine triples was third in the American league. Kiermaier was named Wilson Defensive Player of the Year for centerfield despite his injuries.

2019

In 2019, he had the best jump of all major league outfielders (3.8 feet vs average). Once again, Kiermaier led center fielders in defensive runs saved with 13. He won his third

, tying

Evan Longoria Evan Michael Longoria (born October 7, 1985), nicknamed "Longo", is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, San Francisco Giants, and Arizona Diamondbac ...

for the most in franchise history. He became the third outfielder since 2011 to win three Gold Glove awards ( Adam Jones,

Ender Inciarte Ender David Inciarte Montiel (born October 29, 1990) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, and New York Mets. He made his MLB debut in 2014. ...

). In game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Houston Astros, Kiermaier hit a three-run home run.

2020

By the 2020 season, Kiermaier had become the longest tenured Ray and the only active player who had been managed by franchise legend

Joe Maddon Joseph John Maddon (born February 8, 1954) is an American former professional baseball manager (baseball), manager and coach. He has managed the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). After playing ...

. On July 26, Kiermaier hit a walk-off triple against the

. He finished the season batting .217 with 3 home runs and 8 stolen bases. According to

FanGraphs FanGraphs.com is a website run by Fangraphs Inc., located in Arlington, Virginia, and created and owned by David Appelman that provides statistics for every player in Major League Baseball history. On September 18, 2009, Fangraphs Inc. launched ...

, Kiermaier led all center fielders in UZR (7.7), UZR/150 (30.7), and assists (6), while being second in defensive runs saved (10) behind only

(11). The Rays finished the season with the best record in the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...

. Before the start of the

American League Division Series 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 ea ...

against the

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 ...

, Kiermaier commented on the rivalry by saying “They don’t like us, we don’t like them, and it’s going to continue to stay that way". This comment was in response to when

Aroldis Chapman Albertín Aroldis Chapman de la Cruz (; born February 28, 1988) is a Cuban-born American professional baseball relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Cincinnati Reds, New Y ...

threw at the head of Mike Brosseau just six weeks prior. In game 3 of the ALDS 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 ...

, Kiermaier hit a go-ahead three-run home run, as the Rays went on to win both the game and the series. In the

American League Championship Series 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. The winner of the ALCS wins the AL pennant and ...

against 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 ...

, Kiermaier got hit in the hand by a pitch and was unable to start in games 4, 5, and 6. He did, however, return for game 7 as the Rays defeated the

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 advanced to the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...

. In the

2020 World Series The 2020 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's 2020 season. The 116th World Series was a best-of-seven-playoff between the American League (AL) champion Tampa Bay Rays and the National League (NL) champion Los An ...

against the

, Kiermaier hit a home run against

Clayton Kershaw Clayton Edward Kershaw (born March 19, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed starting pitcher, Kershaw has spent his entire MLB career with the Dodgers s ...

, although the Dodgers prevailed as baseball champions.

2021

In 2021, Kiermaier batted .259/.328/.388 with four home runs, 37 RBIs, 54 runs scored and nine stolen bases in 122 games. Following the season, in November 2021, Kiermaier underwent arthroscopic knee surgery.

2022

On April 23, 2022, a day after his 32nd birthday, Kiermaier hit his first career

walk-off home run In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will not have an opp ...

, in the 10th inning of a game against 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 ch ...

, to win 3–2. 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 ...

stated on July 25 that Kiermaier would undergo surgery for a hip injury dating back to July 9, and miss the remainder of the season. On November 10, the Rays declined Kiermaier's $13 million club option for 2023, making him a free agent.

Toronto Blue Jays

2023

On December 14, 2022, Kiermaier signed a one-year, $9 million contract with the

. In 129 games for Toronto in 2023, he batted .265/.322/.419 with 8 home runs, 36 RBI, and 14 stolen bases. On November 5, 2023, Kiermaier won his 4th career Gold Glove Award, edging out the other two

center field nominees, Julio Rodriguez of the

and Luis Robert Jr. of the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

. Kiermaier’s contract expired at the conclusion of the 2023 season, making him a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager 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 a contract at present ...

2024

On December 28, 2023, Kiermaier re-signed with the Blue Jays on a one-year contract worth $10.5 million. On July 24, 2024, Kiermaier announced that he would be retiring following the 2024 season. In 81 games for Toronto, he batted .195/.236/.310 with four home runs, 18 RBI, and five stolen bases.

Los Angeles Dodgers

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

in exchange for Ryan Yarbrough. In 34 games for the Dodgers, he batted .203 with one home run, eight RBI, and one stolen base. Kiermaier appeared in four games in the

2024 NLCS The 2024 National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff in Major League Baseball's 2024 Major League Baseball postseason, 2024 postseason. It matched the overall #1 seed Los Angeles Dodgers against the sixth-seeded New York Mets ...

, primarily as a late game defensive replacement, though he did have two at-bats. He was left off the

2024 World Series The 2024 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2024 Major League Baseball season, 2024 season. The 120th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (b ...

roster; however, the Dodgers would go on to win the World Series, earning Kiermaier his only championship. He announced in July that 2024 would be his last MLB season.

Post-playing career

On February 8, 2025, Kiermaier was hired to join the

' front office as a special assistant.

Personal life

Kiermaier proposed to girlfriend Marisa Moralobo on February 11, 2017. They married on November 10, 2017, in

St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the List of municipalities in Florida, fifth-most populous city in Florida and the most populous city in the sta ...

. Their first child, a son, was born in November 2018. Kiermaier's older brother, Dan, is the head groundskeeper for the Chicago Cubs.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kiermaier, Kevin 1990 births Living people Baseball players from Fort Wayne, Indiana Tampa Bay Rays players Toronto Blue Jays players Los Angeles Dodgers players Princeton Rays players Bowling Green Hot Rods players Gulf Coast Rays players Charlotte Stone Crabs players Durham Bulls players Montgomery Biscuits players Canberra Cavalry players Phoenix Desert Dogs players Florida Complex League Rays players Major League Baseball center fielders Gold Glove Award winners Parkland Cobras baseball players American expatriate baseball players in Australia Bishop Luers High School alumni