Willians Astudillo (born October 14, 1991), nicknamed "La Tortuga", is a

Venezuelan Venezuelans (Spanish language, Spanish: ''venezolanos'') are the Citizenship, citizens identified with the country of Venezuela. This connection may be through citizenship, descent or cultural. For most Venezuelans, many or all of these connect ...

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 Centauros de La Guaira of the

Venezuelan Major League The Venezuelan Major League, officially the Major League of Professional Baseball ( or LMBP) is a professional baseball league in Venezuela. Unlike the top-level Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, which plays a winter league schedule, the ...

. 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

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 ...

and

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 in

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

(NPB) for the

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. They compete in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as a member of the Pacific League. Founded on February 22, 1938, as the Nankai Club, being the first Kansai t ...

. He made his MLB debut with the Twins in 2018 and has appeared at every position except shortstop in a major league game.

Early life

Willians Astudillo was born in

Barcelona, Venezuela Barcelona is the capital of Anzoátegui State, Venezuela, and was founded in 1671. Together with Puerto La Cruz, Lecheria and Guanta, Barcelona forms one of the most important urban areas of Venezuela, with a population of approximately 950,000 ...

, located on the country's

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

coast. Astudillo's father, a professional baseball player in Venezuela, and his grandfather taught him from an early age how to play baseball. Drills included flicking corn kernel projectiles for the young Astudillo to hit with a broomstick.

Career

Philadelphia Phillies

Astudillo signed his first professional baseball contract with 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 ...

as an amateur

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 ...

on December 15, 2008. In 2009, Astudillo made his professional debut for the

VSL Phillies The Venezuelan Summer League (VSL) was a professional baseball league that operated in Venezuela from 1997 to 2015, primarily in the state of Carabobo. Teams in the league served as academies for Major League Baseball (MLB) organizations, and wer ...

and spent the 2010 season with the team as well, hitting .250 and .312, respectively. He improved his performance for the team in 2011, slashing .361/.424/.449 in 52 games. He spent the 2012 season with the rookie-level

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 ...

, hitting .318/.327/.419 in 45 contests. Astudillo did not play in a game in 2013 and spent the 2014 season 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 ...

, posting a slash line of .333/.366/.434 in 117 games. In 2015, he played for the High-A

Clearwater Threshers The Clearwater Threshers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Clearwater, Florida, and have played their home games at BayCare Ballpark since 20 ...

, slashing .314/.348/.384 with 3 home runs and 49 RBI in 107 games. He elected free agency following the season on November 6, 2015.

Atlanta Braves

On November 19, 2015, Astudillo signed a minor 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 ...

. He spent the 2016 season with the Double-A

Mississippi Braves The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they were referred to locally, were a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson, from 2005 to 2024. They were the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and competed in ...

, batting .267/.293/.332 with 4 home runs and 30 RBI in 89 games. Astudillo elected free agency following the year on November 7, 2016.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On April 4, 2017, Astudillo signed a minor league contract with the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

, and was assigned to the Triple-A

Reno Aces The Reno Aces are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Reno, Nevada, and play their home games at Greater Nevada Field, w ...

. He spent the year with the Aces, posting a slash of .342/.370/.558 with 4 home runs and 22 RBI in 36 games. He elected free agency following the season on November 6.

Minnesota Twins

On November 30, 2017, Astudillo signed a minor league deal with the

and was assigned to the Triple-A

Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Fie ...

. Astudillo was called up to the majors for the first time on June 29, 2018. He made his major league debut at

Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...

the following afternoon against the

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

as a defensive replacement in left field in the fifth inning, later switching to center field. In the sixth inning, he singled on a ground ball to second base to score

Robbie Grossman Robert Edward Grossman (born September 16, 1989) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tig ...

for his first major league hit. On July 14, he made his major league pitching debut, completing the final inning of a 19–6 loss to 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 ...

. He allowed five runs on five hits and two home runs in his lone pitching appearance of the season. Defensively, Astudillo played primarily at catcher and third base, also making appearances at second base. He appeared in 30 games total for the Twins in 2018, batting .355/.371/.516 with three home runs, 21 RBI, 2 walks and 3 strikeouts over 93 plate appearances. The Twins announced that Astudillo made their

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 on March 27,

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

, as one of five bench players. One month later, he was placed on the injured list with a left hamstring strain. He was batting .327 with two home runs. He ended the season hitting .268 in 58 games. He has also played for the

Caribes de Anzoátegui The Caribes de Anzoátegui (; ''Anzoátegui Caribs'') is a baseball team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League based in Puerto la Cruz, in the eastern state of Anzoátegui. Franchise history In January 1987, a local businessmen group ba ...

in the

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (, or LVBP) is the top-level professional baseball league in Venezuela. The league's champion takes part in the Caribbean Series each year. History Background and predecessors Baseball had been play ...

annually since the 2015–16 season. On July 3, 2020, it was announced that Astudillo had tested positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

. Astudillo appeared in just 8 games in 2020, gathering only 16 at-bats and batting .250/.250/.500 with 1 home run and 3 RBI. After the 2020 season, he played for

of the

Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional Liga (Spanish and Portuguese: ''League'') or LIGA may refer to: Sports Basketball * Liga ACB, men's professional basketball league in Spain * Liga Femenina de Baloncesto, women's professional basketball league in Spain Football Latin Ameri ...

(LVMP). He also played for Venezuela in the

2021 Caribbean Series The 2021 Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe) was the 63rd edition of the international competition featuring the champions of the Colombian Professional Baseball League, Dominican Professional Baseball League, Mexican Pacific League, Panamanian ...

. He pitched twice for the Twins in 2021. On April 17, he retired the Los Angeles Angels in the 8th inning three up, three down in seven pitches, with his slowest tracked strike being at 46 mph. Two other of his seven pitches were so slow that the radar gun failed to track them. He again pitched in relief on August 26, 2021, when he pitched a scoreless 8th inning against 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) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

. Astudillo ended the year hitting .236/.259/.375 with a career-high 7 home runs and 21 RBI in 72 games. On November 19, the Twins

designated Designation (from Latin ''designatio'') is the process of determining an incumbent's successor. A candidate that won an election, for example, is the ''designated'' holder of the office the candidate has been elected to, up until the candidate's ...

Astudillo for assignment. He cleared waivers and was released on November 24.

Miami Marlins

On March 13, 2022, Astudillo signed a minor league contract with the

. He began the 2022 season with the Triple-A

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Jacksonville, Florida, and are named for shrimp caught in th ...

. On May 25, Astudillo was selected to the active roster. He made his Marlins debut that same day against the

. Astudillo scored the winning run for the Marlins against the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

on June 8, scoring from second base in the bottom of the 10th inning. He was designated for assignment on June 26 and was sent outright to Triple-A. On July 24, the Marlins selected his contract and he was promoted to the major leagues. He was designated for assignment on July 29. Astudillo cleared waivers and was sent outright to Jacksonville on August 1. He elected free agency on October 6.

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

On November 11, 2022, Japanese media reported that Astudillo was signing with the

. In 20 games for the Hawks in 2023, he batted .136/.220/.227 with one home run and 3 RBI. On December 1, SoftBank announced that Astudillo would not return to the team, making him a free agent.

Saraperos de Saltillo

On February 8, 2024, Astudillo signed with the

Saraperos de Saltillo The Saraperos de Saltillo (English: Saltillo Serapes) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League. Their home ballpark is the Estadio de Béisbol Francisco I. Madero in Saltillo, Coahuila. They have won three championships (1980, 2009 ...

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 ...

. In 29 games for Saltillo, he batted .252/.304/.311 with no home runs and 10 RBI. On June 4, Astudillo was released by the Saraperos.

Rieleros de Aguascalientes

On June 11, 2024, Astudillo signed with the

Rieleros de Aguascalientes The Rieleros de Aguascalientes (English: Aguascalientes Railroaders) are a professional baseball team based in Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes that competes in the Mexican League. Established in 1975, the Rieleros have won the Mexican League cha ...

of the

. In 40 games for Aguascalientes, he slashed .319/.385/.438 with three home runs and 19 RBI. Astudillo was released by the Rieleros on October 22.

Centauros de La Guaira

On April 11, 2025, Astudillo signed with the Centauros de La Guaira of the Venzuelan Major League.

Playing style

Several prevalent distinctions about Astudillo have helped create popularity with fans: his non-athletic build, multi-positional flexibility, and a highly aggressive batting style that yields few strikeouts or walks. At tall and , his determination helped propel him to the major leagues. “All my minor league career I heard I was not going to be a big leaguer because I did not 'look' like one. I was too short. I was too stocky. I did not have the physical traits customary associated with a Major League player,” he noted on

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

. “Well here I am.” Combining his professional careers in both the American minor leagues and Venezuela, Astudillo has played at every position except shortstop. He then accomplished the same feat within his first two major league seasons. Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey commented that team scouts were perplexed by Astudillo as projection systems failed to find any closely comparable hitters and were also amused when he informed them that he could play center field. To prove it, Astudillo played footage of himself robbing a home run in a Venezuelan winter league game. In an era notable for its rising strikeout rates and where high walk rates are prized, Astudillo's aggressive batting approach yields an unusually low number of both. In his minor league career through the 2018 season, he had put the ball in play in 2,400 of 2,571 plate appearances. Astudillo produced eight of the 30 lowest

strikeout 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 ...

rates with a minimum of 100

plate appearance In baseball, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runner. This ha ...

s according to

Baseball Prospectus Baseball Prospectus (BP) is an organization that publishes a website, BaseballProspectus.com, devoted to the sabermetric analysis of baseball. BP has a staff of regular columnists and provides advanced statistics as well as player and team perf ...

' database of over 42,000 individual seasons from 2005–2018. He produced the lowest of all at 0.9% in Venezuela in 2011, second-lowest at 1.8% in Venezuela in 2010, and fourth-lowest at 2.4% in the

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

in 2015.

Personal life

His brother, Wilfred, is also a professional baseball player. Astudillo's mother, Ana Mercedes, threw a ceremonial first pitch to Astudillo before a Mothers Day Twins game in 2019.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Astudillo, Willians 1991 births Living people Caribes de Anzoátegui players Clearwater Threshers players Florida Complex League Phillies players Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks players Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp players Lakewood BlueClaws players Major League Baseball catchers Major League Baseball first basemen Major League Baseball players from Venezuela 21st-century Venezuelan sportsmen Major League Baseball third basemen Miami Marlins players Minnesota Twins players Mississippi Braves players Reno Aces players Rieleros de Aguascalientes players Rochester Red Wings players Saraperos de Saltillo players Baseball players from Barcelona, Venezuela St. Paul Saints players Venezuelan Summer League Phillies players Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Mexico Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States Major League Baseball utility players

Early life

Career

Philadelphia Phillies

Atlanta Braves

Arizona Diamondbacks

Minnesota Twins

Miami Marlins

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

Saraperos de Saltillo

Rieleros de Aguascalientes

Centauros de La Guaira

Playing style

Personal life

See also

References

External links