Yairo Muñoz (; born January 23, 1995) is a Dominican 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 ...

and

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 ...

for the Conspiradores de Querétaro 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 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

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

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 ...

, and

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 ...

. Listed at and , he bats and throws right-handed.

Career

Oakland Athletics

Muñoz signed as an international

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 ...

with 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 ...

. He made his professional debut in 2012 when he played for the Dominican Athletics of the

Rookie-level Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National L ...

Dominican Summer League The Dominican Summer League (DSL) is a branch of affiliated Minor League Baseball which is played in the Dominican Republic. The league was founded in 1985. After the demise of the Venezuelan Summer League after the 2015 season, it is the only ...

, where he batted .229 in 32

games played Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested. Associat ...

. In 2013, he played for the Arizona Athletics of the Rookie-level

Arizona League The Arizona Complex League (ACL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona, since 1988. Prior to 2021, it was known as the Arizona League (AZL). Along with the Florida Complex League (FCL), it fo ...

, where he posted a .194 batting average with five

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) in 25 games. While playing for the

Vermont Lake Monsters The Vermont Lake Monsters are a collegiate summer baseball team located in Burlington, Vermont, United States, who were founded in 1994 as the Vermont Expos. They were members of Minor League Baseball, in the New York–Penn League (NYPL), ...

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 2014, Muñoz batted .298 with five

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, 20 RBIs, and 14

stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base unaided by other actions and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out ...

s in 66 games. Yairo Munoz batting detroit 2018 02

Muñoz began the 2015 season with the

Beloit Snappers The Beloit Sky Carp are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Beloit, Wisconsin, and play their home games at ABC Supply Stadium. They previously played at Harry C ...

of the Single–A

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

and received a midseason promotion to the

Stockton Ports The Stockton Ports are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Athletics. They are located in Stockton, California, and are named for the city's seaport. The team plays its home games at Banner I ...

of the High–A

California League The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major Leagu ...

. He posted a combined .260 batting average, 13 home runs, and 74 RBIs in 136 total games between the two teams. In 2016, Muñoz played for the

Midland RockHounds The Midland RockHounds are a Minor League Baseball team based in Midland, Texas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Athletics major league club. The RockHounds play in Momentum Bank Ballpark, which ope ...

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 ...

, where he and Franklin Barreto switched between playing

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

and

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

, while Muñoz also played

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 ...

. In 102 games, he batted .240 with nine home runs and 39 RBIs. After the 2016 season, he played for the

Mesa Solar Sox The Mesa Solar Sox are a baseball team that plays in the East Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games in Mesa, Arizona, at Sloan Park, which is also the spring training facility of the Chicago Cubs. The team was establi ...

of 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 ...

and the Athletics added him to their

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

to protect him from becoming eligible in 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 ...

. He spent 2017 with both Midland and 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 ...

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), batting a combined .300 with 13 home runs, 68 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases in 112 games between both teams. In addition to the infield, Muñoz played as a

center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...

in 2017.

St. Louis Cardinals

On December 14, 2017, the Athletics traded Muñoz and

Max Schrock Max William Schrock (born October 12, 1994) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds. Career Amateur Schrock attended Cardinal Gibbons Hi ...

to the

in exchange for Stephen Piscotty. During 2018

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 ...

, he competed for a spot on the Cardinals'

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 ...

25-man roster. After hitting .375/.423/.625 with 18 hits and three home runs, scoring 13 runs with 9 RBIs over 48 at-bats in spring training, the Cardinals chose Muñoz over

Harrison Bader Harrison Joseph Bader (born June 3, 1994), nicknamed "Tots", is an American professional baseball center fielder for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees ...

and

Luke Voit Louis Linwood Voit III (born February 13, 1991) is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New Yor ...

for a spot on the Opening Day roster. During spring training, he played shortstop, center field, right field, and second base. Manager

Mike Matheny Michael Scott Matheny (born September 22, 1970) is an American former professional baseball player and former manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 13 seasons as a catcher for the Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis ...

said on Muñoz's varied skills, "“I haven’t seen anyone whose two primary positions are center field and shortstop.” Muñoz made his major league debut on March 29. After batting only .111 in 11 games, he was sent back down to the

Memphis Redbirds The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in Memphis, Tennessee, and are named for their Major League Baseball affiliate. The Redbird ...

of the PCL on April 16. He was recalled once again on May 18 when Paul DeJong was placed on the

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

. On May 22, he had four hits in a loss to 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 ...

. 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 ...

came with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning on May 31 at

Busch Stadium Busch Stadium (also referred to informally as "New Busch Stadium" or "Busch Stadium III") is a baseball stadium located in St. Louis, Missouri. It is the home of Major League Baseball's St. Louis Cardinals. It has a seating capacity of 44,383, ...

against the

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

, a three-run shot off

Felipe Vázquez Felipe Javier Vázquez ( Rivero, born July 5, 1991) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for Marineros de Carabobo of the Venezuelan Major League. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2015 to 2019 for the Washington Nationals a ...

to give the Cardinals a 10–8 win. Muñoz was placed on the disabled list for the first time in his major league career on August 11, and was activated on August 22. He finished his 2018 rookie campaign batting .276 with eight home runs and 42 RBIs in 108 games, spending time at six different positions. On March 7, 2020, Muñoz was released by the Cardinals after leaving spring training without telling the team.

Boston Red Sox

On March 24, 2020, Muñoz was signed to a minor league contract by the

; he was subsequently a non-roster invitee to spring training. His contract was selected on August 31, and he made his first appearance with the Red Sox on September 1, against 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 ...

. Muñoz was placed on the 10-day

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

on September 19 with a low back strain. Overall with the 2020 Red Sox, Muñoz appeared in 12 games, batting .333 with one home run and four RBIs. On December 7, 2020, Muñoz was outrighted off of the 40-man roster and assigned to Triple-A. On August 14, 2021, Muñoz registered a hit to extend his

hitting streak In baseball, a hitting streak is the number of consecutive official games in which a player appears and gets at least one base hit. According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is not necessarily ended when a player has at least 1 pl ...

with the

Worcester Red Sox The Worcester Red Sox (nicknamed the WooSox) are a professional minor league baseball team based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Beginning play in 2021, the team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, succeeding the Pawtucket Red Sox. Th ...

to 35 games, setting a new record for the Red Sox organization, surpassing the 34-game hitting streak that

Dom DiMaggio Dominic Paul DiMaggio (February 12, 1917 – May 8, 2009), nicknamed "the Little Professor", was an American Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 11-year baseball career for the Boston Red Sox (1940–1953). DiMaggio wa ...

had with the major-league Red Sox in 1949. Worcester later named Muñoz their MVP for the season, having batted .317 in 85 Triple-A games. Muñoz was added to Boston's active roster on August 27, after two players were placed on the COVID-related list. On September 1, Muñoz himself was placed on the COVID-related list. Muñoz appeared in five games for Boston during 2021, batting 1-for-11 (.091). On October 6, Boston assigned him outright to Triple-A. Muñoz became a free agent following the season.

Philadelphia Phillies

Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Buffalo Bisons - 20220820 - 03

On February 12, 2022, Muñoz signed a minor league contract with the

organization. On June 14, 2022, Muñoz was called up from the Triple-A

Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and they are named in reference to pig iron, used ...

to play with the

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 ...

against the

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 ...

. On November 9, Muñoz was removed from the

and sent outright to Triple–A. He elected free agency the following day.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On January 31, 2023, Muñoz 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 ...

organization. In 12 games for 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 ...

, Muñoz batted .304/.389/.391 with 5 RBI. On June 12, he was released by the Diamondbacks.

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos

On February 24, 2024, Muñoz signed with the

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos The Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos (English: Two Laredos Owls), formerly known as the Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo (English: Nuevo Laredo Owls), are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League. The Tecolotes are a binational baseball team, spli ...

of the

. In 56 games for Dos Laredos, he batted .302/.353/.426 with five home runs, 39 RBI, and five stolen bases. Muñoz was placed on the reserve list on July 12, and did not appear for the team for the remainder of the season.

Conspiradores de Querétaro

On December 20, 2024, Muñoz and Arnaldo Hernandez were traded to the Conspiradores de Querétaro of the

Personal life

Muñoz' father died when he was six years old. He and his two older brothers moved into his aunt and uncle's house in the village of Payita, where 12 people lived in a three-bedroom house, while his mother worked in the next town and sent them the money she earned.

Notes

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Munoz, Yairo 1995 births Living people Águilas Cibaeñas players Arizona League Athletics players Beloit Snappers players Boston Red Sox players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Mexico Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Dominican Summer League Athletics players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players Major League Baseball infielders Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic 21st-century Dominican Republic sportsmen Memphis Redbirds players Mesa Solar Sox players Midland RockHounds players Nashville Sounds players People from Nagua Sportspeople from María Trinidad Sánchez Province Philadelphia Phillies players Reno Aces players Springfield Cardinals players St. Louis Cardinals players Stockton Ports players Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos players Toros del Este players Vermont Lake Monsters players Worcester Red Sox players