Garrett Whitley (baseball)
Garrett Whitley | |
---|---|
![]() Whitley with the Charlotte Stone Crabs in 2019 | |
Free agent | |
Outfielder | |
Born: Melrose, Massachusetts | March 13, 1997|
Bats: Right Throws: Right |
Garrett Alan Whitley (born March 13, 1997) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays as the 13th selection in the first round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft.
Amateur career
[edit]Whitley attended Niskayuna High School in Niskayuna, New York. As a junior, he batted .474 with two home runs and 25 runs batted in (RBI).[1] As a senior, he hit .356 with three home runs and 13 RBI.
Whitley was considered one of the top prospects for the 2015 MLB draft.[2][3][4][5][6] He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the first round, 13th overall, of the draft.[7][8] He committed to Wake Forest University to play college baseball but signed with the Rays.[9][10]
Professional career
[edit]Tampa Bay Rays
[edit]Whitley made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast Rays and was promoted to the Hudson Valley Renegades to end the season.[11][12] He posted a combined .174 batting average with three home runs and 17 RBIs in 42 games between both teams. He returned to Hudson Valley in 2016, where he improved, batting .266 with one home run and 31 RBIs along with 21 stolen bases in 65 games. In 2017, he played for the Bowling Green Hot Rods where he posted a .249 batting average with 13 home runs, 61 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases over 104 games.[13]
Whitley played with the Perth Heat for the 2017-18 Australian Baseball League season. He missed all of the 2018 season due to injury, but returned to play in 2019 with the Charlotte Stone Crabs, slashing .226/.339/.412 with ten home runs and forty RBIs over 114 games.[14] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[15] Whitley split the 2021 season between the Montgomery Biscuits and Durham Bulls, slashing .229/.338/.444 with 13 home runs, 35 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases over 88 games. He elected free agency after the season's end.[16]
Milwaukee Brewers
[edit]On December 9, 2021, Whitley signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers.[17] In 2022, Whitley played in 88 games split between the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers and Triple-A Nashville Sounds, hitting a cumulative .220/.355/.385 with 10 home runs, 35 RBI, and 19 stolen bases. He elected free agency following the season on November 10, 2022.[18]
Philadelphia Phillies
[edit]On December 24, 2022, Whitley signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.[19] He was assigned to the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils to begin the 2023 season, but struggled to a .161/.226/.232 batting line with one home run and 5 RBI in 15 games. He was released by the Phillies organization on May 25, 2023.[20]
References
[edit]- ^ Kelly, Michael (March 26, 2015). "Niskayuna standout Garrett Whitley ready for 2015 campaign". Your Niskayuna. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
- ^ Allen, James (January 18, 2015). "Hype builds for rising star". Times Union. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
- ^ Meslener, James (January 29, 2015). "Next Northeast Standout: Garrett Whitley". Baseball Essential. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
- ^ Allen, James (April 25, 2015). "Scouts study future stars". Times Union. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
- ^ Kelly, Michael (April 24, 2015). "Scouts anxious to see Anderson vs. Whitley". The Daily Gazette. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
- ^ Isenhart, Rebecca (August 27, 2014). "Senior catches eye of pro baseball scouts". Your Niskayuna. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
- ^ Allen, James (June 9, 2015). "Garrett Whitley drafted in first round by Tampa Bay Rays". Times Union. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
- ^ Topkin, Marc (June 8, 2015). "Rays take high school outfielder Garrett Whitley with top pick". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
- ^ Topkin, Marc (June 30, 2015). "Rays sign top draft pick Garrett Whitley". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on July 2, 2015. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
- ^ Kelly, Michael (June 30, 2015). "Whitley signs with Rays". The Daily Gazette. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
- ^ Allen, James (September 7, 2015). "Garrett Whitley enjoys first taste of pro baseball". Times Union. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
- ^ Kelly, Michael (February 11, 2016). "Garrett Whitley ready for spring training". Your Niskayuna. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
- ^ "Garrett Whitley Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". Retrieved November 3, 2017.
- ^ "Former Top Pick Whitley Sent to Hospital After Being Hit by Foul Ball | 95.3 WDAE".
- ^ "2020 Minor League Baseball Season Canceled". June 30, 2020.
- ^ "These seven Rays players just became free agents". November 3, 2021.
- ^ McCalvy, Adam (December 9, 2021). "Former top prospects among Crew's signees". MLB.com. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
- ^ "2022-23 Minor League Free Agents For All 30 MLB Teams". baseballamerica.com. November 13, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
- ^ "Zooming in on spring training battles with Phillies' roster mostly in place". nbcsports.com. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
- ^ "Transactions".
External links
[edit]- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- 1997 births
- Living people
- People from Niskayuna, New York
- Baseball players from New York (state)
- Baseball outfielders
- Gulf Coast Rays players
- Hudson Valley Renegades players
- Bowling Green Hot Rods players
- Charlotte Stone Crabs players
- Perth Heat players
- American expatriate baseball players in Australia
- Nashville Sounds players
- Montgomery Biscuits players
- Durham Bulls players
- African-American baseball players
- Biloxi Shuckers players