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Raudy Read

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Raudy Read
Read with the Harrisburg Senators in 2018
Pericos de Puebla – No. 22
Catcher
Born: (1993-10-29) October 29, 1993 (age 31)
San José de Ocoa, Peravia, Dominican Republic
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
September 3, 2017, for the Washington Nationals
MLB statistics
(through 2019 season)
Batting average.250
Home runs0
Runs batted in0
Teams

Raudy Miguel Read Placencia (born October 29, 1993) is a Dominican professional baseball catcher for the Pericos de Puebla of the Mexican League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals.

Career

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Washington Nationals

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Read signed with the Washington Nationals as an international free agent on January 24, 2011.[1] He spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons playing in the Dominican Republic with the Dominican Summer League Nationals in the rookie-level Dominican Summer League.[2] He batted .157 with four home runs and 22 runs batted in (RBIs) in 42 games in 2011 and improved to .251 with nine home runs and 47 RBIs in 62 games in 2012.[2]

In 2013, Read played in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League for the Gulf Coast League Nationals,[3] who that year finished their regular season with a record of 49–9, giving them the highest winning percentage (.845) for a full regular season ever achieved by a minor-league baseball team based in the United States.[4] The team then won all three of its playoff games, defeating the Gulf Coast League Pirates in a single-game semifinal playoff and sweeping the Gulf Coast League Red Sox in the best-of-three league championship series, to become the 2013 Gulf Coast League champions.[5][6] Read appeared in 40 games during the championship season, batting .252 with two home runs, 17 RBIs, and two stolen bases.[2] Read spent 2014 with the Auburn Doubledays of the Low-A New York-Penn League, appearing in 57 games and hitting .281 with six home runs and 32 RBIs.[2] He continued to rise through the Washington Nationals's minor-league system, splitting 2015 between the Hagerstown Suns of the Single-A South Atlantic League and the Potomac Nationals of the High-A Carolina League, hitting .244 with five home runs and 36 RBIs in 82 games with the Suns and going 7-for-18 (.389) with two doubles and five RBIs in five games with Potomac.[2] He spent all of 2016 with Potomac, playing in 101 games and hitting .262 with nine home runs and 41 RBIs.[2]

The Nationals added Read to their 40-man roster after the season on November 18, 2016.[7] Read was promoted to the Harrisburg Senators of the Double-A Eastern League for 2017.[2] A right-handed hitter, he got off to a hot start at the Double-A level, hitting .345 with a pair of home runs in April before cooling off somewhat in May.[8][9] Read was named to the Eastern League's All-Star roster for the Western Division in 2017.[10]

Better regarded for his right-handed bat and arm strength than for his defense and blocking skills behind the plate, Read was described by Baseball America in 2017 as a team leader with a "take-charge" attitude.[11] The publication ranked him in July 2017 as the Nationals' ninth-best prospect,[12] while MLB Pipeline's midseason prospect ranking listed him at fourteenth-best in the organization.[13] Both considered him the team's best overall catching prospect.[13][12]

After hitting .265 with 17 home runs and 61 runs batted in 108 games for the Senators,[2] Read was called up to the major leagues for the first time on September 1, 2017, when the Washington Nationals added him to the roster along with two minor-league pitchers when major-league rosters expanded for the last few weeks of the 2017 season.[14] Read pinch-hit and grounded out on September 3, 2017, in his major-league debut against the Milwaukee Brewers. The next day, he hit an infield single deflected off the glove of Miami Marlins pitcher Jarlin García for his first major-league hit.[15]

On February 7, 2018, Read became the first rostered player in Washington Nationals team history to be suspended for violating MLB's policy against the use of performance-enhancing drugs. He received an 80-game suspension due to a positive test for the steroid Boldenone during the 2017 season. He denied using steroids and said he would appeal the suspension.[16] He was replaced on the Nationals' roster by utility infielder Matt Reynolds.[17] Read would play in 53 minor league games split between Harrisburg and the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs without appearing in a major league game due to his suspension.

Read spent the majority of the 2019 season with the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies, batting .275/.317/.546 with 20 home runs and 60 RBI. He also made 6 appearances for the big league club, going 1-for-11 with a single.[18] Read did not appear in a game for Washington in 2020. On October 13, 2020, Read was outrighted off of the Nationals’ 40-man roster.[19] He split the 2021 season between Washington's rookie-league affiliate, the Single-A Fredericksburg Nationals, and the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings. In 28 total games, he hit .284/.361/.590 with 8 home runs and 21 RBI. He elected minor league free agency following the season on November 7, 2021.[20]

Chicago White Sox

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On February 11, 2022, Read signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox.[21] He was assigned to the Double-A Birmingham Barons to start the season. He appeared in 88 games split between Birmingham and the Triple-A Charlotte Knights, slashing .303/.396/.557 with 18 home runs and 71 RBI between the two affiliates. He was released by the organization on September 18.

Spire City Ghost Hounds

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On February 20, 2023, Read signed with the Spire City Ghost Hounds of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.[22] In 81 games for the Ghost Hounds, Read batted .305/.351/.551 with 20 home runs and 53 RBI.

Pericos de Puebla

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On October 10, 2023, Read signed with the Pericos de Puebla of the Mexican League.[23] On November 2, Read was drafted by the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the Ghost Hounds dispersal draft.[24] In 71 games he hit .290/.326/.577 with 17 home runs and 66 RBIs.

Personal life

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Read is from San José de Ocoa in the southern Dominican Republic, about 70 miles (112 km) from the capital of Santo Domingo.[25] Prior to being called up to the major leagues on September 1, 2017, for a series at Miller Park against the Milwaukee Brewers, Read had never attended a regular-season Major League Baseball game.[26]

References

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  1. ^ jeremy.houghtaling@lee.net, Jeremy Houghtaling (July 25, 2014). "Catcher Raudy Read consistent at plate for Auburn Doubledays". Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h milb.com Raudy Read
  3. ^ Baseball Reference: Rafael Bautista
  4. ^ Wagner, James, "Nationals GCL Team Sets a Minor League Record," washingtonpost.com, August 29, 2013.
  5. ^ DiPietro, Lou, "Baby Bombers 2013 Playoff Log: One and Done for the GCL Yankees," yesnetwork.com, August 30, 2013
  6. ^ Dykstra, Sam, "Nationals capture GCL championship," September 1, 2013
  7. ^ Zuckerman, Mark. "Voth, Bautista among five players added to Nats' 40-man roster". Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  8. ^ Boyle, Tim (April 30, 2017). "Washington Nationals prospect Raudy Read off to hot start in Double-A". Outside Pitch Sports Network. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  9. ^ Boyle, Tim (May 30, 2017). "Washington Nationals: Single-A catcher Taylor Gushue continues to smash HRs". Outside Pitch Sports Network. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  10. ^ "Harrisburg Senators land three on Western Division All-Star team". PennLive. June 28, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  11. ^ Lusk, Lacy (February 22, 2017). "RAUDY READ STEPS UP HIS GAME". Baseball America. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  12. ^ a b Norris, Josh (July 24, 2017). "2017 Washington Nationals Midseason Top 10 Prospects". Baseball America. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  13. ^ a b "2017 Prospect Watch". MLB.com. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  14. ^ "Nationals recall right-handers Austin Adams and Erick Fedde, catcher Raudy Read; reinstate right-hander Ryan Madson and left-hander Enny Romero". MASN Sports. September 1, 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
  15. ^ Reddington, Patrick (September 4, 2017). "Washington Nationals' bats wake up, A.J. Cole solid in 7-2 win over Miami Marlins..." Federal Baseball. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  16. ^ Castillo, Jorge (February 7, 2018). "Raudy Read suspended 80 games, first on Nationals' 40-man roster to ever test positive for PED". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  17. ^ Todd, Jeff (February 12, 2018). "Nationals Acquire Matt Reynolds". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  18. ^ "Raudy Read Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics & History".
  19. ^ "Nationals Outright James Bourque, Raudy Read". October 13, 2020.
  20. ^ "2021-22 Minor League Free Agents for All 30 MLB Teams". November 9, 2021.
  21. ^ Adams, Steve (February 11, 2022). "White Sox Sign Catcher Raudy Read". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  22. ^ "Frederick Atlantic League Baseball Club Signs Two Former Washington Nationals". oursportscentral.com. February 20, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  23. ^ "LMB: Movimientos en listas de reserva - 10 de octubre de 2023". milb.com. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  24. ^ "ALPB Holds Dispersal Draft". oursportscentral.com. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  25. ^ Castro, Julio E. (September 4, 2017). "33 debutantes criollos en GL en 2017, una nueva marca". El Caribe (in Spanish). Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  26. ^ Castillo, Jorge (September 1, 2017). "Raudy Read has never attended a regular season Major League Baseball game". twitter.com. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
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