A.J. Ellis, Catcher, Retired


Date of Birth: 4/9/1981
Birthplace: Cape Girardeau, Missouri
College: Austin Peay State University

A.J. Ellis was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2003. He played in the minor leagues for nine years before becoming the Dodgers' starting catcher in 2012. From 2008 through 2011, he played in just 87 games with the Dodgers, spending the rest of his time in their minor league system.

In 2012, Ellis batted .270 with 114 hits, 20 doubles, 13 home runs, and 52 RBIs in 133 games. He did not have as good a season in 2013, batting just .238 with 93 hits, 17 doubles, and 52 RBIs in 115 games.

Ellis finished the 2014 season with 54 hits and a .191 batting average in 93 games. He fared much better in the postseason, batting .538 with 7 hits, 1 double, 1 home run, and 2 RBIs in 13 at-bats in 4 games.

Ellis and the Dodgers agreed to a one-year, $4.25 million contract on January 13, 2015. He batted .238 in 63 games with the Dodgers in 2015. As a catcher in 62 games, he made 49 assists, 515 putouts, and no errors. He caught players trying to steal 45% of the time. In 8 at-bats in 3 postseason games, he batted .250 with 2 hits and 2 strikeouts.

On December 2, 2015, Ellis and the Dodgers agreed to a one-year, $2.6 million contract. He was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies on August 25, 2016. He played in just 64 games in 2016, 53 with the Dodgers and 11 with the Phillies. He batted .216 with 37 hits.

Ellis signed a one-year contract with the Miami Marlins on December 12, 2016. He played in just 51 games with the Marlins in 2017. He batted .210 with 30 hits.

Ellis elected free agency on November 2, 2017. He signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres on February 15, 2018. He batted .272 with 41 hits in 66 games in 2018.

Ellis retired after the 2018 season ended. He was hired as a special assistant to the Padres' baseball operations department on February 11, 2019.

Career batting statistics for Ellis through 2018 include:

  • 672 games played
  • 466 hits
  • 229 RBIs
  • 414 strikeouts to 280 walks
  • .239 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Ellis as a catcher through 2018 include:

  • 620 games played
  • 393 assists
  • 4,622 putouts
  • 16 errors
  • .329 caught stealing percentage
  • .997 fielding percentage

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - A.J. Ellis
ESPN - A.J. Ellis