Alexi Amarista, Utility Player

Date of Birth: 4/6/1989
Birthplace: Barcelona, Venezuela
Nicknames: Mighty Mouse, Little Ninja

Alexi Amarista, utility player, was first signed by the Los Angeles Angels in 2007. He played in the Angels' minor league system from 2007 through most of 2011, joining the Angels for 23 games that year.

Amarista was traded to the San Diego Padres in May, 2012, after playing in just one game with the Angels. He then played in 105 games with the Padres, finishing the 2012 season with 66 hits, 15 doubles, and a .240 batting average. In 2013, he had 87 hits, 14 doubles, and a .236 batting average in 146 games. He finished the 2014 season with 101 hits, 40 RBIs, and a .239 batting average in 148 games.

Amarista played in 118 games with the Padres in 2015. He finished the season with 66 hits and a .204 batting average. Defensively, he played at shortstop (85 games), second base, third base, left field, and center field. He pitched in one game.

In 2016, Amarista split his time between the major and minor leagues, playing in 65 games in each league. With the Padres, he had 36 hits and a .257 batting average.

Amarista became a free agent on December 2, 2016. He signed a one-year contract with the Colorado Rockies on January 17, 2017. He played in 96 games in 2017 and he finished with a .238 batting average and 40 hits. Defensively, he played 19 games at second base, 1 game at third base, 18 games at shortstop, and 23 games in the outfield.

Amarista signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers on January 24, 2018. He was released on March 24th. He signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies on March 27th. He was released on July 3rd, after playing 51 games in the minors.

Amarista signed with a Mexican League team on July 29, 2018. After playing in 14 games, he was released. He played in the independent Atlanta League in 2019.

Amarista played in the Venezuelan Winter League in 2020. In 2021, he played in the Mexican League, the independent Atlantic League, and the Venezuelan Winter League.

Amarista has continued to play in the Mexican League.

Career batting statistics for Amarista through 2018 include:

• 702 games played
• 404 hits
• 67 doubles
• 169 RBIs
• 295 strikeouts to 109 walks
• .231 batting average

Personal Life

At around 5'6", Amarista is one of the shortest players in major league baseball. Only Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros is shorter.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Alexi Amarista
ESPN - Alexi Amarista