Ben Zobrist, Retired


Date of Birth: 5/26/1981
Birthplace: Eureka, Illinois
College: Dallas Baptist University
Nickname: Zorilla

Ben Zobrist, retired second baseman, started out in college as a pitcher, shortstop, and second baseman. He was originally drafted by the Houston Astros in 2004 but he never played with them. He spent the 2004 and 2005 seasons in the minor leagues before being traded in July, 2006 to the Tampa Bay Rays. From 2006 through 2008, Zobrist was just a part-time player with the Rays, playing with them in just 52 games in 2006, 31 games in 2007, and 62 games in 2008. He was a shortstop for his first two seasons with the Rays.

Zobrist's first full season in the major leagues, 2009, was a strong one. That year, he batted a career high .297 with 149 hits, 28 doubles, a career high 27 home runs, 91 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases.

Zobrist and the Rays agreed to a three-year contract extension in April, 2010. The contract included club options for 2014 and 2015. In 2013, Zobrist batted .275 with a career high 168 hits, 36 doubles, 12 home runs, 71 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases in 157 games. He finished the 2014 season with 155 hits, 34 doubles, and a .272 batting average.

In January, 2014, Zobrist was traded to the Oakland Athletics. After just half a season with the Athletics, he was traded to the Kansas City Royals on July 28, 2015. He finished the 2015 season with 129 hits, 36 doubles, 56 RBIs, and a .276 batting average in 67 games with the Athletics and 59 games with the Royals. Defensively, he played 69 games at second base, 4 games at third base, 45 games in left field, and 5 games in right field. In postseason play, he batted .303 with 20 hits, including 8 doubles and 2 home runs, and 6 RBIs in 66 at-bats in 16 games.

Zobrist signed a four-year, $56 million contract with the Chicago Cubs on December 8, 2015. He had a good 2016 season, batting .272 with 142 hits, 31 doubles, 18 home runs, and 96 RBIs in 147 games. A difficult player to strike out, he had 96 walks and 82 strikeouts. Defensively, as the Cubs' second baseman in 119 games, he made 250 assists, 52 double plays, 177 putouts, and 7 errors. In the postseason, he batted .250 with 16 hits and 5 RBIs in 64 at-bats in 17 games.

Zobrist finished the 2017 season with a .232 batting average in 128 games. He had 101 hits, 20 doubles, 12 home runs, 50 RBIs, and 71 strikeouts to 54 walks. Defensively, he played 5 games at first base, 81 games at second base, 5 games at shortstop, 36 games in left field, and 32 games in right field. In the postseason, he had 4 hits in 26 at-bats in 9 games.

Zobrist had a good 2018 season, finishing with a .305 batting average in 139 games. He had 139 hits, 28 doubles, 58 RBIs, and 60 strikeouts to 55 walks. Defensively, he played 4 games at first base, 63 games at second base, 43 games in left field, and 61 games in right field.

Zobrist spent much of the 2019 season on the DL. In 47 games with the Cubs, he batted .260 with 39 hits.

Zobrist became a free agent on October 31, 2019. He retired in March, 2020.

Statistics for Zobrist in ten full seasons (2009-2018) in the major leagues include:

  • 4 seasons with over 150 hits, with a high of 168 in 2013
  • 6 seasons with over 30 doubles, with a high of 46 in 2011
  • 3 seasons with 20 or more home runs, with a high of 27 in 2009

Career batting statistics for Zobrist through 2019 include:

  • 1,651 games played
  • 1,566 hits
  • 349 doubles
  • 167 home runs
  • 116 stolen bases
  • 768 RBIs
  • 994 strikeouts to 832 walks
  • .266 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Zobrist as a second baseman through 2019 include:

  • 911 games played
  • 2,050 assists
  • 464 double plays
  • 1,350 putouts
  • 45 errors
  • .987 fielding percentage

Personal Life

Zobrist and his wife Julianna have one son and one daughter. He appears in a cameo role in the 2013 movie "Ring the Bell."

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Ben Zobrist
ESPN - Ben Zobrist