Carlos Gomez, Retired


Date of Birth: 12/4/1985
Birthplace: Santiago, Dominican Republic
Nickname: CarGo

Carlos Gomez, retired outfielder, was originally signed by the New York Mets in 2002 at the age of just 16. He started playing in the Mets' minor league system in 2004 and he made his first appearance with them three years later. In 2007, Gomez played in 58 games with the Mets, playing defensively in both left field and right field.

In January, 2008, the Mets traded Gomez to the Minnesota Twins. He batted .258 with 149 hits, 24 doubles, 59 RBIs, and 33 stolen bases in 153 games with the Twins in 2008. That year, he became a center fielder.

After a poor 2009 season, when he batted just .229 with 72 hits in 137 games, the Twins traded Gomez to the Milwaukee Brewers for J.J. Hardy. His first two seasons with the Brewers were mediocre at best, with a .247 batting average in 2010 in 97 games and .225 in 2011 in 94 games. He fared better in 2012, with a .260 batting average and 37 stolen bases in 137 games.

Gomez finally had a strong season in 2013, batting .284 with 152 hits, 27 doubles, 10 triples, 24 home runs, 73 RBIs, and 40 stolen bases in 147 games. As a center fielder, he won a Gold Glove award, making 391 putouts and 5 errors with a .988 fielding percentage in 145 games. After the season ended, the Brewers rewarded Gomez with a three-year, $24 million contract extension. He finished the 2014 season with 163 hits, 34 doubles, 23 home runs, 73 RBIs, 34 stolen bases, and a .284 batting average in 148 games.

Gomez was traded to the Houston Astros on July 30, 2015. He finished the 2015 season with 111 hits, 29 doubles, 17 stolen bases, 56 RBIs, and a .255 batting average in 74 games with the Brewers and 41 games with the Astros. As a center fielder, he made 269 putouts and 7 errors in 111 games. In 15 at-bats in 6 postseason games, he batted .267 with 4 hits, including 2 home runs, and 3 RBIs.

The Astros released Gomez on August 18, 2016. Two days later, he signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers. He finished the 2016 season with 95 hits, 22 doubles, 13 home runs, 53 RBIs, and a .231 batting average in 85 games with the Astros and 33 games with the Rangers. Defensively, as a center fielder in 85 games, he made 165 putouts and 1 error. In the postseason, he batted .154 with 2 hits in 13 at-bats in 3 games.

Gomez batted .255 in 105 games with the Rangers in 2017. He had 94 hits, 23 doubles, 17 home runs, 51 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, and 127 strikeouts to 31 walks. Defensively, as the Rangers' center fielder in 102 games, he made 229 putouts and 4 errors. He had a .983 fielding percentage.

Gomez became a free agent on November 2, 2017. He signed with the Tampa Bay Rays on March 3, 2018. He finished the 2018 season with 75 hits, 15 doubles, 12 stolen bases, 32 RBIs, and a career low batting average of .208. Defensively, as the Rays' right fielder in 100 games, he made 191 putouts and 7 errors.

Gomez became a free agent on October 29, 2018. He returned to his original team, the Mets, on a minor league contract on March 7, 2019. He played in 34 games with the Mets and 35 games in the minors before being designated for assignment on June 30, 2019. He elected free agency on July 3rd.

Gomez retired in January, 2020.

Career batting statistics for Gomez through 2019 include:

  • 1,461 games played
  • 1,189 hits
  • 236 doubles
  • 145 home runs
  • 268 stolen bases
  • 546 RBIs
  • 1,259 strikeouts to 319 walks
  • .252 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Gomez as a center fielder through 2019 include:

  • 1,191 games played
  • 2,781 putouts
  • 42 errors
  • .985 batting average

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Carlos Gomez
ESPN - Carlos Gomez