Matt Adams, Infield, Washington Nationals

Date of Birth: 8/31/1988
Birthplace: Philipsburg, Pennsylvania
College: Slippery Rock University

Matt Adams, infielder for the Washington Nationals, was first drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2009. He played in the minor leagues until 2012 when he made his first appearance with the Cardinals, playing in 27 games with them that season.

In 2013, his first full season with the Cardinals, Adams batted .284 with 84 hits, 14 doubles, 17 home runs, and 51 RBIs in 108 games. He finished the 2014 season with 152 hits, 34 doubles, 15 home runs, 68 RBIs, and a .288 batting average in 142 games. In the postseason, he had 7 hits, 3 home runs, 7 RBIs, and a .233 batting average in 30 at-bats in 9 games.

Adams spent three months on the DL in 2015 with a torn quadriceps muscle. He finished the season with 42 hits and a .240 batting average in 60 games.

In 2016, Adams batted .249 in 118 games. He finished the season with 74 hits, 16 home runs, and 54 RBIs.

The Cardinals traded Adams to the Atlanta Braves on May 20, 2017. He finished the season with 93 hits, 22 doubles, 20 home runs, 65 RBIs, 88 strikeouts to 23 walks, and a .274 batting average in 31 games with the Cardinals and 100 games with the Braves. Defensively, he played 62 games at first base and 19 games in left field.

Adams became a free agent on December 1, 2017. He signed with the Washington Nationals on December 22, 2017. He returned to his first team, the Cardinals, when they claimed him off waivers on August 21, 2018. He finished the 2018 season with 73 hits, 57 RBIs, 73 strikeouts to 27 walks, and a .239 batting average in 94 games with the Nationals and 27 games with the Cardinals. Defensively, he played 63 games at first base, 16 games in left field, and 1 game in right field.

Adams became a free agent on October 29, 2018. He returned to the Nationals on a new contract on December 18, 2018. He spent time on the DL in 2019 with left shoulder strain. He finished the season with 70 hits, 14 doubles, 20 home runs, 56 RBIs, 115 strikeouts to 20 walks, and a .226 batting average in 111 games. Defensively, as a first baseman in 79 games, he made 51 assists, 40 double plays, 502 putouts, and 5 errors. In the postseason, he had 1 hit in 3 at-bats in 4 games.

Adams became a free agent on November 1, 2019. He signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets on January 31, 2020. He was released on July 18th. Two days later, he returned to the Braves on a minor league contract. The Braves released him on September 3, 2020. He played in just 16 games in 2020.

Adams signed with the Colorado Rockies on March 28, 2021. He was released on July 27th. He played in just 22 games with the Rockies before being released.

Adams signed a minor league contract with the Nationals on December 19, 2022.

Career batting statistics for Adams through 2021 include:

• 856 games played
• 624 hits
• 130 doubles
• 118 home runs
• 399 RBIs
• 643 strikeouts to 165 walks
• .258 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Adams at first base through 2021 include:

• 576 games played
• 367 assists
• 407 double plays
• 4,302 putouts
• 37 errors
• .992 fielding percentage

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Matt Adams
ESPN - Matt Adams