Michael Cuddyer, Retired


Date of Birth: 3/27/1979
Birthplace: Norfolk, Virginia

Michael Cuddyer was first drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1997. He played in the minor leagues from 1998 through most of 2003, playing in just 84 games with the Twins from 2001 through 2003.

In 2004, his first full season in the major leagues, Cuddyer batted .263 with 89 hits and 22 doubles in 115 games. The following year, he was a reserve player. Defensively, he played primarily at third base but he also played at first base and second base and in right field.

Cuddyer had a breakout year in 2006, batting .284 with career highs in doubles with 41 and RBIs with 109. Two years later, he signed a three-year, $24 million contract that included a fourth year club option. After signing the contract, Cuddyer suffered injuries that limited his playing time in 2008 to just 71 games.

In 2009, Cuddyer came back strong from his injuries, batting .275 with 162 hits, 34 doubles, a career high 32 home runs, and 94 RBIs in 153 games. He continued to play well for the Twins, batting .271 in 2010 and .284 in 2011.

Cuddyer signed a three-year, $31.5 million contract with the Colorado Rockies in December, 2011. In 2013, he had a strong year, winning a Silver Slugger award and the National League batting title. He batted a career high .331 with 162 hits, 31 doubles, 20 home runs, and 84 RBIs in 130 games. He finished the 2014 season with 63 hits, 15 doubles, 10 home runs, 31 RBIs, and a .332 batting average in just 49 games.

On November 10, 2014, Cuddyer signed a two-year, $21 million contract with the Mets. He finished the 2015 season with 98 hits, 18 doubles, 41 RBIs, and a .259 batting average in 117 games. Defensively, he played 69 games in left field, 6 games in right field, and 18 games at first base. In postseason play, he had one hit in 11 at-bats in 6 games.

Cuddyer announced his retirement from major league baseball on December 11, 2015. He was hired by the Minnesota Twins as a special assistant to baseball operations on November 28, 2016.

Statistics for Cuddyer in 14 seasons (2002-2015) in the major leagues include:

  • 6 seasons with 150 or more hits, with a high of 165 in 2010
  • 5 seasons with 30 or more doubles, with a high of 41 in 2006
  • 4 seasons with 20 or more home runs, with a high of 32 in 2009

Career batting statistics for Cuddyer through 2015 include:

  • 1,536 games played
  • 1,522 hits
  • 333 doubles
  • 197 home runs
  • 794 RBIs
  • 1,101 strikeouts to 527 walks
  • .277 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Cuddyer as a right fielder through 2015 include:

  • 903 games played
  • 1,576 putouts
  • 24 errors
  • .986 fielding percentage

Personal Life

Cuddyer and his wife Claudia were married on November 11, 2006. They have one son and twin daughters.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Michael Cuddyer
ESPN - Michael Cuddyer