Ryan Hanigan, Catcher


Date of Birth: 8/16/1980
Birthplace: Washington, DC
College: Rollins College

Ryan Hanigan, catcher, first signed with the Cincinnati Reds in 2002 while he was still in college. He played in the Reds' minor league system from 2002 through 2008, playing in just 5 games with the Reds in 2007 and 31 games in 2008.

Hanigan suffered from a concussion in 2009 and from that season through the 2011 season he never played in more than 91 games with the Reds. He signed a three-year, $4 million contract extension with the Reds in March, 2011.

In 2012, Hanigan played in 112 games and batted .274 with 87 hits and 14 doubles. In 2013, he batted just .198 with 44 hits in 75 games. The Reds traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays in December, 2013 and he then signed a contract extension with the Rays that will last through 2016 with an option for 2017.

Hanigan finished the 2014 season with 49 hits and a .218 batting average in 84 games. Although his batting numbers are poor, he excels behind the plate, often throwing out players trying to steal. He also has a very high walk to strikeout ratio (31 walks to 39 strikeouts in 2014).

Hanigan was traded to the San Diego Padres on December 19, 2014. The Padres then turned around and traded him to the Boston Red Sox for Will Middlebrooks.

Hanigan spent time on the DL in 2015 after his hand was fractured in a game on May 1st. He finished the season with 43 hits and a .247 batting average in 54 games.

Hanigan played in just 35 games with the Red Sox in 2016. He batted .171.

Hanigan became a free agent on November 2, 2016. He signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies on January 25, 2017. He was released on March 30th. Three days later, on April 2nd, he signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies. He finished the 2017 season with a .267 batting average in 33 games with the Rockies.

Hanigan elected free agency on November 2, 2017. He signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians on February 15, 2018, and he was released on March 19th. He signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants on May 28, 2018. After 18 games in the minors, he was released on July 24, 2018.

Hanigan hasn't played professional baseball since 2018.

Career batting statistics for Hanigan through 2018 include:

  • 680 games played
  • 492 hits
  • 214 RBIs
  • 290 strikeouts to 255 walks
  • .251 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Hanigan as a catcher through 2018 include:

  • 656 games played
  • 291 assists
  • 4,440 putouts
  • 20 errors
  • .363 caught stealing percentage
  • .996 fielding percentage

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Ryan Hanigan
ESPN - Ryan Hanigan