Will Venable, Retired


Date of Birth: 10/29/1982
Birthplace: Greenbrae, California
College: Princeton University

Will Venable, retired center fielder, was first drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2004 but he opted to finish college instead. He was then drafted by the San Diego Padres. He played in the Padres' minor league system from 2005 through part of 2009. He joined the Padres for 28 games in 2008 and 95 games in 2009.

In 2010, Venable batted .245 with a career high 29 stolen bases. Two years later, in 2012, he batted .264 with 110 hits and a career high 26 doubles.

The 2013 season was Venable's best one with career highs in hits (129), home runs (22), and batting average (.268). Defensively, he played 80 games in center field and 97 games in right field.

In September, 2013, Venable signed a two-year contract extension with the Padres. He finished the 2014 season with 91 hits and a .224 batting average in 146 games.

Venable was traded to the Texas Rangers on August 18, 2015. He finished the 2015 season with 85 hits, 33 RBIs, and a .244 batting average in 98 games with the Padres and 37 games with the Rangers. Defensively, he played 39 games in left field, 63 games in center field, and 21 games in right field. He batted .500 in 2 at-bats in 4 postseason games.

Venable signed with the Cleveland Indians on February 26, 2016. He was released on March 27th. He signed with the Philadelphia Phillies the following day and stayed with them until he was released on June 11th. Three days later, he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. After just 12 games with the Dodgers, he was designated for assignment on July 7, 2016.

Venable became a free agent on November 7, 2016. He didn't play professional baseball in 2017. He retired in September, 2017.

Career batting statistics for Venable through 2017 include:

  • 967 games played
  • 707 hits
  • 118 doubles
  • 81 home runs
  • 135 stolen bases
  • 307 RBIs
  • 748 strikeouts to 254 walks
  • .249 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Venable as an outfielder through 2017 include:

  • 92 games played in left field, 322 games played in center field, 559 games played in right field
  • 1,570 putouts
  • 19 errors

Personal Life

Venable's father Max played in the major leagues from 1979 through 1991. He played for the San Francisco Giants, Montreal Expos, Cincinnati Reds, and California Angels.

Venable is one of the few baseball players who attended an Ivy League university (Princeton University).

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Will Venable
ESPN - Will Venable