Yasmani Grandal, Catcher, Chicago White Sox


Date of Birth: 11/8/1988
Birthplace: Havana, Cuba
College: University of Miami

Yasmani Grandal, catcher for the Chicago White Sox, was first drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2007 but he opted for college. He was a star player in college and in 2010, the Cincinnati Reds drafted him and signed him to a four-year, $2.99 million contract. Grandal, however, never played for the Reds. He was in their minor league system in 2010 and 2011 and then they traded him to the San Diego Padres in December, 2011.

Grandal played in 60 games with the Padres in 2012. He batted .297 with 57 hits, 8 home runs, and 36 RBIs. As a catcher, he made 386 putouts and 5 errors with a .988 fielding percentage. On June 30, 2012, Grandal made major league history by being the first player to hit two home runs, one from each side of the plate, in his first career game.

In November, 2012, Grandal received a 50-game suspension for the use of PEDs. He played in just 28 games in 2013 due to the suspension and knee surgery. He finished the 2014 season with 85 hits, 19 doubles, 15 home runs, 49 RBIs, and a .225 batting average in 128 games.

On December 11, 2014, Grandal was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He finished the 2015 season with 83 hits, 16 home runs, 47 RBIs, and a .234 batting average in 115 games. As a catcher, he made 60 assists, 811 putouts, and 3 errors in 107 games. He caught players trying to steal 29.1% of the time and he had a .997 fielding percentage. In 10 at-bats in 3 postseason games, he had 1 hit and 2 RBIs.

Grandal finished the 2016 season with a .228 batting average in 126 games. He finished the season with 89 hits, 14 doubles, career highs in home runs (27) and RBIs (72), and 116 strikeouts to 64 walks. Defensively, as the Dodgers' catcher in 115 games, he made 55 assists, 1,022 putouts, and 5 errors. He had a .995 fielding percentage and he caught players trying to steal 28.9% of the time. In the postseason, he batted .107 with 3 hits and 3 RBIs in 28 at-bats in 11 games.

Grandal batted .247 in 129 games with the Dodgers in 2017. He finished the season with 108 hits, 27 doubles, 22 home runs, 58 RBIs, and 130 strikeouts to 40 walks. Defensively, as the Dodgers' catcher in 117 games, he made 54 assists, 1,089 putouts, and 6 errors. He caught players trying to steal 32.3% of the time. In the postseason, he had no hits in 8 at-bats in 4 games.

Grandal finished the 2018 season with 106 hits, 23 doubles, 24 home runs, 68 RBIs, 124 strikeouts to 72 walks, and a .241 batting average in 140 games. Defensively, as a catcher in 135 games, he made 47 assists, 1,114 putouts, and 7 errors. He caught players trying to steal 27.8% of the time and he had a .994 fielding percentage. In the postseason, he had 4 hits, including a double and a home run, and 1 RBI in 29 at-bats in 14 games. He struck out 15 times and walked 5 times.

Grandal became a free agent on October 29, 2018. He signed with the Milwaukee Brewers on January 14, 2019. He finished the 2019 season with 126 hits, 20 doubles, 28 home runs, 77 RBIs, 139 strikeouts to 109 walks, and a .246 batting average in 153 games. Defensively, as the Brewers' catcher in 137 games, he made 41 assists, 1,169 putouts, and 8 errors, and he caught players trying to steal 27% of the time. In the postseason, he batted .333 with 1 hit (a home run) and 2 RBIs in 3 at-bats in 1 game.

Grandal became a free agent on November 1, 2019. He signed a four-year, $73 million contract with the White Sox on November 21st. He played in 46 games in 2020, and he finished the season with 37 hits, 7 doubles, 8 home runs, 27 RBIs, 58 strikeouts to 30 walks, and a .230 batting average. Defensively, he was the White Sox catcher in 32 games. In the postseason, he batted .200 in 10 at-bats in 3 games.

Grandal spent time on the IL in 2021 with a torn tendon in his left knee. He finished the season with 67 hits, 23 home runs, 62 RBIs, and a .240 batting average in 93 games. In the postseason, he had 2 hits and 4 RBIs in 14 at-bats in 4 games.

Career batting statistics for Grandal through 2021 include:

  • 1,018 games played
  • 777 hits
  • 152 doubles
  • 172 home runs
  • 505 RBIs
  • 913 strikeouts to 574 walks
  • .240 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Grandal as a catcher through 2021 include:

  • 880 games played
  • 372 assists
  • 7,271 putouts
  • 50 errors
  • 26% caught stealing percentage
  • .994 fielding percentage

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Yasmani Grandal
ESPN - Yasmani Grandal