Kevin Plawecki, Catcher, San Diego Padres

Date of Birth: 2/26/1991
Birthplace: Carmel, Indiana
College: Purdue University

Kevin Plawecki, catcher for the San Diego Padres, was a top player at Purdue University. In 2012, he was named the Big Ten Conference Baseball Player of the Year. He was drafted by the New York Mets that year.

Plawecki played in the Mets' minor league system from 2012 through 2014. During that time, he had 307 hits, 70 doubles, 171 RBIs, and 125 strikeouts to 97 walks in 290 games. Defensively, as a catcher, he made 126 assists, 1,840 putouts, and 16 errors.

Plawecki joined the Mets for 73 games in 2015. He batted .219 with 51 hits. He hit his first major league home run on April 25th. Defensively, as a catcher, he made 36 assists, 558 putouts, and 1 error in 70 games. He caught players trying to steal 25.6% of the time and he had a .998 fielding percentage.

Plawecki split his time in 2016 between the minors and the Mets. In 48 games with the Mets, he batted just .197.

Plawecki spent most of the 2017 season in the minors, playing in just 37 games with the Mets.

Plawecki played in 79 games with the Mets in 2018. He had 50 hits and a .210 batting average.

The Mets traded Plawecki to the Cleveland Indians on January 6, 2019. He finished the 2019 season with 35 hits and a .222 batting average in 59 games. Defensively, as a catcher in 57 games, he made 418 putouts and 2 errors, and he caught players trying to steal 22.6% of the time.

Plawecki became a free agent on December 2, 2019. He signed with the Boston Red Sox on January 2, 2020. He spent part of the 2020 season on the IL, playing in just 24 games with the Red Sox.

Plawecki again spent time on the IL in 2021. He finished the season with 45 hits and a .287 batting average in 64 games. In the postseason, he had 1 hit in 7 at-bats in 5 games.

The Red Sox released Plawecki on September 19, 2022. He signed with the Texas Rangers two days later.

Plawecki became a free agent on November 6, 2022. He signed a minor league contract with the Pirates on February 12, 2023, and he was released on March 27th. He signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals on April 3rd, and he was released on May 16th. Four days later, he signed a minor league contract with the Padres.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Kevin Plawecki
ESPN - Kevin Plawecki
Baseball Reference - Kevin Plawecki