Christian Vazquez, Catcher, Minnesota Twins

Date of Birth: 8/21/1990
Birthplace: Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Nickname: Mini Yadi

Christian Vazquez, catcher for the Minnesota Twins, was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2008. He played in the minor leagues from 2008 through part of 2014. In 500 games, he batted .265 with 471 hits, 103 doubles, 251 RBIs, and 361 strikeouts to 204 walks. As a catcher, he made 470 assists, 3,501 putouts, and 42 errors in 441 games. He caught players trying to steal 37% of the time and he had a .990 fielding percentage.

Vazquez played in 55 games with the Red Sox in 2014. He hit his first major league home run on September 25th. He finished with 42 hits, 9 doubles, 1 home run, and a .240 batting average.

Vazquez had Tommy John surgery on April 2, 2015. He missed the entire 2015 season.

Vazquez spent time on the DL in 2016, playing in 57 games with the Red Sox. He batted .227 with 39 hits. Defensively, as a catcher in 56 games, he made 25 assists, 423 putouts, and 2 errors. He had a .996 fielding percentage and he caught players trying to steal 34.8% of the time. He didn't play in the postseason.

Vazquez finished the 2017 season with 94 hits, 18 doubles, 32 RBIs, 64 strikeouts to 17 walks, and a .290 batting average in 99 games. Defensively, as a catcher in 95 games, he made 47 assists, 794 putouts, and 8 errors. He caught players trying to steal 42% of the time. In the postseason, he had 2 hits in 6 at-bats in 2 games.

Vazquez spent time on the DL in 2018 with a finger fracture. He finished the season with 52 hits and a .207 batting average in 80 games. Defensively, as a catcher in 75 games, he made 650 putouts, 27 assists, and 3 errors. He caught players trying to steal 37.1% of the time and he had a .996 fielding percentage. In the postseason, he had 8 hits, 1 double, 1 home run, and 2 RBIs in 37 at-bats in 12 games.

Vazquez finished the 2019 season with 133 hits, 26 doubles, 23 home runs, 72 RBIs, 101 strikeouts to 33 walks, and a .276 batting average in 138 games. Defensively, as a catcher in 119 games, he made 71 assists, 994 putouts, and 1 error, and he caught players trying to steal 37.9% of the time.

Vazquez played in 47 games in 2020. He finished the season with 49 hits, 9 doubles, 7 home runs, 23 RBIs, 43 strikeouts to 16 walks, and a .283 batting average. Defensively, he played 1 game at second base and 42 games as Boston's catcher.

Vazquez finished the 2021 season with 118 hits, 23 doubles, 49 RBIs, 84 strikeouts to 33 walks, and a .258 batting average in 138 games. As a catcher in 132 games, he made 58 assists, 1,136 putouts, and 7 errors. He caught players trying to steal 25% of the time. In the postseason, he had 9 hits, 1 double, 1 home run, and 6 RBIs in 32 at-bats in 11 games.

Vazquez was traded to the Houston Astros on August 1, 2022.

Vazquez became a free agent on November 6, 2022. He signed with the Twins on December 16th.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Christian Vazquez
Baseball Reference - Christian Vazquez