Erick Aybar, Shortstop


Date of Birth: 1/14/1984
Birthplace: Bani, Dominican Republic

Erick Aybar, shortstop, is the younger brother of Willy Aybar, former player for the Tampa Bay Rays. The younger Aybar was signed by the Los Angeles Angels in 2002 and he had his first appearance with them in 2006, playing in 34 games with the Angels. It took several years, however, before Aybar became a regular player, playing in just 79 games in 2007 and 98 games in 2008.

In 2011, Aybar won the Gold Glove award. That season, he made just 13 errors in 142 games and he had 406 assists and 240 putouts. His best batting seasons were 2009, when he batted .312 with 157 hits, and 2011, when he had 33 doubles and 30 stolen bases.

Aybar had a strong 2015 season, finishing the season with 161 hits, 30 doubles, 44 RBIs, 15 stolen bases, and a .270 batting average in 156 games. As a shortstop, he made 359 assists, 71 double plays, 244 putouts, and 17 errors in 154 games. He had a .973 fielding percentage.

Aybar was traded to the Atlanta Braves on November 12, 2015. The Braves traded him to the Detroit Tigers on August 16, 2016. He finished the 2016 season with 101 hits, 19 doubles, 34 RBIs, and a .243 batting average in 97 games with the Braves and 29 games with the Tigers. Defensively, as a shortstop, he made 265 assists, 51 double plays, 126 putouts, and 13 errors in 93 games with the Braves and 11 games with the Tigers.

Aybar became a free agent on November 3, 2016. He signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres on February 7, 2017. He finished the 2017 season with a .234 batting average, 78 hits, 15 doubles, 11 stolen bases, and 57 strikeouts to 28 walks in 108 games. Defensively, as the Padres' shortstop in 99 games, he made 273 assists, 63 double plays, 117 putouts, and 9 errors. He had a .977 fielding percentage.

Aybar elected free agency on November 2, 2017. He signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins on February 23, 2018. He was released by the Twins on March 23, 2018.

Aybar signed with a Mexican League team on July 13, 2018, and he played in 43 games with them. He played in the Mexican League also in 2019. He didn't play professional baseball in 2020.

Aybar played in the Mexican League in 2021 and 2022.

Career batting statistics for Aybar through 2020 include:

  • 1,454 games played
  • 1,402 hits
  • 256 doubles
  • 473 RBIs
  • 155 stolen bases
  • 670 strikeouts to 285 walks
  • .271 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Aybar as a shortstop through 2020 include:

  • 1,337 games played
  • 3,393 assists
  • 758 double plays
  • 1,975 putouts
  • 149 errors
  • .973 fielding percentage

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Erick Aybar
ESPN Sports - Erick Aybar