Jhonny Peralta, Shortstop


Date of Birth: 5/28/1982
Birthplace: Santiago, Dominican Republic

Jhonny Peralta, shortstop, first signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1999 and he made his major league debut in June, 2003. He played in 77 games in 2003, but in only 8 games the following year. However, in 2005, Peralta became the Indians' starting shortstop. He stayed with the Indians until the end of July, 2010, when they traded him to the Detroit Tigers.

Peralta's 2013 season with the Tigers was cut short when he received a 50-game suspension for involvement with PEDs. In 107 games in 2013, Peralta batted .303 with 124 hits and 30 doubles.

On November 24, 2013, Peralta signed a four-year, $53 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. He finished the 2014 season with 147 hits, 38 doubles, 21 home runs, 75 RBIs, and a .263 batting average in 157 games. In the postseason, he batted just .161 with 5 hits and 1 RBI in 31 at-bats in 9 games.

In 2015, Peralta batted .275 with 159 hits, 26 doubles, 17 home runs, and 71 RBIs in 155 games. As the Cardinals' shortstop, he made 420 assists, 88 double plays, 157 putouts, and 8 errors in 148 games. In 14 at-bats in 4 games in the postseason, he batted .143 with 2 hits, including a double, and 1 RBI.

Peralta spent half of the 2016 season on the DL with thumb injuries. In 82 games, he batted .260 with 75 hits, 17 doubles, and 29 RBIs. Defensively, he played 7 games at shortstop and 67 games at third base.

The Cardinals released Peralta on June 13, 2017. He signed a minor league contract with the Red Sox on June 23rd. He spent most of the 2017 season in the minors, playing in just 21 games with the Cardinals. He was released by the Red Sox on July 13, 2017.

Peralta hasn't played professional baseball since 2017.

Statistics for Peralta in 15 seasons (2003-2017) in the major leagues include:

  • 4 seasons with over 150 hits, with a high of 167 in 2008
  • 5 seasons with over 20 home runs, with a high of 24 in 2005
  • 7 seasons with 30 or more doubles, with a high of 42 in 2008

Career batting statistics for Peralta through 2017 include:

  • 1,798 games played
  • 1,761 hits
  • 376 doubles
  • 202 home runs
  • 873 RBIs
  • 1,450 strikeouts to 606 walks
  • .267 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Peralta at shortstop through 2017 include:

  • 1,459 games played
  • 4,123 assists
  • 920 double plays
  • 2,097 putouts
  • 124 errors
  • .980 fielding percentage

Personal Life

Peralta and his wife Molly have three daughters, two of whom are twins.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Jhonny Peralta
ESPN Sports - Jhonny Peralta