Billy R. Hamilton (born September 9, 1990) is an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...

in the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

organization. He has played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...

and

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

. The Reds selected Hamilton in the second round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft, and he made his MLB debut in 2013. Known for his speed, Hamilton holds the Minor League Baseball single-season

stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...

record with 155 steals—10 higher than the previous Minor League record set by Vince Coleman. He also holds the Cincinnati Reds record for most stolen bases by a

rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

in a season, and stole 230 bases from 2014 to 2017, the most of any player in MLB over that time period. He ranked third in steals among all MLB players in the 2010's with 299 steals in the decade.

Early career

Amateur career

Hamilton attended Taylorsville High School in

Taylorsville, Mississippi Taylorsville is a town located in southeastern Smith County, Mississippi, United States. With a population of 1,353 in the 2010 census, the town is the second most populous city in Smith County, Mississippi. History Taylorsville was establishe ...

, where he was all-state in baseball, football and basketball. He was a top football prospect at wide receiver, signing a

letter of intent A letter of intent (LOI or LoI, or Letter of Intent) is a document outlining the understanding between two or more parties which they intend to formalize in a contract, legally binding agreement. The concept is similar to a Heads of agreement ( ...

to play

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Mississippi State University Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Unive ...

Minor league career

The

selected Hamilton in the second round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. Prior to the 2011 season, Hamilton was ranked by ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...

'' as the 50th-best prospect in baseball. That season, while playing for the

Dayton Dragons The Dayton Dragons are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Dayton, Ohio, and play their home games at Day Air Ballpark, formerly known as Fifth Third Field. In 2 ...

, Hamilton became the 12th minor league player to have 100

s in a season, and the first since 2001. He finished the 2011 season with 104 total stolen bases and hit .278/.340/.360. Prior to 2012, ''Baseball America'' ranked Hamilton as the 48th-best prospect. MLB rated Hamilton as the 31st-best prospect, fourth-best shortstop, and the second-best prospect in the Reds organization behind catcher

Devin Mesoraco Devin Douglas Mesoraco (born June 19, 1988) is an American baseball coach and former professional baseball catcher, who is the current catching coach for the Pittsburgh Panthers. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati R ...

. On August 21, 2012, Hamilton stole a record 146th base in his 120th game of the season for the

Pensacola Blue Wahoos The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are based in Pensacola, Florida, and play their home games at Admiral Fetterman Field. In 2012, the team rel ...

. The record was previously held by Vince Coleman for the Class A

Macon Redbirds Macon may refer to: Places Belgium *Macon, Belgium France *Mâcon **Ancient Diocese of Mâcon **Mâcon, another name for the Mâconnais wine from that region United States of America *Macon, Alabama *Macon, Georgia *Macon, Illinois *Macon, Mis ...

, set in 1983. He finished the 2012 season with 155 stolen bases and hit .311/.410/.420. After the 2012 season, the Reds announced that Hamilton, who originally played

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

, would move to center field for 2013.

Bill Bavasi William Joseph Bavasi (born December 27, 1957) is a former Major League Baseball general manager. He currently works as director of the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau, appointed in November 2014. Bavasi previously served as an assistant to ...

, the Reds' vice president of scouting and player development, told MLB.com that the move was made for several reasons, including the fact that two other established shortstops,

Zack Cozart Zachary Warren Cozart (born August 12, 1985) is an American former professional baseball shortstop. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Angels. The Reds selected Cozart in the second round of the 200 ...

and

Didi Gregorius Mariekson Julius "Didi" Gregorius (born February 18, 1990) is a Dutch professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees and Philadel ...

, were already on the roster. Prior to the 2013 season, Hamilton was ranked as the Reds' best prospect by ''

''. For the season with the

Louisville Bats The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, win ...

, in 123 games he stole 75 bases and hit .256/.308/.343.

Major League career

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds promoted Hamilton to the major leagues on September 2, 2013, and made his debut on September 3 against the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...

as a pinch runner for

Ryan Ludwick Ryan Andrew Ludwick (born July 13, 1978) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, and ...

. He stole second base off

Yadier Molina Yadier Benjamín Molina (; born July 13, 1982), nicknamed "Yadi", is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher who played his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Widely considered one of the great ...

, and came around to score on a

Todd Frazier Todd Brian Frazier (born February 12, 1986), nicknamed "The Toddfather", is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Texas Rang ...

double. Hamilton appeared in four major league games as a pinch runner until September 10 when, in the seventh inning, he replaced

Shin-Soo Choo Shin-Soo Choo (; ; born July 13, 1982) is a South Korean professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter for the SSG Landers of the KBO League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, Ci ...

in center field and also made his batting debut, going 0-for-2 in a loss at home to the

Hamilton made his first start on September 18, 2013, in a Reds road win over the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

. Playing center field and batting ninth, in his first at-bat of the game he notched his first Major League hit, a second-inning double to left field off Astros' starter

Brad Peacock Bradley Joseph Peacock (born February 2, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, and Boston Red Sox. Listed at and , he th ...

, and later got his first

run batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...

, driving in Todd Frazier with an

infield single An infield hit is an outcome in baseball in which the batted ball stays in the infield, but neither the batter (baseball), batter nor any baserunning, runners are out (baseball), put out. If the batter and runners reach safely due to an error (base ...

. For the game (which went 13 innings), Hamilton reached base five times, going 3-for-4 with two walks, two runs scored, one RBI, and four stolen bases in four attempts off four pitchers. Hamilton became the first Major League player since 1920 to steal four bases in his first Major League start. In his first 10 times on base, he stole nine bases and scored six runs. He was successful in his first 13 steal attempts, before being thrown out on his 14th attempt. Hamilton became a regular with the Cincinnati Reds in 2014. He had something of a rough start to the season, hitting just .221 through April 27 and being caught in five of his first 15 attempts at stealing. By around the time of the All-Star break, however, Hamilton's stats had greatly improved and he was attracting positive attention from a number of sources, tipped as a potential

Gold Glove The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...

candidate for defense and also noted for unexpected power hitting. On September 2, Hamilton, with his 55th stolen base of the season, set a Cincinnati Reds franchise record for most stolen bases in a season by a rookie, edging out the mark of 54 set in 1909 by

Bob Bescher Robert Henry Bescher (February 25, 1884 – November 29, 1942) was a baseball outfielder who played 11 seasons in the major leagues. Born in London, Ohio, he played his best seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, and was one of the National League' ...

. Despite this, Hamilton was second in Major League Baseball for stolen bases at the time, with

Dee Gordon Devaris "Dee" Strange-Gordon (born April 22, 1988) is an American professional baseball second baseman, shortstop, and center fielder who is currently a free agent. He has played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Mar ...

having recorded 58. For the season, he batted .250/.292/.355 with 56 stolen bases while leading the league in being caught stealing, with 23. On October 23, Hamilton was nominated for the 2014

for National League Center field, but lost to

Juan Lagares Juan Osvaldo Lagares (born March 17, 1989) is a Dominican professional baseball center fielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets and Los Angeles Angels, and in the KBO League for the SSG Land ...

of the

. Hamilton also finished 2nd in NL Rookie of the Year voting, losing out to New York Mets pitcher

Jacob DeGrom Jacob Anthony deGrom (born June 19, 1988), is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Mets. Prior to playing professionally, deGrom attend ...

. At the opening of the 2015 season, Hamilton joined Vince Coleman (1987) as the only players in Major League Baseball history to steal six bases in their team's first three games. In the following game, he stole a seventh base, again matching Coleman for a record by being one of two players to steal seven bases within the first four games of the season. He ended the season hitting .226/.274/.289 with 8 doubles and 3 triples (all career lows) and 57 stolen bases in 412 at bats. Balls he hit had the lowest average

exit velocity In baseball statistics, exit velocity (EV) is the estimated speed at which a batted ball is travelling as it is coming off the player's bat. Batters generally aim for a higher exit velocity in order to give opposing fielders less time to react ...

of any major leaguer (79.3 miles per hour), and he had the ninth-fastest sprint speed among major leaguers (29.7 feet per second). In 2016, Hamilton hit a career-best .260 with a career-low 3 home runs and 17 RBIs in 119 games, going 58/66 in stolen bases. Balls he hit had the second-lowest average exit velocity of any major leaguer (80.0 miles per hour), and he had the sixth-fastest sprint speed among major leaguers (30.2 feet per second). On May 4, 2017, Hamilton stole his 200th career base. He ended the season batting .247/.299/.335 while establishing career bests in at bats (582), runs (85), hits (144), triples (11), and a career high in strikeouts (133). He also went 59/72 in stolen base attempts. Balls he hit had the second-lowest average exit velocity of any major leaguer (78.6 miles per hour), and he had the sixth-fastest sprint speed among major leaguers (30.1 feet per second). In 2018, Hamilton led all NL outfielders with 12 assists, but struggled offensively all season, hitting just .236/.299/.327 with 132 strikeouts while going 34/44 in stolen base attempts. Balls he hit had the lowest average exit velocity of any major leaguer (79.4 miles per hour), and he had the fifth-fastest sprint speed among major leaguers (30.1 feet per second). He earned $4.6 million. Reds general manager Nick Krall said he tried to trade Hamilton, but there was no interest on the part of other teams. After the 2018 season, the Reds non-tendered Hamilton, making him a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

Kansas City Royals

On December 11, 2018, Hamilton signed a one-year $5.25 million contract that included up to $1 million in incentives with a mutual option for the 2020 season, with the

. On August 16, 2019, Hamilton was designated for assignment.

Atlanta Braves

On August 19, 2019, Hamilton was claimed off waivers by the

. In 2019, between the two teams he batted .218/.289/.275 in 316 at bats, with 22 stolen bases in 28 attempts. Balls he hit again had the lowest average exit velocity of any major leaguer (78.3 miles per hour), and he had the lowest percentage of hard hit balls of any major leaguer (7.3%).

San Francisco Giants

On February 7, 2020, Hamilton signed a minor league deal with the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

. He never appeared in a game at the Major League level for the Giants after the restart.

New York Mets

On August 2, 2020, the Giants traded Hamilton to the

in exchange for Jordan Humphreys. On August 4, Hamilton was selected to the active roster. On September 3 during a Subway Series with the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

leading the Mets 7–6, Hamilton replaced

Jeff McNeil Jeff McNeil (born April 8, 1992), nicknamed "Squirrel" or "Flying Squirrel", is an American professional baseball utility player for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). In 2022, he won the MLB Batting Title and the Silver Slugger A ...

as a pinch runner at the bottom the ninth inning. He forced Aroldis Chapman to balk and advanced to 2nd base, however was caught stealing 3rd base (with no outs). On September 4, Hamilton was designated for assignment.

Chicago Cubs

On September 7, 2020, the

claimed Hamilton off waivers. In 2020, between the two teams Hamilton batted .125/.171/.219 with one home run and two RBIs in 32 at bats, and stole six bases in eight attempts.

Cleveland Indians

On February 15, 2021, Hamilton signed a minor league contract with the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

. The deal includes an invitation to the Indians' 2021 major league spring training camp. On March 13, 2021, Hamilton was released by the Indians after being informed he would not make the Opening Day roster.

Chicago White Sox

On March 16, 2021, Hamilton signed a minor league contract with the

organization. On April 1, 2021, Hamilton was selected to the 40-man roster. On May 29, Hamilton hit his first White Sox home run off

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

pitcher John Means. The following day, he homered again off Orioles pitcher

Keegan Akin Keegan Lee Akin (born April 1, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2020. Amateur career Akin attended Bullock Creek High School in Midland, Michiga ...

. Hamilton elected free agency following the 2021 season. In 2021 for the White Sox he batted .220/.242/.378 in 127 at bats, with 23 runs, three triples, two home runs, and 11 RBIs, and stole nine bases without being caught.

Seattle Mariners

On March 21, 2022, Hamilton signed a minor league contract with the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...

. He opted out of his contract and became a free agent again on June 1, 2022.

Miami Marlins

On June 21, 2022, Hamilton signed a minor league contract with the

. He was promoted to the team's major league roster on July 1. He was sent outright on August 12, 2022 and elected free agency on August 14. He was 1-for-13 for the Marlins, with one walk and seven steals without being caught.

Minnesota Twins

On August 29, 2022, Hamilton signed a minor league deal with the

. He was promoted to the major league roster on September 1. In 2022 he was 0-for-7 for the Twins, with a walk and three steals in four attempts.

Chicago White Sox (second stint)

On December 16, 2022, Hamilton signed a minor league deal with the

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Billy 1990 births Living people African-American baseball players Baseball players from Mississippi People from Collins, Mississippi Baseball shortstops Major League Baseball center fielders Cincinnati Reds players Kansas City Royals players Atlanta Braves players New York Mets players Chicago Cubs players Chicago White Sox players Miami Marlins players Minnesota Twins players Gulf Coast Reds players Billings Mustangs players Dayton Dragons players Leones de Ponce players Bakersfield Blaze players Pensacola Blue Wahoos players Peoria Javelinas players Louisville Bats players Cangrejeros de Santurce (baseball) players Charlotte Knights players Tacoma Rainiers players Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp players Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente outfielders 21st-century African-American sportspeople