Jedd Lindon Gyorko ( ; born September 23, 1988) is an American former professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.
Standard arrangement of positions
In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...
. He 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
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
,
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 ha ...
,
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
and
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
. He is currently the manager of the
West Virginia Black Bears
The West Virginia Black Bears are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Granville, West Virginia, and play their home games at Monongalia County Ballpark, which is across the Monongahela River from Morganto ...
of the
MLB Draft League
The MLB Draft League is a collegiate summer baseball league that began play in 2021. Created by Major League Baseball (MLB) and ''Prep Baseball Report'', the league serves as a showcase for top draft-eligible prospects leading up to each summer' ...
.
Gyorko attended
University High School in
Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown is a city in and the county seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Monongahela River. The largest city in North-Central West Virginia, Morgantown is best known as th ...
. Playing for the school's baseball team as a
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 ...
, he was named one of the best baseball players in the state. He then enrolled at
West Virginia University
West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State College ...
, and set numerous school records for the
West Virginia Mountaineers baseball
The West Virginia Mountaineers baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate baseball program of West Virginia University, located in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. The program has been a member of the NCAA Division I Big 12 Conference ...
program. Gyorko won the 2010
Brooks Wallace Award
The Brooks Wallace Award is an award given by the College Baseball Foundation (CBF) to the best college baseball shortstop of the year. The award has been given annually since 2004. Until 2008 the award was presented to the nation's most outstandi ...
as the best shortstop in the
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
's
Division I.
The Padres selected Gyorko in the second round of the
2010 MLB draft
The 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 7–9, 2010 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey.
First-round selections
The draft order was determined based on the 2009 MLB standings, with the worst team pic ...
. Playing in
minor league baseball, Gyorko shifted to
third base
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
, and developed into one of the best
prospects in baseball. He made the Padres' Opening Day roster as their starting second baseman in 2013. The Padres signed Gyorko to a five-year contract extension worth $35 million early in the 2014 season, but traded him to St. Louis after the 2015 season. The Cardinals traded him to the Dodgers in 2019, and he signed with the Brewers for the 2020 season.
Early life
Gyorko was born on September 23, 1988, in
Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown is a city in and the county seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Monongahela River. The largest city in North-Central West Virginia, Morgantown is best known as th ...
, to Randall and Penny Gyorko.
[ His family also had a home on ]Cheat Lake
Cheat Lake is a reservoir on the Cheat River in Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States. It was originally named Lake Lynn, but the Board on Geographic Names officially decided upon Cheat Lake as the reservoir's name in 1976. The surfac ...
, where he stayed often in his youth.[ He was a fan of the ]Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
of 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).
When he was five years old, his father, Randall, and Jerry Mahoney, a former college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
player at West Virginia University
West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State College ...
(WVU) and WVU employee, began to train Gyorko to become a baseball player through various instructional drills.[ They trained at WVU's Shell Building, which Mahoney had access to, when the weather was too cold to train outdoors.][ In youth baseball, Gyorko played as a second baseman.][
]
Amateur career
Gyorko attended University High School in Morgantown. He played for the school's baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
, American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
, and basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
teams. He was an infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.
Standard arrangement of positions
In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...
for the baseball team, but primarily 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 ...
.[ In baseball, Gyorko was named to the All-Conference team all four years of his high school career. He was also named to the All-State team three times.] Gyorko also played American Legion baseball for four years. He led his American Legion teams to state championships in 2004 and 2007.
Gyorko played quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
and wide receiver for the football team,[ and ]shooting guard
The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. A shooting guard's m ...
and point guard
The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...
for the basketball team. In basketball, Gyorko was named All-Conference as a sophomore. University won the conference championship in Gyorko's junior year, as he averaged 17.4 points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by nu ...
(PPG), second best in the conference. He was named his conference's Player of the Year
Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year (POY) . In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award.
Association football
In association football, this award is he ...
and to the All-State second team. In his senior year, he averaged 18.2 PPG and was named to the All-State first team.
After weighing scholarship offers to play college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
from WVU, St. John's University and Clemson University
Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enro ...
, Gyorko chose to remain near home, enrolling at WVU in order to play college baseball for the West Virginia Mountaineers baseball
The West Virginia Mountaineers baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate baseball program of West Virginia University, located in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. The program has been a member of the NCAA Division I Big 12 Conference ...
team, which competed in the Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and M ...
of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
's (NCAA) Division I. Gyorko shifted to second base for his freshman year to accommodate senior Tyler Kuhn, who played shortstop.[ He had a 21-game ]hitting streak
In baseball, a hitting streak is the number of consecutive official games in which a player appears and gets at least one base hit. According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is not necessarily ended when a player has at least 1 plate ...
to start his tenure with the Mountaineers, registering a .500 batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
during the streak. As a freshman, Gyorko finished the season with a .409 batting average with eight home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s and 63 runs 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 ...
(RBIs), winning the Big East Rookie of the Year Award. He was also named to the All-Big East's second team, and the Freshman All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
teams of ''Louisville Slugger
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
'' and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association
The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) is an association of baseball writers, broadcasters, and publicists in the United States. It was founded in 1962.
The NCBWA compiles a preseason ranking of the top 35 teams in the nati ...
. In 2009, he played collegiate summer baseball
Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...
for the Brewster Whitecaps
The Brewster Whitecaps are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Brewster, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Whitecaps play their home games at Stony Brook ...
of the Cape Cod Baseball League
The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...
(CCBL), where he was named a league all-star, but he required shoulder surgery and was unable to play the entire summer season.
Following Kuhn's graduation, Gyorko returned to shortstop for the Mountaineers. In his sophomore season, Gyorko batted .421 with eight home runs and 58 RBIs. He set a Mountaineers single-season record with 28 doubles.[ He was named First Team All-Big East and Second Team All-American by ''Louisville Slugger''. After the season, he joined the ]United States national collegiate baseball team
The United States national baseball team represents the United States in international-level baseball competitions. The team is currently ranked 5th in the world by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. Team USA won the Olympic baseball t ...
, but did not make the final roster. He joined Brewster for the CCBL season, playing second base. He was named to the CCBL All-Star Team, and he competed in the home run derby, held at Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...
.[
Prior to Gyorko's junior season, in 2010, he was named the preseason Big East Player of the Year] and a Third Team All-American 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 ...
''. Continuing to play as a shortstop,[ Gyorko batted .381 with 19 home runs and 57 RBIs in his junior year.][ He won the 2010 ]Brooks Wallace Award
The Brooks Wallace Award is an award given by the College Baseball Foundation (CBF) to the best college baseball shortstop of the year. The award has been given annually since 2004. Until 2008 the award was presented to the nation's most outstandi ...
as the best shortstop in NCAA Division I.
By the end of his junior season, Gyorko established himself as the Mountaineers career leader in batting average (.404), doubles (73), extra-base hit
In baseball, an extra-base hit (EB, EBH or XBH), also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire anot ...
s (113) and the single-season leader in walks (43), doubles (28), extra-base hits (48), and total bases (192). He also tied the WVU records for career home runs (35) and single-season home runs (19).[ Gyorko was considered a potential first- or second-round pick in the ]MLB Draft
The first-year player draft is the primary mechanism of Major League Baseball (MLB) for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its teams. The draft order is determined based on a lo ...
following his junior year, Though he had one more year of eligibility remaining at West Virginia, Gyorko said "it has always been my dream to play professionally" and that he would "go and play for a living" after his junior year.[
]
Professional career
San Diego Padres
Minor leagues
Professional teams coveted Gyorko for his hitting ability, though they did not expect him to play shortstop at the professional level. Though his throwing arm was viewed as strong enough to allow him to play at any position in the infield, analysts believed that Gyorko would not have sufficient range
Range may refer to:
Geography
* Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra)
** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands
* Range, a term used to i ...
or speed to play shortstop professionally, and Gyorko understood he would likely change positions. Regarding his defense, Gyorko said "where I play n defense
N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''.
History
...
isn't a big concern for me. I'm just ready for this chance to live a dream and it will all work out."[
The ]San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
drafted Gyorko in the second round, with the 59th overall selection, of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft
The 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 7–9, 2010 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey.
First-round selections
The draft order was determined based on the 2009 MLB standings, with the worst team pic ...
. They selected Gyorko as a third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
. Gyorko signed with the Padres quickly, receiving a $614,700 signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
, while other draft selections held out for higher signing bonuses. After signing with the Padres, Gyorko was assigned to the Eugene Emeralds
The Eugene Emeralds (nicknamed the Ems) are a Minor League Baseball team in the northwest United States, based in Eugene, Oregon. The Emeralds are members of the Northwest League and are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants. Eugene plays their ...
of the Class A Short Season
Class A Short Season (officially Short-Season A) was a level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States from 1965 through 2020. In the hierarchy of minor league classifications, it was below Triple-A, Double-A, Class A-Advanced (cre ...
Northwest League
The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Pacific Northwest, Northwestern United States and Western Canada. A Class A Short Season league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Maj ...
, where he hit .330 with five home runs, 18 RBIs, and 35 hits in 26 games. He was then promoted to the Fort Wayne TinCaps
The Fort Wayne TinCaps are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and play their home games at Parkview Field. They won their lone Midwest Le ...
of the Class A Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...
. He hit a home run in his first at-bat
In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a bat ...
with the TinCaps. Gyorko batted .284 with 46 hits in 42 games.
Gyorko began the 2011 season with the Lake Elsinore Storm
The Lake Elsinore Storm are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The Storm plays their home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond (Pete Lehr Field), which opened in 1994; the park se ...
of the Class A-Advanced
High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...
California League
The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major Leag ...
. He split time between third base and designated hitter
The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...
, as fellow third base prospect Edinson Rincon was also a member of the Storm. Gyorko appeared in the California/Carolina League
The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...
All-Star Game, and was named the Top Star as he batted 2-for-4 with a run scored and one RBI. Gyorko batted .365 with 18 home runs and 74 RBIs for Lake Elsinore before he was promoted to the San Antonio Missions
The San Antonio Missions are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in San Antonio, Texas, and are named for the Spanish missions around which the city was founded. ...
of the Double-A Texas League
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
, following the promotion of Missions third baseman James Darnell.[ In 576 at-bats for Lake Elsinore and San Antonio, Gyorko had 192 hits, 25 home runs, 114 RBIs, a batting average of .333 and a .400 ]on-base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...
(OBP). Following the season, he competed in the Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fill ...
. He was named the 10th best prospect in the AFL that year, after he led the league with a .437 batting average.
Gyorko began the 2012 season with San Antonio, where he batted .262 with six home runs and 17 RBIs in 34 games. He was promoted to the Tucson Padres
The Tucson Padres were a minor league baseball team representing Tucson, Arizona in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). They were the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team moved to Tucson from Portland, Oregon for the 2011 season. I ...
of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
(PCL) in mid-May, as the Padres promoted Everth Cabrera
Everth Cabrera (born November 17, 1986) is a Nicaraguan professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres and Baltimore Orioles. He led the National League (NL) in stolen bases in 2012, and was a ...
and Alexi Amarista
Alexi Jose Amarista (born April 6, 1989) is a Venezuelan professional baseball utility player for El Águila de Veracruz of the Mexican League. Amarista was signed by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim as an amateur free agent in 2007. He has pl ...
from Tucson, released Orlando Hudson
Orlando Thill Hudson (born December 12, 1977) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball from 2002–2012 with the Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, ...
, and placed Jason Bartlett on the disabled list
In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL).
General guidelines
...
. He continued to split his time between second base and third base at each level after playing third in his previous minor league seasons.[ '']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 ...
'' ranked Gyorko as the 50th best prospect in their midseason ranking of prospects, after ranking him 98th coming into the 2012 season. With Tucson, Gyorko hit .328 with 24 home runs and 83 RBIs.[ He finished the season with a combined .311 batting average, .373 OBP, and .547 ]slugging percentage
In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...
(SLG), with 30 home runs. In 410 plate appearance
In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runner ...
s, he struck out
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is denote ...
only 68 times. ''Baseball America'' named Gyorko the best third baseman in Triple-A.[
]
2013 season
The Padres invited him to spring training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
in 2013, giving him a chance to win a job as the starting second baseman for the 2013 Padres. Gyorko impressed Padres' manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
Bud Black
Harry Ralston "Bud" Black (born June 30, 1957) is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is the manager of the Colorado Rockies. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pitcher from 1981 through 1995, most notably ...
with his hitting ability and defense at second base. With injuries to infielders Chase Headley
Chase Jordan Headley (born May 9, 1984) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. A switch-hitter, Headley made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the San Diego Padres in 2007, and also played for the New York Yankees.
H ...
and Logan Forsythe
John Logan Forsythe (born January 14, 1987) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers and Mia ...
, Gyorko made the Padres' Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years ...
roster, with the opportunity to alternate between second and third base. In his MLB debut, on April 1, 2013, Gyorko started at second base, but later shifted to third base. He also recorded his first MLB hit, a double off of Jonathan Niese. He hit his first major league home run off of Scott Feldman of the 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 ...
on May 1, 2013. His six home runs in May tied Evan Gattis
James Evan Gattis (born August 18, 1986) is an American former professional baseball designated hitter and catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros. Gattis has also earned the nickname of "El Os ...
for the most among MLB rookies. Gyorko had a .280 batting average through June 10, and missed the next 30 games due to a groin injury.
Gyorko batted .100 in July, but he improved his on-base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...
and on-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player both to get on base and to hit for power, two important offensive skills, are ...
in August, and passed Gattis with 16 home runs. He continued to swing at pitches outside of the strike zone
In baseball, the strike zone is the volume of space through which a pitch must pass in order to be called a strike even if the batter does not swing. The strike zone is defined as the volume of space above home plate and between the batter's kn ...
and not draw enough walks.[ Gyorko finished the season as the team leader in both home runs (23) and RBIs (63). He led all MLB rookies that season in OBP (.301), SLG (.444), and home runs, and his home run total was the third-most ever by an MLB rookie second baseman.][ He broke the Padres' record for home runs by a second baseman, passing ]Bret Boone
Bret Robert Boone (born April 6, 1969) is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. During his career Boone was a three-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner, and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner. He is a third generation professio ...
's 19 in 2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
. Gyorko was also the first MLB rookie second baseman to lead his team in RBIs.[ Additionally, he became just the second rookie to lead the Padres in either category since ]Nate Colbert
Nathan Colbert Jr. (April 9, 1946 – January 5, 2023) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman from 1966 to 1976, most prominently as a member of the newly formed San Diego Padre ...
in San Diego's inaugural season in 1969. He was named to ''Baseball America''s All-Rookie Team,[ and finished sixth in ]NL Rookie of the Year
In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to two outstanding rookie players, one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL), as voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). The aw ...
balloting.
2014 season
Going into spring training in 2014, Gyorko began focusing on improving his plate discipline
This is an alphabetical list of selected unofficial and specialized terms, phrases, and other jargon used in baseball, along with their definitions, including illustrative examples for many entries.
...
, while maintaining his aggressiveness in swinging at hittable pitches. He also lost weight in an effort to improve his flexibility. Gyorko agreed to a $510,900 salary for the 2014 season. On April 14, Gyorko signed a five-year extension with the Padres worth $35 million, which was the third largest for a player with only one year of service in the majors.[ After committing four errors in his first 25 games, Gyorko increased his infield practice with Glenn Hoffman, the Padres' third base and infield ]coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Co ...
.
After struggling to start the season, with a .162 batting average, the Padres placed Gyorko on the 15-day disabled list on June 6 due to plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis or plantar heel pain (PHP) is a disorder of the plantar fascia, which is the connective tissue which supports the arch of the foot. It results in pain in the heel and bottom of the foot that is usually most severe with the f ...
in his left foot. After missing 44 games, Gyorko was activated off the disabled list on July 28. With his 31st career home run on August 16, Gyorko succeeded Mark Loretta
Mark David Loretta (born August 14, 1971) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1995 and 2009 for the Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, ...
for most home runs as a Padres' second baseman. He batted .260 in his final 222 plate appearances of the year, but ended the season with disappointing numbers: a .210 batting average, .280 OBP, .333 SLG, and ten home runs.
2015 season
During the 2014–15 offseason, Gyorko worked to regain the muscle he lost during the previous offseason. With Matt Kemp
Matthew Ryan Kemp (born September 23, 1984) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He began his professional career in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in 2003, and played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Dodgers fr ...
and Justin Upton
Justin Irvin Upton (born August 25, 1987) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. Nicknamed "J-Up", he has previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tig ...
added to the Padres' lineup, Black hoped to reduce the pressure on Gyorko to perform.[ By late April, with Gyorko off to a 7-for-47 (.147) start to the season, he began to lose playing time to ]Yangervis Solarte
Yangervis Alfredo Solarte (born July 3, 1987) is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder for the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna of the Mexican League. He made his MLB debut for the New York Yankees on April 2, 2014, and has also played for th ...
, and to Cory Spangenberg
Cory Joseph Spangenberg (; born March 16, 1991) is an American professional baseball infielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, and St. Louis Cardinals, and ...
in May and June as he continued to struggle.
On June 10, after hitting .210 with two home runs in 46 games, the Padres demoted Gyorko to the El Paso Chihuahuas
The El Paso Chihuahuas are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in El Paso, Texas, and play their home games at Southwest University ...
of the PCL. Gyorko hit .279 with four home runs in 16 games, before the Padres recalled him on June 30. Gyorko made his first appearance at shortstop as a professional on August 17, and continued to play shortstop throughout the remainder of the season. Gyorko finished the season with a .247 batting average and 16 home runs in 128 games.[
]
St. Louis Cardinals
On December 8, 2015, the Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
traded Gyorko to 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 ha ...
in exchange for Jon Jay
Jonathan Henry Jay (born March 15, 1985) is an American professional baseball coach and former outfielder who is the first base coach for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego ...
, while also agreeing to pay $7.5 million towards the remaining $33 million guaranteed by Gyorko's contract. The Cardinals intended to use Gyorko as a backup for second baseman Kolten Wong, third baseman Matt Carpenter, and shortstop Jhonny Peralta
Jhonny Antonio Peralta (born May 28, 1982) is a Dominican former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). The Cleveland Indians signed him as an amateur free agent in his native D ...
. He opened the season as the Cardinals' starting shortstop due to an injury to Peralta. While playing the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
on April 5, he hit his first home run for the Cardinals. Due to the emergence of Aledmys Díaz
Aledmys Díaz Serrano (born August 1, 1990) is a Cuban professional baseball utility player for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays and Houston A ...
at shortstop and Wong's struggles, Gyorko received most of his playing time at second base.
In his first five games against the Padres, Gyorko homered in each game, totaling six, and also had 13 hits in 21 at bats with 10 RBIs. He reached 30 home runs for the first time on October 1, 2016, against the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
, also a game-winning hit.
In 2017, the Cardinals shifted Carpenter to first base, with Peralta and Gyorko playing third base. Gyorko became the Cardinals' regular third baseman after the Cardinals designated Peralta. Gyorko hit 13 home runs in the first half of the season, but only six after the All-Star break. He finished the year batting .272 with twenty home runs and 67 RBIs in 125 games. Despite two stints on the disabled list
In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL).
General guidelines
...
in 2018, Gyorko still appeared in 125 games, hitting .262 with 11 home runs and 47 RBIs.
Gyorko returned to a utility role in 2019 after the Cardinals acquired Paul Goldschmidt
Paul Edward Goldschmidt (born September 10, 1987) is an American professional baseball first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Lightly recruited out of The Woodlands High School in The Woodlands, Texas, Golds ...
. He played in 38 games for the Cardinals in 2019, batting .194 with two home runs and seven RBIs, before going on the injured list with a strained back. His rehabilitation was complicated by calf and wrist injuries.
Los Angeles Dodgers
On July 31, 2019, the Cardinals traded Gyorko to the Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
along with international signing bonus space and cash considerations in exchange for Tony Cingrani
Anthony Michael Cingrani (born July 5, 1989) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers. Prior to playing professionally, he playe ...
and minor leaguer Jeffry Abreu. He began a rehabilitation assignment with the Tulsa Drillers
The Tulsa Drillers are a minor league baseball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club.
Stadium
The Drillers play at ONEOK Field (pronounc ...
of the Texas League on August 3. Gyorko debuted with the Dodgers on August 18 against the 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 ...
, playing first base and going two for four at the plate. He appeared in 24 games for the Dodgers, with five hits in 36 at-bats (.139). In 2019, he had the slowest sprint speed of all major league third basemen, at 23.8 feet/second. The Dodgers declined Gyorko's contract option following the 2019 season, making him a free agent.
Milwaukee Brewers
On January 10, 2020, Gyorko signed a one year contract for $2 million with the Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
. The contract gave the Brewers an option for the 2021 season. In 42 games for the Brewers in 2020, Gyorko slashed .248/.333/.504 with nine home runs and 17 RBIs. His option was declined after the season, making him a free agent.
Coaching career
On April 12, 2021, Gyorko was announced as the manager of the West Virginia Black Bears
The West Virginia Black Bears are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Granville, West Virginia, and play their home games at Monongalia County Ballpark, which is across the Monongahela River from Morganto ...
for the inaugural season of the MLB Draft League
The MLB Draft League is a collegiate summer baseball league that began play in 2021. Created by Major League Baseball (MLB) and ''Prep Baseball Report'', the league serves as a showcase for top draft-eligible prospects leading up to each summer' ...
.
Personal life
Gyorko is the youngest of three sons. His older brother, Scott, attended WVU and played 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 ...
for the West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University (also referred to as "WVU" or "West Virginia") in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of college football. West Virginia plays its home games at Milan Puskar ...
team as a linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
. Jedd attends all Mountaineers football games.[ Gyorko used the money he received in his signing bonus to build a house in Morgantown near his parents' house.] Gyorko intends on finishing his bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in business
Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for pr ...
.[
Gyorko married his wife Karley in 2011.][ While he played with the Padres, the couple lived within walking distance of ]Petco Park
Petco Park is a baseball stadium in Downtown San Diego, California. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres, and has also been used as a venue for concerts, soccer, golf, and rugby.
The ballpark is located between Se ...
, the home stadium of the Padres, during the season, and returned to Morgantown during the offseason.[ Karley gave birth to twin sons in April 2014. They were born premature, and one remained in the hospital for a few extra days for observation. The couple's third child, a daughter, was born in May 2017.
Gyorko is a ]Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
. Gyorko has said, “Faith has always helped keep me grounded throughout the ups and downs of a season. When I have bad times, I always remember what is most important and that is my faith and my family. I’ve also learned to give the Lord credit regardless whether I have a good or bad game! Nothing I do is my own doing, it’s from the gifts He has given me!”
Notes
See also
* San Diego Padres all-time roster
* St. Louis Cardinals all-time roster
:''This list is complete and up-to-date through the 2022 season.''
The following is a list of players, both past and current, who appeared in at least one game for the St. Louis Cardinals franchise, including the 1882 St. Louis Brown Stockings, th ...
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gyorko, Jedd
1988 births
Living people
Baseball players from West Virginia
Brewster Whitecaps players
El Paso Chihuahuas players
Eugene Emeralds players
Fort Wayne TinCaps players
Lake Elsinore Storm players
Los Angeles Dodgers players
Major League Baseball infielders
Milwaukee Brewers players
Oklahoma City Dodgers players
Peoria Javelinas players
San Antonio Missions players
San Diego Padres players
Sportspeople from Morgantown, West Virginia
St. Louis Cardinals players
Tucson Padres players
Tulsa Drillers players
University High School (Morgantown, West Virginia) alumni
West Virginia Mountaineers baseball players
American people of Hungarian descent