Jonathan Rafael Villar Roque (born May 2, 1991) is a Dominican

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 leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

second baseman who is a free agent. He has previously played in MLB for the Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers,

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) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

, Miami Marlins,

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

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 and

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...

. Prior to 2017, Villar was primarily 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 wh ...

Career

Villar signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as an international free agent. Before the 2011 season, the Phillies traded Villar,

J. A. Happ James Anthony Happ (born October 19, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, Pittsburgh Pirates, New Y ...

, and

Anthony Gose Anthony Robert Gose (; born August 10, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher and outfielder in the Cleveland Guardians organization. Originally an outfielder, Gose transitioned from a center fielder to a pitcher, following the 2016 s ...

to the Houston Astros for

Roy Oswalt Roy Edward Oswalt (; born August 29, 1977) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Oswalt played for the majority of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Houston Astros. He also played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Texa ...

Houston Astros

Villar was named the 94th best prospect in baseball by '' Baseball America'' prior to the 2011 season. He was invited to Astros' spring training in 2012. Villar played for the

Oklahoma City RedHawks Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New M ...

in 2013, and was named the Astros' minor league hitter of the month for June 2013. On July 21, the Astros promoted Villar to the major leagues. On July 30, 2013, Villar stole home against the

. His strong finish to 2013 made him the team's Opening Day starter in 2014, but struggled offensively in 2014 as well as 2015. Nevertheless, he was named to the Astros' roster for the 2015 American League Wild Card Game. In the seventh inning, he pinch-ran for Chris Carter, stole second base, and scored on a single by

José Altuve José Carlos Altuve (; born May 6, 1990) is a Venezuelan professional baseball second baseman for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Astros signed Altuve as an amateur free agent in 2007, and he made his major league debut ...

to make the score 3–0, which ended up being the final score of the game.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Astros traded Villar to the Milwaukee Brewers for

Cy Sneed Cy Robert Sneed (born October 1, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of the Nippon Professional Baseball league (NPB). He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros in 2019 and 2020. ...

on November 19, 2015. Villar impressed Brewers manager

Craig Counsell Craig John Counsell (born August 21, 1970) is an American former professional baseball player who is the manager for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Counsell became the Brewers' manager in May 2015; he became the longest-te ...

in Spring Training, and became the Brewers' Opening Day shortstop. Villar played very well for the first half of the season despite the team's struggles, posting a .298 batting average, 6 home runs and a league-leading 19 stolen bases before the All-Star Break. After top prospect

Orlando Arcia Orlando Jesús Arcia (born August 4, 1994) is a Venezuelan professional baseball shortstop for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Milwaukee Brewers signed Arcia as an international free agent in 2010. He made his MLB debut in ...

was promoted to the Majors, Villar was moved to third base. He finished the year with 62 stolen bases, leading the league, four more than Billy Hamilton of the Cincinnati Reds, along with a .285 average, 62 RBIs, and 19 home runs. He led the National League in power-speed number (29.1). After the acquisition of

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 ...

Travis Shaw Travis Richard Shaw (born April 16, 1990) is an American professional baseball infielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers and Toronto Blue Jays—his nickname is Mayor of ...

, the Brewers announced that Villar would shift to second base. Villar struggled for most of 2017, and lost his starting job at second base after the Brewers traded for

Neil Walker Neil Martin Andrew Walker (born September 10, 1985) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates (2009–2015), New York Mets (2016–17), Milwaukee Brewers ( ...

. With Keon Broxton struggling, Villar began to get regular starts in

center field 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 ...

. Defensive struggles and the emergence of rookie outfielder Brett Phillips resulted in Villar once again returning to a bench role.

Baltimore Orioles

At the

trade deadline In professional sports within the United States and Canada, a trade is a sports league transaction between sports clubs involving the exchange of player rights from one team to another. Though player rights are the primary trading assets, draft p ...

on July 31, 2018, Villar, along with minor leaguers Luis Ortiz and Jean Carmona, was sent to the

by the Brewers who acquired

Jonathan Schoop Jonathan Rufino Jezus Schoop ( ; born October 16, 1991) is a Curaçaoan professional baseball second baseman for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, and Minnesot ...

for its postseason run. Villar was activated on August 2 and played his first game with the Orioles later that night. He collected two hits and scored a run in his Orioles debut. He collected three hits the next night, including his first RBI with the O's. Two nights later, he would collect three more hits in three at-bats, including a double, home run, one RBI, a walk and three runs scored. In 54 games, Villar hit .258/.336/.392 with eight home runs and led the Orioles with 21 stolen bases. Villar became the fifth Oriole to

hit for the cycle In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter who hits a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are rare in Major League B ...

in a 9–6 home loss to the

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

on August 5, 2019. He hit a

triple Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a " treble": Sports * Triple (baseball), a three-base hit * A basketball three-point field goal * A figure skating jump with three rotations * In bowling terms, three strikes in a row * ...

and a

double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * ...

in the third and fifth innings respectively off

Masahiro Tanaka is a Japanese professional baseball player for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). From 2007 through 2013, he played for the Eagles in NPB. Tanaka was posted by the Eagles after the 2013 season to be s ...

, a two-run

homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

in the sixth off

Tommy Kahnle Thomas Robert Kahnle (born August 7, 1989) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers ...

that had tied the game at 6–6 and a

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

in the ninth off

Aroldis Chapman Albertín Aroldis Chapman de la Cruz (; born February 28, 1988) is a Cuban-born American professional baseball relief pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees and C ...

. His one-out three-run homer off Caleb Ferguson in the seventh inning of an Orioles' 7–3 home victory over 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 ...

on September 11 was the 6,106th of 2019 and established a new major league record for most total

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 in a season, surpassing the 6,105 set two years earlier in 2017. He was the first MLB player with at least 24 home runs and 40 stolen bases in the same season since

Carlos Gómez Carlos Argelis Gómez Peña, nicknamed Go-Go, (born December 4, 1985) is a Dominican former professional baseball outfielder. He played for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay R ...

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

. Along with Starlin Castro,

Whit Merrifield Whitley David Merrifield (born January 24, 1989) is an American professional baseball second baseman and outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Kansas City Royals. He is a ...

Marcus Semien Marcus Andrew Semien (born September 17, 1990) is an American professional baseball shortstop and second baseman for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics and ...

and Jorge Soler, he was one of only five players to appear in all 162 games in 2019.

Miami Marlins

On December 2, 2019, Villar was traded to the Miami Marlins in exchange for Easton Lucas. With the

Marlins The marlin is a large billfish sometimes also known as the ''spearfish.'' Marlin may also refer to: Places *Marlín, Castile-Leon, a village in Spain *Marlin, Texas, city in Falls County, Texas, United States Sports *Cincinnati Marlins, a swim t ...

, Villar batted .259 with two home runs and 9 RBIs in 30 games.

Toronto Blue Jays

On August 31, 2020, Villar was traded to the

for Griffin Conine. On September 1, 2020, he made his Blue Jays debut. Overall with the 2020 Blue Jays, Villar batted .188 with no home run and 6 RBIs in 22 games. After the 2020 season, he played for Dominican Republic in the

2021 Caribbean Series The 2021 Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe) was the 63rd edition of the international competition featuring the champions of the Colombian Professional Baseball League, Dominican Professional Baseball League, Mexican Pacific League, Panamanian ...

New York Mets

On February 11, 2021, Villar signed a one-year, $3.55 million contract with the

. Villar hit his first spring training home run as a Met on March 7, 2021, off of Miami Marlins pitcher

Yimi García Yimi García (; born August 18, 1990) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins and Houston Astros. He signed wit ...

. He would go on to bat .249 in 142 games in the 2021 season. He elected for free agency following the season.

Chicago Cubs

On March 19, 2022, Villar signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Chicago Cubs. On June 24, 2022, Villar was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...

. On June 29, 2022, Villar was released by the Cubs.

Los Angeles Angels

On July 2, 2022, Villar signed a one-year contract with the

. On July 24, 2022, Villar was designated for assignment for the second time that season. In 13 games with the Angels, Villar batted .163/.226/.224 with a home run and 3 RBIs. He cleared waivers and elected free agency on July 29, 2022.

Seattle Mariners

On August 1, 2022, Villar 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) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...

. He elected free agency on November 10, 2022.

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Villar, Jonathan 1991 births Living people Águilas Cibaeñas players Baltimore Orioles players Chicago Cubs players Corpus Christi Hooks players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Dominican Summer League Phillies players Florida Complex League Phillies players Houston Astros players Lakewood BlueClaws players Lancaster JetHawks players Los Angeles Angels players Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic Major League Baseball second basemen Major League Baseball shortstops Major League Baseball third basemen Miami Marlins players Milwaukee Brewers players National League stolen base champions New York Mets players Oklahoma City RedHawks players People from La Vega Province Toronto Blue Jays players Williamsport Crosscutters players World Baseball Classic players of the Dominican Republic 2017 World Baseball Classic players Dominican Republic people of Spanish descent Dominican Republic people of Italian descent Syracuse Mets players Tacoma Rainiers players