History of Harrison Bader in Timeline

Harrison Bader, nicknamed "Tots", is an American professional baseball center fielder currently a free agent. He has played in MLB for several teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, and Philadelphia Phillies. Bader is known for his defensive skills in center field and his contributions as a hitter.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1987: Highest Zone Rating since 1987

In 2019, Harrison Bader had a .956 zone rating, which was the highest by a Cardinals outfielder since the category was first tracked in 1987.

June 3, 1994: Harrison Bader Born

On June 3, 1994, Harrison Joseph Bader, nicknamed "Tots", was born. He became a professional baseball center fielder.

Others born on this day/year

2000: First Cardinals Center Fielder Gold Glove since 2000

In 2021, Harrison Bader won the Gold Glove Award in center field, marking the first time a Cardinals center fielder had won the award since Jim Edmonds in 2000.

2003: Most Double Plays since Edmonds

In 2019, Harrison Bader led National League outfielders with four double plays, the most by a Cardinals outfielder since Jim Edmonds had five in 2003.

2009: Most hits by a Cardinal since Colby Rasmus

In 2018, Harrison Bader recorded 100 hits which was the most since Colby Rasmus in 2009.

October 2011: Committed to Pittsburgh

In October 2011, Harrison Bader initially committed to the University of Pittsburgh for college baseball, but never signed a letter of intent.

May 2012: Decommitted from Pittsburgh

In May 2012, Harrison Bader decommitted from the University of Pittsburgh and then committed to the University of Maryland without a scholarship.

July 2012: Committed to Florida

In July 2012, Harrison Bader decommitted from the University of Maryland and accepted a scholarship from the University of Florida.

2012: All-Region Honors

In 2012, as a senior at Horace Mann School, Harrison Bader was named first-team all-region, first-team all-state, first-team all-city, and to the Rawlings Northeast All-Region First Team after batting .500 with a .783 slugging percentage.

2013: Played for Lakeshore Chinooks

In the summer of 2013, Harrison Bader played collegiate summer baseball with the Lakeshore Chinooks of the Northwoods League and lived with Craig Counsell and his family.

2014: Suspended from Gators

In 2014, Harrison Bader, during his sophomore year with the Florida Gators, was suspended for 19 games after driving his scooter under the influence of alcohol.

2014: Most Stolen Bases Since Wong

In 2018, Harrison Bader's 15 stolen bases as a rookie were the most by a Cardinal since Kolten Wong in 2014.

2015: College World Series All-Tournament Team

In 2015, Harrison Bader was named to the All-Tournament Team in the 2015 College World Series after batting .348 in five games, also named a second-team All-American by Perfect Game, and a third-team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

2015: Signed with Cardinals

In 2015, Harrison Bader was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the third round of the Major League Baseball draft, signed for a $400,000 bonus, and debuted with the State College Spikes. Later, he was promoted to the Peoria Chiefs, earning the MWL Player of the Week award in August.

2015: Cardinals Drafted Bader

In 2015, the St. Louis Cardinals selected Harrison Bader in the third round of the MLB draft. He later made his MLB debut in 2017.

April 2016: Hit Streak

In April 2016, while playing with the Springfield Cardinals, Harrison Bader had a hit streak that fell one game short of tying the Springfield club record.

July 25, 2017: MLB Promotion and First Hit

On July 25, 2017, Harrison Bader was promoted to the major leagues by the Cardinals and recorded his first major league hit, a double, while also scoring the winning run.

September 1, 2017: First MLB Home Run

On September 1, 2017, Harrison Bader hit his first MLB home run against Johnny Cueto, helping the Cardinals win 11–6 against the San Francisco Giants.

2017: MLB Debut

In 2017, Harrison Bader made his Major League Baseball debut with the St. Louis Cardinals.

2017: Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year

In 2017, Harrison Bader was named the Cardinals' Minor League Player of the Year after playing for Memphis, batting .283/.347/.469 with 74 runs, 20 home runs, 55 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases.

2018: Finished Rookie Campaign

In 2018, Harrison Bader finished his rookie campaign with a .264/.334/.422 batting average, 12 home runs, 37 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases, ranking high in stolen base percentage and defensive metrics.

2018: Became Starting Center Fielder

In 2018, Harrison Bader transitioned from fourth outfielder to starting center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals after Tommy Pham was traded.

2018: Named to All-Star Rookie Teams

In 2018, Harrison Bader was named to the Baseball America and Topps All-Star Rookie Teams, finishing 6th in the voting for NL Rookie of the Year.

2019: Regular Season Stats

In 2019, Harrison Bader finished the regular season batting .205/.314/.366 with 12 home runs, 39 RBIs, 11 stolen bases, and 13 hit by pitches over 128 games for St. Louis.

2019: Best Defensive Outfielder

In 2019, Harrison Bader was named the "Best Defensive Outfielder" in the National League in Baseball America's Best Tools survey and was also a finalist for a Rawlings Gold Glove.

2019: Demoted to Memphis and Recalled

In 2019, Harrison Bader, after struggling at the plate, was demoted to Memphis on July 30 and later recalled to St. Louis on August 20.

2020: Starting Center Fielder in Pandemic-Shortened Season

In 2020, Harrison Bader returned as the starting center fielder in the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened season, slashing .226/.336/.443 with two triples, four home runs, and 11 RBIs over 50 games.

October 2021: MLB Article

In October 2021, Will Leitch wrote for MLB highlighting Harrison Bader's exceptional defensive skills, base-running abilities, and overall excitement as a player.

2021: Finished 2021 Season

Harrison Bader finished the 2021 season with a .267/.324/.460 slash line, 16 home runs, 50 RBIs, 21 doubles, and 9 stolen bases over 103 games.

2021: Gold Glove Award

In 2021, Harrison Bader won a Gold Glove Award while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals.

April 3, 2022: Bader agrees to contract with Cardinals

On April 3, 2022, Harrison Bader and the Cardinals agreed to a two-year, $10.4 million contract with an additional $2.25 million in incentives to avoid arbitration.

August 2, 2022: Bader traded to the New York Yankees

On August 2, 2022, Harrison Bader was traded by the Cardinals to the New York Yankees for pitcher Jordan Montgomery. At the time of the trade, Bader was on the injured list.

2022: Traded to Yankees

In 2022, the St. Louis Cardinals traded Harrison Bader to the New York Yankees.

August 31, 2023: Bader claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds

On August 31, 2023, Harrison Bader was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds.

2023: Claimed by Reds

In 2023, Harrison Bader was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds.

January 5, 2024: Bader signs with the New York Mets

On January 5, 2024, Harrison Bader signed a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the New York Mets. The Mets manager, Carlos Mendoza, announced that Bader would play center field when in a game.

2024: Signed with Mets

In 2024, after becoming a free agent, Harrison Bader signed with the New York Mets.

February 7, 2025: Bader signs with the Minnesota Twins

On February 7, 2025, Harrison Bader signed a one-year, $6.25 million contract with the Minnesota Twins, including up to $2 million in additional bonuses and a $10 million mutual option for 2026.