Career Timeline of Rowdy Tellez: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Rowdy Tellez built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Rowdy Tellez is an American professional baseball first baseman currently with the Texas Rangers. He has played in MLB for the Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Seattle Mariners. Tellez has also represented the Mexico national baseball team, showcasing his talent on an international stage.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2013: Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays

In 2013, Rowdy Tellez was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 30th round of the Major League Baseball draft and signed for an $850,000 signing bonus.

2013: High School All-American and MLB Draft

In 2013, Rowdy Tellez was named a Baseball America and Rawlings First Team High School All-American. He was also drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 30th round of the Major League Baseball draft.

2013: Assignment to Rookie-Level Gulf Coast League Blue Jays

In 2013, Tellez was assigned to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Blue Jays where he batted .234 with two home runs and 20 runs batted in (RBIs) in 34 games.

2014: Bluefield Blue Jays and Lansing Lugnuts

In 2014, Rowdy Tellez played most of the season with the Bluefield Blue Jays of the Appalachian League and was later promoted to the Single-A Lansing Lugnuts of the Midwest League. He played a total of 65 games and batted .305 with six home runs and 43 RBI.

2015: Midwest League Player of the Week

In 2015, Rowdy Tellez started the season with Lansing and was named the Midwest League Player of the Week for the week ended May 18. He was named a Midwest League midseason All-Star.

2015: Midwest League All-Star and Arizona Fall League Selection

In 2015, Tellez was named a Midwest League All-Star, as well as being named to the Arizona Fall League (AFL) All-Prospect Team and an AFL Rising Star.

2016: Eastern League All-Star and Blue Jays All-Star

In 2016, Tellez was named an Eastern League mid-season and full-season All-Star. He was also named an MiLB.com Toronto Blue Jays Organization All-Star, and a Baseball America Double-A All-Star.

2017: Declined WBC Roster Spot

In 2017, Rowdy Tellez declined an offer to join Mexico's World Baseball Classic (WBC) roster, choosing instead to focus on his goal of securing a spot on the Toronto Blue Jays' major league roster.

2017: Assignment to Buffalo Bisons

In 2017, Rowdy Tellez was assigned to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. He hit two home runs in his first game but struggled throughout the season.

September 5, 2018: Major League Debut

On September 5, 2018, Rowdy Tellez made his Major League debut with the Toronto Blue Jays, hitting a first-pitch, pinch-hit double against the Tampa Bay Rays.

September 2018: September 2018 Performance with Toronto

In September 2018, Tellez played 23 games for Toronto and achieved a batting average of .314/.329/.614, with 9 doubles, 4 home runs, and 14 RBIs in 73 plate appearances.

2018: MLB Debut and Record-Setting Doubles

In 2018, Rowdy Tellez made his major league debut and achieved a record by hitting seven doubles in his first seven major league games, a feat unmatched since 1913.

2018: Called up by the Blue Jays

In 2018, Rowdy Tellez was called up by the Toronto Blue Jays on September 4 after playing for the Buffalo Bisons.

2019: Strikeout Rate Decrease

From 2019 to 2020, Tellez decreased his strikeout rate by 12.7 percentage points, the greatest decrease among major league hitters.

2019: Opening Day Roster and Record-Breaking Home Run

In 2019, Rowdy Tellez made the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster. On April 11, he hit a home run with a 115.2 mph exit velocity, the fastest for a Toronto Blue Jays home run in the Statcast era (since 2015), which was later surpassed by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

2019: Buffalo Bisons Performance

In 2019, Tellez played 26 games with Buffalo, batting .366/.450/.688 with 7 home runs and 21 RBIs in 109 plate appearances.

2020: Home Run Exit Velocity

In 2020, Tellez hit a home run with an exit velocity of 117.4 mph, setting a Blue Jays record in the Statcast era and ranking third among major leaguers.

2020: 2020 Season Performance

In the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, Tellez batted .283/.346/.540 with eight home runs and 23 RBIs, also playing error-free baseball on defense.

July 6, 2021: Trade to Milwaukee Brewers

On July 6, 2021, Tellez was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for pitchers Trevor Richards and Bowden Francis.

2021: 2021 Postseason Performance

In 2021, Tellez hit a two-run home run in Game 1 and Game 4 of the National League Division Series, but the Brewers lost the series to the eventual World Series champion Atlanta Braves.

May 4, 2022: Brewers Record and Win Over Reds

On May 4, 2022, Tellez set a Brewers record with eight RBIs in one game, hitting two home runs, a double, and a single in an 18–4 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

2022: 2022 Season Stats

In 2022, Tellez batted .219/.306/.461 with 35 home runs, 89 RBIs, and a .998 fielding percentage, which was second-best among NL first basemen.

January 13, 2023: Contract Agreement with the Brewers

On January 13, 2023, Rowdy Tellez agreed to a one-year, $4.95 million contract with the Brewers, avoiding salary arbitration.

December 15, 2023: Signed with Pittsburgh Pirates

On December 15, 2023, Tellez signed a one-year, $3.2 million contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, with incentives to increase his salary up to $4 million.

2023: Played for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic

In 2023, Tellez played for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) as a designated hitter, slashing .280/.333/.440 with one home run and five RBI.

2023: 2023 Season Performance

In the 2023 regular season, Tellez batted .215/.291/.376 with 13 home runs and 47 RBIs and became a free agent on November 17.

2024: Home Run Rate Decline

By the end of 2024, Rowdy Tellez's home run rate dropped to every 19.7 plate appearances.

2024: 2024 Season with the Pirates

In 2024, Tellez played in 131 games for the Pirates, slashing .243/.299/.392 with 13 home runs and 56 RBIs. He was designated for assignment by Pittsburgh on September 24 and released the next day.