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 playing for the Seattle Mariners in MLB. Prior to joining the Mariners, he played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Tellez has also represented the Mexico national baseball team in international competition.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1913: Record Set

In 2018, Rowdy Tellez set a record, becoming the only player since 1913 to hit seven doubles in his first seven major league games.

2013: Assigned to the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays

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

2013: Drafted by the Blue Jays

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

2014: Time with the Bluefield Blue Jays

In 2014, Rowdy Tellez primarily played with the Bluefield Blue Jays of the Appalachian League and earned a promotion to the Class-A Lansing Lugnuts of the Midwest League late in the season. He played 65 games in total, batting .305 with six home runs and 43 RBIs.

2015: Player of the Week

In 2015, Rowdy Tellez started the season with Lansing and was named Midwest League Player of the Week for the week ending on May 18. He was also named a Midwest League midseason All-Star. He played 21 games with the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League (AFL), and was named to the AFL All-Prospect Team, and AFL Rising Stars.

2015: Midwest League All-Star

In 2015, Rowdy Tellez was named a Midwest League All-Star, an Arizona Fall League (AFL) All-Prospect, and an AFL Rising Star.

2016: Eastern League All-Star

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

2017: Assigned to the Buffalo Bisons

In 2017, Rowdy Tellez was assigned to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons in late March. From that point on, however, Tellez struggled in Triple-A. On November 20, Tellez was added to Toronto's 40-man roster.

September 5, 2018: MLB Debut

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

September 2018: September Performance

In September 2018, Rowdy Tellez batted .314/.329/.614 with Toronto, hitting 9 doubles, 4 home runs, and 14 RBIs in 73 plate appearances.

2018: Called Up to the Blue Jays

In 2018, Rowdy Tellez began the season playing for the Buffalo Bisons. On September 4, Tellez was called up by the Blue Jays, following the end of Buffalo's season.

2018: MLB Debut

In 2018, Rowdy Tellez made his major league debut. He is the only player since 1913 to hit seven doubles in his first seven major league games.

2019: Time with Buffalo

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

2019: Opening Day Roster

Rowdy Tellez made the Blue Jays' 2019 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).

2019: Strikeout Rate Decrease

Rowdy Tellez's strikeout rate decreased 12.7 percentage points from 2019, the greatest decrease among major league hitters.

2020: COVID-19 Shortened Season

During the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, Rowdy Tellez batted .283/.346/.540. He hit eight home runs and 23 RBIs. On defense, he played error-free baseball.

July 6, 2021: Traded to the Brewers

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

2021: Regular Season with the Brewers

During the 2021 regular season for the Brewers, Rowdy Tellez batted .272/.333/.481. He hit 10 doubles, seven home runs, and 28 RBIs.

2021: National League Division Series

In the 2021 National League Division Series, Rowdy Tellez hit a two-run home run in Game 1 off Charlie Morton, driving in the Brewers' only runs in a 2–1 win over the Atlanta Braves. He hit another two-run home run in Game 4.

May 4, 2022: Brewers Record

On May 4, 2022, Rowdy 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: Ranked third in career home run frequency

As of 2022, Rowdy Tellez ranked third in career home run frequency among Jewish major leaguers, hitting a home run every 17.46 at bats, trailing Hank Greenberg and Joc Pederson.

2022: 2022 Season Stats

In 2022, Rowdy Tellez batted .219/.306/.461 with 35 home runs (5th in the NL), 89 RBIs, and a .998 fielding percentage, which was second-best among NL first basemen.

January 13, 2023: Contract with Brewers

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

December 15, 2023: Signed with the Pirates

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

2023: World Baseball Classic

In 2023, Rowdy Tellez played for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) as a designated hitter.

2023: Regular Season 2023

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

2024: Home run rate decreases

By the end of 2024, Rowdy Tellez's home run rate dropped to every 19.7 plate appearances, worse than Ryan Braun and Al Rosen.

2024: 2024 Season with the Pirates

In 2024, Rowdy 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.