Bligh Madris
Bligh John Madris (born February 29, 1996) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Houston Astros organization. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Bligh Madris | |
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![]() Madris with the Indianapolis Indians in 2022 | |
Houston Astros | |
Outfielder / First baseman | |
Born: Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | February 29, 1996|
Bats: Left Throws: Right | |
MLB debut | |
June 20, 2022, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
MLB statistics (through 2022 season) | |
Batting average | .177 |
Home runs | 1 |
Runs batted in | 7 |
Teams | |
Amateur career
Madris attended Foothill High School in Henderson, Nevada, and played college baseball at Colorado Mesa University. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the ninth round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.[1]
Professional career
Pittsburgh Pirates
Madris made his professional debut with the West Virginia Black Bears, batting .270 with five home runs and 31 RBIs over 56 games. He spent the 2018 season with the Bradenton Marauders with whom he hit .238 with nine home runs and 53 RBIs over 103 games, and he spent 2019 with the Altoona Curve, batting .260 with eight home runs and 55 RBIs over 132 games.[2] After not playing a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the season, he returned to Altoona to begin the 2021 season before being promoted to the Indianapolis Indians in May.[3] Over 114 games, he slashed .267/.353/.417 with nine home runs and 56 RBIs and was named Rookie of the Year by the Indians.[4] After the season, he played in the Puerto Rico Baseball League for the Gigantes de Carolina. He returned to the Indians to open the 2022 season.[5]
On June 19, 2022, the Pirates announced that Madris would have his contract selected and that he would be promoted to the major leagues the next day.[6] He made his MLB debut the next day as the starting right fielder at PNC Park versus the Chicago Cubs and recorded his first major league hit, a two-RBI single, in his first at-bat versus Caleb Kilian.[7] Madris became the first Pirates rookie since Jason Kendall in 1996 to record three hits in his major league debut.[8][9] As the Pirates continued their series against the Cubs on June 21, Madris hit his first major league home run while facing Mark Leiter Jr.[10] On September 13, Madris was designated for assignment.
Tampa Bay Rays
On September 16, 2022, Madris was claimed by the Tampa Bay Rays.[11] On November 15, he was designated for assignment.
Detroit Tigers
On November 18, 2022, Madris was claimed off waivers by the Detroit Tigers. He was designated for assignment on December 21, 2022.
Houston Astros
On January 3, 2023, Madris was traded to the Houston Astros in exchange for cash considerations. [12]
- Bligh Madris as a Houston Astro in March 2023
- Bligh Madris warming up.
- Bligh Madris pictured with parents (Kim and Style Madris) and an unknown person on March 1, 2023 in Palm Beach Florida.
Madris was optioned to the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys to begin the 2023 season.[13] Madris was designated for assignment on March 30, after Corey Julks and César Salazar were added to the roster. [14] He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Sugar Land on April 3.[15]
Personal life
Madris is of Palauan descent.[16] After making his MLB debut, he became the first Palauan to play in the major leagues.[17]
References
- "Former KCLB Madris Drafted by Pirates". June 22, 2017.
- "Marauders Announce Roster; Meet the Team Tonight at LECOM Park". April 3, 2018.
- Post, Jasmine Stole-Weiss | For the Guam Daily. "Palauan Minor League baseball player Bligh Madris named Rookie of the Year". The Guam Daily Post.
- "Top Performances of 2021, No. 3: "Bligh Guy" Sets Career High".
- "Analysis: Making sense of injuries, remaining camp battles for Pirates".
- "Pirates to promote Oneil Cruz, Bligh Madris for Monday's series opener vs. Cubs". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- "Bligh Madris' promotion marks culmination of long, hard-working years". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- "Oneil Cruz has 4 RBIs, Bligh Madris has 3 hits as rookie call-ups lead Pittsburgh Pirates over Chicago Cubs". ESPN.com. Associated Press. June 21, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
- Gorman, Kevin (June 21, 2022). "Oneil Cruz, Bligh Madris make dazzling debuts as Pirates crush Cubs". Pittsburgh Tribune Review. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
- Perrotto, John (June 21, 2022). "Rookies Madris, Contreras lead Pirates to 7-1 win over Cubs". Seattle Post Intelligencer. Associated Press. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
- Rays Claim Bligh Madris
- https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/01/astros-acquire-bligh-madris.html
- "Astros' Bligh Madris: Optioned to Triple-A". cbssports.com. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
- https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/03/astros-designate-j-j-matijevic-bligh-madris-for-assignment.html
- https://www.milb.com/transactions/2023-04-03
- "Not if, but when: Palauan baseball player Bligh Madris' father on son's Major League target".
- Sepe-Chepuru, Shanthi (June 21, 2022). "Madris makes history as MLB's first player from Palau". MLB.com. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet