Josh Phelps
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Image:JoshPhelps.jpg |
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|---|---|
| New York Yankees — No. 31 | |
| First base | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
| June 13, 2000 for the Toronto Blue Jays | |
| Selected MLB statistics (through 2005) |
|
| AVG | .268 |
| HR | 57 |
| RBI | 212 |
| Former teams | |
Joshua Lee Phelps (born May 12, 1978, in Anchorage, Alaska) is a first baseman/designated hitter in the New York Yankees organization. He bats and throws right handed.
A .269 career hitter through 2006 with a .469 slugging percentage, he has hit .300/.496 with runners in scoring position.
Contents |
[edit] High School Years
Phelps attended Lakeland High School in Rathdrum, Idaho, where he was the team's Most Valuable Player as a senior and graduated 4th in his class with a 3.94 GPA.[1]
Phelps was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays as a catcher in the 10th round of the 1996 draft. Phelps was planning to pursue engineering in college before he signed with the Blue Jays.
[edit] Minor league career
In 1999 he led the Florida State League in slugging percentage (.562), and was 2nd in batting (.328). He was rated as the 5th best prospect in the organization by Baseball America.
In 2001 with Tennessee of the Southern League (AA), he hit .292 and led the league with 36 doubles and 31 home runs, and was third in RBI (97). He was the Southern League MVP, was named to their All-Star team as the catcher and designated hitter, was selected to Baseball America's Minor League Second Team All-Star as catcher, was named as the R. Howard Webster Award winner (team MVP), and was twice selected as the SL Player of the Week.
He then hit .433 in 23 games in the Arizona Fall League for Scottsdale. He was rated the top prospect in the Blue Jays organization by Baseball America.
In 2002 he started the season with Syracuse (AAA) of the International League, and was recalled on July 2 by Toronto. At the time of his recall was leading all of minor league baseball in home runs (24), and was leading the IL in RBI (64) and slugging percentage (.658).
He was named to the triple-A All Star team, and was selected to play for Team USA at the Futures game at Milwaukee
He spent 2006 with the Toledo Mud Hens, the Detroit Tigers AAA franchise.
[edit] Major league career
He has played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
In 2000 he appeared in one game for Toronto at the age of 22. The following year caught in 7 games, and went hitless in 12 at bats.
In 2002 he hit .309 with a .562 slugging percentage, and was 5th in the AL in HBP (17).
In 2003 he hit a career-high 20 home runs.
In August 2004 he was traded by the Blue Jays to Indians for Eric Crozier.
In December 2004 he signed as a free agent with the Devil Rays.
In January 2006 he was signed by the Tigers to a minor league contract.
In November 2006 he signed with the Baltimore Orioles, but he was acquired by the Yankees in the Rule 5 Draft on December 7, 2006.
[edit] Awards
- 1999 - Florida State League All-Star DH
- 2001 - Baseball America 2nd team Minor League All-Star C
- 2001 - Southern League All-Star C
- 2001 - Southern League Most Valuable Player
- 2001 - Double A All-Star C
- 2001 - Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Player of the Year
- 2002 - Baseball America 2nd team Minor League All-Star C
- 2002 - Triple A All-Star DH
- 2002 - Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Player of the Year
- 2002 - AL Rookie of the Year (Voting Rank: # 6)
[edit] Career statistics
| Games | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | 870 | 2843 | 359 | 768 | 189 | 9 | 59 | 348 | 14 | .270 |
[edit] References
- ^ [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6494 Josh Phelps]. ESPN.com (2007-02-24). Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
