Chris Young is a former American professional baseball player who played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for over a decade. He was born on September 5, 1983, in Houston, Texas, and attended Bellaire High School, where he played baseball and basketball.
Young began his professional baseball career in 2001 when he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 16th round of the MLB draft. However, he did not sign with the team and instead chose to attend Princeton University, where he played college baseball for the Princeton Tigers.
In 2004, Young was drafted again, this time by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round of the MLB draft. He made his MLB debut with the Diamondbacks in 2006 and quickly established himself as a talented outfielder. In his rookie season, he hit 32 home runs and stole 27 bases, earning him the National League Rookie of the Year award.
Young played for the Diamondbacks for six seasons, from 2006 to 2012, during which he was named to the All-Star team in 2010. He was known for his excellent defensive skills, winning a Gold Glove award in 2011.
After leaving the Diamondbacks, Young played for several other MLB teams, including the Oakland Athletics, New York Mets, and Boston Red Sox. He continued to be a productive player, hitting over 20 home runs in multiple seasons and providing solid defense in the outfield.
In addition to his MLB career, Young also played for the United States national baseball team in several international competitions. He won a gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games and a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Young retired from professional baseball in 2018, finishing his career with a .237 batting average, 1,566 hits, and 1,088 runs batted in. He is currently a vice president for on-field operations for Major League Baseball.
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