Omar Quintanilla is a former professional baseball player who played as a shortstop and second baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was born on October 24, 1981, in El Paso, Texas, and attended Socorro High School in El Paso. Quintanilla played college baseball at the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a standout player and helped lead the Longhorns to the College World Series in 2002.
Quintanilla was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the first round of the 2003 MLB draft and made his MLB debut with the team in 2005. He played in 21 games for the Athletics that season, batting .250 with one home run and six runs batted in (RBIs). In 2006, Quintanilla was traded to the Colorado Rockies, where he played for three seasons. He was primarily used as a utility infielder during his time with the Rockies, playing both shortstop and second base. In 2007, Quintanilla had his best season in the majors, batting .283 with two home runs and 21 RBIs in 81 games.
After his time with the Rockies, Quintanilla played for several other MLB teams, including the Texas Rangers, New York Mets, and Baltimore Orioles. He continued to be used primarily as a utility infielder, playing multiple positions and providing solid defense off the bench. Quintanilla was known for his versatility, work ethic, and professionalism, and was respected by his teammates and coaches.
Quintanilla's best season with the Mets came in 2013, when he played in a career-high 95 games and batted .222 with two home runs and 21 RBIs. He also played a key role in the Mets' run to the National League Championship Series that season, starting several games at shortstop and providing solid defense and timely hitting.
Quintanilla's MLB career came to an end in 2014, when he was released by the Mets and signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox. He played in 22 games for the Red Sox's Triple-A affiliate, the Pawtucket Red Sox, before being released in July of that year.
Overall, Quintanilla played in 536 games over nine seasons in the majors, batting .220 with six home runs and 71 RBIs. While he was never a star player, he was a valuable contributor to several teams and was respected for his professionalism and work ethic. After his playing career ended, Quintanilla returned to Texas and became a high school baseball coach.
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