Rod Barajas is a former professional baseball player who played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for over a decade. He was born on September 5, 1975, in Ontario, California, and grew up in Norwalk, California. Barajas attended Cerritos College in Norwalk, California, where he played college baseball for two years before being drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third round of the 1996 MLB draft.
Barajas made his MLB debut with the Diamondbacks in 1999 and played for them until 2003. He then played for the Texas Rangers from 2004 to 2006, the Philadelphia Phillies in 2007, the Toronto Blue Jays from 2008 to 2009, the New York Mets in 2010, the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2011, and the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2012 to 2013. He finished his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014.
Throughout his career, Barajas was known for his strong arm and defensive skills as a catcher. He was also a reliable hitter, with a career batting average of .235 and 136 home runs. Barajas was particularly effective against left-handed pitchers, with a career batting average of .256 against them.
Barajas played in the postseason twice during his career. In 2001, he helped the Diamondbacks win the World Series, hitting a home run in Game 5 of the series against the New York Yankees. In 2011, he played for the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.
After retiring from playing, Barajas became a coach and manager in the minor leagues. He managed the San Antonio Missions, the Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, in 2019. In November 2019, Barajas was named the bench coach for the San Diego Padres.
Overall, Rod Barajas had a successful career as a catcher in MLB, known for his defensive skills and ability to hit left-handed pitching. He played for several teams throughout his career and won a World Series championship with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001. After retiring from playing, he became a coach and manager in the minor leagues and is currently the bench coach for the San Diego Padres.
⚾