Yonder Alonso is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major League Baseball (MLB) for almost a decade. He was born on April 8, 1987, in Havana, Cuba, and grew up in Miami, Florida. Alonso attended the University of Miami, where he played college baseball for the Miami Hurricanes.
Alonso was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the first round of the 2008 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut with the Reds in 2010 and played for them until 2011. During his time with the Reds, Alonso played primarily as a first baseman and outfielder. He had a solid rookie season, batting .330 with five home runs and 15 RBI in 47 games.
In December 2011, Alonso was traded to the San Diego Padres as part of a four-player deal. He played for the Padres from 2012 to 2015, where he established himself as a reliable hitter. In 2012, Alonso batted .273 with nine home runs and 62 RBI in 155 games. He followed that up with a .281 batting average, seven home runs, and 27 RBI in 97 games in 2013.
Alonso's 2014 season was cut short due to injuries, and he played in only 84 games, batting .240 with seven home runs and 27 RBI. He bounced back in 2015, batting .282 with five home runs and 31 RBI in 103 games.
In December 2015, Alonso was traded to the Oakland Athletics as part of a five-player deal. He played for the Athletics from 2016 to 2017, where he continued to be a solid hitter. In 2016, Alonso batted .253 with seven home runs and 56 RBI in 156 games. He had a breakout season in 2017, batting .266 with 28 home runs and 67 RBI in 142 games.
In August 2017, Alonso was traded to the Seattle Mariners for minor league outfielder Boog Powell. He finished the 2017 season with the Mariners, batting .250 with six home runs and 18 RBI in 42 games.
In January 2018, Alonso signed a two-year contract with the Cleveland Indians. He played for the Indians in 2018 and 2019, where he primarily played as a designated hitter. In 2018, Alonso batted .250 with 23 home runs and 83 RBI in 145 games. He struggled in 2019, batting .199 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI in 121 games.
In December 2019, Alonso was traded to the Chicago White Sox for minor league outfielder Alex Call. However, he was released by the White Sox in September 2020 after batting .179 with two home runs and nine RBI in 29 games.
Overall, Alonso had a solid career in the MLB, batting .259 with 100 home runs and 418 RBI in 1079 games. He was known for his ability to hit for average and his solid defense at first base.
⚾