Andrew Velazquez

Andrew Velazquez

• Bats Both, Throws Right
• Height 5' 8", Weight 170 lb.
• High School Fordham Prep
• Debut September 2, 2018

• Born July 14, 1994 in Bronx, NY USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Infielder Andrew Velazquez began his professional career in 2012 at 17 years old. He was taken by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 7th round of the 2012 amateur draft. Scouted by Todd Donovan, he was signed for a $200,000 bonus and began his pro career that summer.

The speedster stole 29 bases between 2012 and 2013, but 2014 was his breakout year. Slashing .290/.367/.428 with 15 triples, 50 steals and 94 runs scored for the South Bend Silver Hawks, Velazquez was named a Midwest League Mid-Season All-Star and Post-Season All-Star, a MiLB.com Organization All-Star, a Baseball America Low Class-A All-Star, the league's Prospect of the Year and he earned a Player of the Week honor. Seizing on his impressive season, the Diamondbacks traded him, with Justin Williams, to the Tampa Bay Rays for pitcher Jeremy Hellickson on November 14, 2014. He stagnated his first couple of years in the Rays system however.

Further Reading

• Mike DiGiovanna (Los Angeles Times): "His dad was a cop in the Bronx, but it was baseball that saved Andrew Velazquez", Yahoo! News, May 30, 2022. [1]
• Bryan Hoch: "Velazquez's 'dream' coming true with Yanks: Bronx native goes 2-for-4, drives in 2, makes stellar game-ending play", mlb.com, August 19, 2021. [2]

Related Sites

• Andrew Velazquez on mlb.com
• BR Minors page