Delino DeShields Jr.

Delino Diaab DeShields Jr. (born August 16, 1992) is an American professional baseball center fielder for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted with the 8th pick overall by the Houston Astros in the 2010 MLB Draft, and is the son of former MLB player Delino DeShields.

Early life

DeShields, the eldest of his father's five children, was raised in the Atlanta area. He went to Woodward Academy where he played both baseball and football. He was recruited by the Georgia Bulldogs and Ole Miss Rebels for football before deciding to pursue baseball instead.^[1] He was also recruited by the LSU Tigers for baseball, but they only committed a half-scholarship to him due to his desire to play professionally. In his senior year at Woodward, he hit 9 home runs and batted .415, while stealing 29 bases.

Professional career

According to his 2010 MLB Draft scouting report, DeShields has "plus-plus speed" on the basepaths. He is good at hitting, with "the ability to hit line drives consistently." His power hitting is "marginal." His arm strength is "below-average, but it plays OK in the outfield," with "plus range." His fielding ability is good, with a soft-enough touch to play in the middle infield. His physical stature is compared to current New York Yankees outfielder Eric Young Jr.. While his speed and pedigree are listed as advantages, his primary disadvantages are his relative lack of power hitting and inconsistent effort. His official MLB Draft profile lists him as a center fielder.^[2]

Astros general manager Ed Wade stated his intention to send DeShields to the rookie-level Greeneville Astros of the Appalachian League once he is signed, with a transition to second base during the winter.^[3]

In 2011, DeShields played 16 games for Greeneville and two for the GCL Astros.^[4] He has also played for the Lexington Legends of the South Atlantic League, the Lancaster JetHawks of the California League, and the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Double-A Texas League. On April 18, 2014, DeShields was hit in the face by a 90 miles per hour (140 km/h) pitch. He suffered a non-displaced maxillary sinus fracture.^[5]

At the 2014 Winter Meetings, the Texas Rangers selected DeShields from the Astros in the Rule 5 draft.^[6] DeShields made the Rangers' Opening Day roster.^[7] He recorded his first major league hit in the 8th inning on an infield single against Dan Otero of the Oakland Athletics on April 8.^[8]

On June 3, 2015, DeShields was named American League Rookie of the Month for May after batting .296 for the month and scoring 22 runs.^[9] On August 14, he would hit his first Major League home run against Tampa Bay. After the 2015 season, DeShields changed his uniform number from 7 to 3.

After the completion of the 2015 season, DeShields finished in 7th place for the American League Rookie of the Year voting, with one third place vote. He was voted in as the Texas Rangers' Rookie of the Year by fellow players and coaches.

Personal life

DeShields is the son of Delino DeShields.

DeShields was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, possession of alcohol by a minor and a traffic violation in Georgia on January 16, 2011. He was released on $2,500 bail and charged with the three misdemeanors.^[10]

DeShields has a sister named Diamond who currently plays for Tennessee basketball.

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Delino DeShields Jr. on Twitter