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Andrelton Simmons

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Andrelton Simmons

Andrelton Alexander Simmons (born September 4, 1989) is a Curaçaoan professional baseball shortstop for the Dorados de Chihuahua of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, and Chicago Cubs.

Drawing considerable attention for his defensive abilities, Simmons won four Rawlings Gold Glove Awards at shortstop, a Wilson MLB Overall Defensive Player of the Year Award, and six Fielding Bible Awards. As of the end of 2019 season, he ranked first in DRS and UZR against all shortstops who played in the stats' respective eras (2003–present for DRS, 2002-present for UZR).

Simmons played youth baseball alongside fellow Curaçao natives Kenley Jansen and Didi Gregorius; he also played basketball and soccer.

Due to his slight build, Simmons did not draw much attention from MLB scouts until he attended Western Oklahoma State College in Altus, Oklahoma. As a freshman at Western Oklahoma State, Simmons hit .472 with seven home runs and 40 runs batted in (RBIs), leading his team to the 2010 National Junior College Athletic Association Division II College World Series.

Simmons was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the second round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft out of Western Oklahoma State College.

Prior to the 2012 season, Simmons was the Braves' fourth-best prospect according to Baseball America. He was ranked 92nd in all of baseball. During spring training he competed with Tyler Pastornicky for the Braves starting shortstop job. On May 30, 2012, the Braves called Simmons up, and he made his Major League debut on June 2 against the Washington Nationals. He got his first Major League hit, a double, on June 3. Simmons was named National League Rookie of the Month for June 2012 after hitting .333 with six doubles, three home runs, and 14 RBIs in June. He led all NL rookies in batting average and on-base percentage. He also won praise for his outstanding defense. On July 8, 2012, during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Simmons suffered a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal on his right hand while sliding head-first into second base. On July 9, he was placed on the 15-day disabled list.

In the 2012 National League Wild Card Game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Simmons hit an eighth-inning fly ball to left field that dropped in between Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma and left fielder Matt Holliday. Simmons was believed by many to have been entitled to a single, but left field umpire Sam Holbrook cited the infield fly rule and called Simmons out. Angered Braves fans littered the field with trash, causing a 19-minute delay and a threatened forfeit. The Braves lost the game 6–3 and were eliminated.

Simmons had his first full season in 2013, playing in 157 games. He finished the 2013 season with the highest Defensive Runs Saved ever recorded in a year and received the Gold Glove, the Fielding Bible Award, and the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award for his defensive work that season.

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