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Kyle Lewis
Kyle Lewis
Kyle Lewis
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Kyle Alexander Lewis (born July 13, 1995) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks. Prior to his MLB debut, he played college baseball for the Mercer Bears.

Key Information

For his 2016 performance at Mercer, Lewis was named an All-American, Baseball America's 2016 College Player of the Year, and won the 2016 Golden Spikes Award. He was selected in the first round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft by the Seattle Mariners.

Lewis made his major league debut in September 2019, and was unanimously selected as the 2020 American League Rookie of the Year.[1]

Amateur career

[edit]

Lewis attended Shiloh High School in Snellville, Georgia. He played both baseball and basketball in high school.[2] He chose baseball over basketball and attended Mercer University, where he played college baseball for the Bears. As a freshman in 2014, he appeared in 42 games with 17 starts and hit .281/.340/.382 with two home runs and 17 runs batted in (RBI) over 89 at-bats.[3] After his freshman season he played collegiate summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) for the Cotuit Kettleers.[4] As a sophomore in 2015, he played in 54 games, hitting .367/.423/.677 with 17 home runs and 56 RBI. He was the Southern Conference Baseball Player of the Year and was the co-winner of the Gregg Olson Award, bestowed upon college baseball's breakout player of the year.[5][6] After the season, Lewis returned to the CCBL to play for the Orleans Firebirds and was named a league all-star.[7][8][9]

As a junior at Mercer, he hit .395/.535/.731 with 20 home runs and 72 RBI, and was named an All-American by Louisville Slugger, Baseball America, the American Baseball Coaches Association, and Collegiate Baseball.[10] Following that season, Lewis received the 2016 Golden Spikes Award, which is awarded annually to the best amateur baseball player in the United States.[11] In addition, he was the Southern Conference Baseball Player of the Year for the second straight year and was named both Baseball America's College Player of the Year and the American Baseball Coaches Association's Division I National Player of the Year.[12][13]

Professional career

[edit]

Minor Leagues

[edit]

The Seattle Mariners selected Lewis with the 11th overall pick in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft.[14] He made his professional debut with the Everett AquaSox.[15] Lewis only played 30 games for the Everett AquaSox due to a right ACL injury,[16] batting .299 with three home runs and 26 RBIs. He spent 2017 with both the AZL Mariners and the Modesto Nuts, posting a combined .257 average with seven home runs and 31 RBIs in 49 games between both clubs, and 2018 with Modesto and the Arkansas Travelers, batting .244 with nine home runs and 52 RBIs in 86 games with the two teams.[17]

Lewis returned to Arkansas for the 2019 season,[18] hitting .263/.343/.398/.741 with 11 home runs and 62 RBI over 122 games.[19]

Seattle Mariners

[edit]

The Mariners selected Lewis' contract and promoted him to the major leagues on September 10, 2019.[20] Lewis hit a home run off Trevor Bauer in his major league debut that night versus the Cincinnati Reds.[21][22] He hit home runs in each of his next two games as well, becoming the second player in history, after Trevor Story, to homer in each of his first three major league games.[23] He finished the 2019 season with a .268/.293/.592 slash line along with 6 home runs and 13 RBIs in 71 at bats.

In 2020, Lewis became the first Mariners player to be selected for the American League Rookie of the Year award since 2001, finishing the abbreviated season with a .262/.364/.437 slash line, 11 home runs, and 28 RBIs across 206 at bats.[24] He was awarded the title of American League Rookie of the Year by numerous other publications, including Sporting News.[25]

On June 1, 2021, Lewis was placed on the injured list after suffering a right meniscus tear.[26] He was placed on the 60-day injured list on June 18 and subsequently missed the rest of the season.[27]

Lewis went into MLB's concussion protocol after having been hit by a pitch on May 29, 2022. He returned to the active roster on July 22.[28] After continuing to struggle at the plate, and still dealing with issues related to his knee, Lewis was demoted to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers,[29] where he ended the 2022 season.

Arizona Diamondbacks

[edit]

On November 17, 2022, the Mariners traded Lewis to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Cooper Hummel.[30]

On January 13, 2023, Lewis agreed to a one-year, $1.61 million contract with the Diamondbacks, avoiding salary arbitration.[31] He was non-tendered and became a free agent on November 17.

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Kyle Lewis

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Kyle Alexander Lewis (born July 13, 1995) is an American professional baseball outfielder currently a in (MLB). He previously played for the Seattle Mariners from 2019 to 2022 and the Diamondbacks in 2023, appearing in 146 total MLB games with a career of .235, 26 home runs, and 1.8 wins above replacement. Lewis is best known for winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 2020, during which he led the Mariners in (.262), home runs (11), runs (37), and walks (34) while playing 57 games in center field. A native of , Lewis attended , where he starred for the baseball team, batting .395 with 20 home runs and 72 RBI (sixth nationally) during his junior year in 2016. That performance earned him First-Team All-American honors from Baseball America and , as well as the Player of the Year award. The Seattle Mariners selected him 11th overall in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft, signing him to a $3,286,700 bonus, and he began his professional career in the Mariners' minor league system. Lewis made his MLB debut on September 10, 2019, with the Mariners, going 1-for-4 with a in his first game. Injuries, including a injury in his debut season and subsequent setbacks, limited his playing time early on, but his 2020 rookie campaign marked a breakout, finishing 17th in AL voting. On November 17, 2022, the Mariners traded him to the Diamondbacks in exchange for / Cooper Hummel. Lewis appeared in 16 games for in 2023 before being non-tendered and electing free agency on November 17, 2023, remaining unsigned as of November 2025.

Early life and amateur career

Early life

Kyle Lewis was born on July 13, 1995, in Snellville, Georgia. He is the son of Charles "Chuck" Lewis and Ruth Hawes Lewis, and has one older brother, Kenny. Lewis grew up in Snellville, where his family provided a supportive environment that emphasized success and forward-thinking, shaping his approach to athletics and personal development. During his childhood, Lewis showed an early interest in , particularly , which initially took precedence over as he developed his athletic skills.

High school career

Kyle Lewis attended Shiloh High School in , where he was a two-sport standout in and , earning varsity letters in both . He lettered four times in under head coach Reginald Ingram, playing as an and during his high school career. As a senior in 2013, Lewis showcased strong defensive skills in the outfield, earning recognition as a 2013 Rawlings/Perfect Game High School Senior All-American. His performance highlighted reliable fielding and arm strength, contributing to regional recognition, though he did not receive statewide honors. Scouts noted his athletic frame and power potential at the plate, but his bat was considered raw, leading to him going undrafted out of high school. Lewis fully committed to during the summer before his senior year, focusing on securing a college scholarship after initially balancing both sports. He was recruited by and signed to play there, choosing the program over other opportunities to continue his development at the Division I level. This decision marked the beginning of his path toward , as he transitioned from a multi-sport to a dedicated .

College career

Kyle Lewis played for the from 2014 to 2016, transitioning from a part-time contributor as a to one of the nation's premier power hitters by his junior year. As a in 2014, Lewis appeared in 41 games primarily as a reserve in the Atlantic Sun Conference, batting .294 with 2 home runs and 17 RBIs in 85 at-bats. His performance earned him a larger role the following season. In 2015, Lewis broke out as a sophomore, starting 54 games and slashing .367/.423/.677 with 17 home runs and 56 RBIs in 226 at-bats, leading the team in power production and earning Southern Conference Player of the Year honors after Mercer's move to the league. These totals ranked him among the conference leaders in home runs and , showcasing his emerging plate discipline with a .423 . Lewis's junior year in 2016 marked his peak, as he started all 61 games and posted a .395/.535/.731 slash line with 20 home runs and 72 RBIs in 223 at-bats, powering Mercer to a 38-23 record and a regular-season title. His 20 home runs ranked fifth nationally, while his 72 RBIs placed sixth, and he set a program record with 66 extra-base hits, leading the Bears' offense that topped the nation in home runs per game. Lewis earned Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive season, along with first-team All-American status, the Baseball America College Player of the Year award, and the as the top amateur player in the country. Following his junior season, Lewis declared for the MLB Draft, forgoing his senior year after receiving widespread projections as a first-round selection due to his elite power-speed combination and improved approach at the plate.

Professional career

Draft and minor leagues

Lewis's strong performance at , where he won the as the top amateur player in the country, elevated his draft stock significantly. The Seattle Mariners selected outfielder Kyle Lewis with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the . He signed a contract for the slot value bonus of $3,286,700 and was assigned to the short-season Class A affiliate to begin his professional career. In his debut season, Lewis appeared in 30 games for Everett, batting .299 with three home runs and an .915 before a severe right injury—a torn ACL along with medial and lateral meniscus tears—sidelined him for the remainder of 2016, requiring . Following rehabilitation, he returned in 2017 with an 11-game rehab assignment in the rookie-level Arizona League Mariners, where he hit .263, before joining the High-A for 38 games, posting a .255 average with six home runs. His combined 2017 performance across levels yielded a .257 in 49 games, though he dealt with minor soreness during the year. Lewis continued his development in , starting at Modesto with a .260 average and five home runs in 49 games before earning a promotion to Double-A , where he batted .220 with four home runs in 37 games amid ongoing recovery from his prior knee surgery. His overall 2018 slash line was .244/.306/.405 across 86 games. Entering 2019 as one of the Mariners' top prospects—ranked No. 7 by MLB Pipeline—Lewis had a breakout minor league season at Double-A , playing 122 games with a .263 average, 11 home runs, and 62 RBIs. He received a brief promotion to Triple-A in August, batting .245 with 12 home runs in 36 games before his major league call-up, for a combined .258 average with 23 home runs across both levels that year.

Seattle Mariners

Kyle Lewis made his major league debut with the Seattle Mariners on September 10, 2019, against the at . In his first at-bat, he hit a three-run home run off , which also served as his first major league hit and tied the game at 1-1; the Mariners went on to win 4-3. This performance marked Lewis as the fifth Mariners player to homer in his debut, showcasing the power that had defined his progression. In his rookie season of 2019, Lewis appeared in 18 games for the Mariners, batting .268 with a .592 , six home runs, and 13 RBIs in 71 at-bats. Despite the limited sample, he demonstrated solid plate discipline with a 13.4% walk rate, contributing to an of .310 while playing primarily in right field before transitioning to center. His call-up followed a strong showing, where he had hit .258 with 23 home runs across Double-A and Triple-A that year. The 2020 season, shortened to 60 games due to the , represented Lewis's breakout year. He played all 58 games for the Mariners, slashing .262/.364/.437 with 11 s, 28 RBIs, and 37 runs scored, leading all rookies in , , and OPS (.801). Lewis earned the unanimous Rookie of the Year award, receiving all 30 first-place votes from the , becoming the first Mariners player to win the honor. Defensively, he excelled in center field with a 7 rating and made highlight-reel plays, including a spectacular diving catch to rob outfielder Ramon Laureano of a in September. Lewis's playing time diminished in subsequent seasons due to various setbacks. In 2021, he appeared in 36 games, batting .246/.333/.392 with five home runs and 11 RBIs. He returned for 18 games in 2022, hitting .143/.226/.304 with three home runs and five RBIs before being . On November 17, 2022, the Mariners traded Lewis to the Diamondbacks in exchange for / Cooper Hummel.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On November 17, 2022, the Arizona Diamondbacks acquired Kyle Lewis from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for / Cooper Hummel. The trade aimed to bolster Arizona's with a right-handed bat, positioning Lewis primarily for corner or roles given his injury history and defensive limitations in center field. Lewis opened the 2023 season on Arizona's roster after agreeing to a one-year, $1.61 million . He made an immediate impact with a pinch-hit two-run in a late-game situation against the on April 1, contributing to a 7-4 victory. However, his season was quickly derailed by health issues; he was placed on the 10-day on April 8 due to an undisclosed illness, missing nearly two months. Activated on June 12, Lewis was immediately optioned to Triple-A Reno, where he excelled with a .371 , .457 , and 17 home runs in 63 games. He was recalled briefly on June 30 for a short stint, accumulating just 12 plate appearances over a week primarily as a before being optioned back to Reno. Lewis returned to the majors multiple times later in the season, including activations on July 31 and September 23 after stints on the , but his opportunities remained limited. In 16 total games with , he batted .157 (8-for-51) with one , three RBI, and a .204 across 54 plate appearances, serving mainly as a (11 games) and left fielder (3 games). His tenure was marked by persistent injury challenges, restricting him to a bench and role without establishing a consistent presence in the lineup. On November 17, 2023—exactly one year after his acquisition—the Diamondbacks non-tendered Lewis, making him a as they declined to offer a for the .

Free agency

Lewis became a on November 17, 2023, when the Arizona Diamondbacks declined to tender him a rather than pay a projected $1.61 million salary in following his injury-limited 2023 . As of November 14, 2025, Lewis remains an unsigned and has not played in any professional games since 2023, having failed to secure an MLB contract through the 2024 offseason and the entirety of the 2025 season. Over his MLB career with the Seattle Mariners (2019–2022) and Diamondbacks (2023), Lewis appeared in 146 games, batting .235 with 26 home runs, and was unanimously named the 2020 Rookie of the Year.

Injuries and playing style

Injury history

Kyle Lewis's professional career was significantly impacted by a series of knee injuries beginning early in his minor league tenure. On July 19, 2016, shortly after being drafted by the Seattle Mariners, Lewis suffered a torn (ACL), along with tears to both the medial and lateral meniscus in his right knee, while sliding into home plate during a game for the Short-Season A . This severe injury required and sidelined him for the remainder of the 2016 season and much of 2017, forcing an extensive rehabilitation process that delayed his development. Recurring issues with the same knee persisted into subsequent years. In June 2017, Lewis sustained a bruise after crashing into an wall while playing for the , causing him to miss about two weeks. Later that year, during the , knee inflammation flared up again, leading to him being shut down after just two games. In early February 2018, he underwent a scope procedure as part of ongoing management, which kept him out for 4-6 weeks and further limited his playing time in the minors. Lewis's major league career, starting in 2019, continued to be hampered by problems. In 2021, he suffered a deep bone bruise to his right , placing him on the 10-day on March 31 and causing him to miss the first 17 games of the season. Later that year, on May 31, discomfort in the same led to his placement on the 10-day again, where an MRI revealed a torn meniscus; he underwent surgery on June 9 and was transferred to the 60-day on June 18. A subsequent bone bruise in September 2021 shut him down for the rest of the season, restricting him to just 36 games. In 2022, Lewis began the year on the 10-day due to another right knee bone bruise, missing time until April 20, and later went on the 7-day list after being hit by a pitch on May 29; these issues limited him to only 18 major league games that season with the Mariners. On November 17, 2022, the Mariners traded him to the Diamondbacks in exchange for catcher/outfielder Cooper Hummel. Lewis appeared in 16 games for in 2023 before being non-tendered and electing free agency on November 2, 2023. The cumulative toll of these recurring injuries, primarily centered on his right but extending to other areas, severely curtailed Lewis's availability at the major league level. Over five seasons from 2019 to 2023, he appeared in just 146 MLB games before becoming a and not playing in 2024 or 2025.

Scouting report and playing style

Kyle Lewis stands at 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs approximately 222 pounds, batting and throwing right-handed, with elite athleticism noted in early scouting evaluations prior to his injuries. His physical profile projects as a prototypical power-hitting , combining size, strength, and coordination that scouts described as "uber-athletic" in his draft year. As a hitter, Lewis demonstrates plus power potential, driven by quick bat speed and a natural loft in his swing that allows him to generate significant against mistake pitches. He maintains a patient approach at the plate, evidenced by a career of .317, reflecting his ability to draw walks and work counts effectively. Early evaluations highlighted his plus-plus , with scouts projecting 60-grade future power on the 20-80 scale. Defensively, Lewis possesses above-average range in center field, bolstered by solid instincts and routes, though projections often shifted him to a corner spot professionally. His arm strength is a standout tool, graded as plus (60) by scouts, with excellent velocity that supports Gold Glove-caliber potential in right field. Lewis's speed grades as average (50) on the 20-80 scale, translating to solid baserunning but fringy acceleration out of the box, with better straight-line speed once underway. Overall, 2019 prospect evaluations pegged him as a 60-grade hitter with 70-grade power potential, positioning him as a high-impact outfield prospect before injuries impacted his projected style.

References

  1. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lewisky01.shtml
  2. https://www.mlb.com/news/kyle-lewis-wins-2020-al-rookie-of-the-year-award
  3. https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-lewis-641786
  4. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=lewis-000kyl
  5. https://www.mlb.com/news/mariners-sign-draft-pick-kyle-lewis-to-deal-c183453334
  6. https://www.mlb.com/video/kyle-lewis-homers-1-on-a-fly-ball-to-left-center-field
  7. https://www.mlb.com/news/kyle-lewis-trade-diamondbacks-mariners
  8. https://www.mlb.com/news/non-tendered-mlb-free-agents-2023-24
  9. https://mercerbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/kyle-lewis/232
  10. https://www.fwinkspot.com/features/2021/2/20/a-humble-winner
  11. https://www.mlb.com/news/mercer-s-kyle-lewis-could-be-no-1-draft-pick-c182476144
  12. https://www.mlb.com/news/kyle-lewis-fun-facts
  13. https://www.milb.com/news/mlb-alum-of-kyle-lewis-310653774
  14. https://www.baseballamerica.com/players/3803-kyle-lewis/
  15. https://www.perfectgame.org/players/playerprofile.aspx?ID=289354
  16. https://www.macon.com/sports/article82647792.html
  17. https://thebaseballcube.com/content/player.asp?ID=185774&view=awards
  18. https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/college-player-of-the-year-lewis-powers-away-from-field/
  19. https://www.espn.com/college-sports/baseball/story/_/id/16659133/kyle-lewis-mercer-college-wins-golden-spikes-award
  20. https://www.mlb.com/news/draft-profile-of-mercer-outfielder-kyle-lewis-c182455406
  21. https://www.mlb.com/press-release/mariners-select-outfielder-kyle-lewis-11th-overall-in-2016-mlb-draft-183127298
  22. https://www.mlb.com/news/2016-draft-signing-and-bonus-tracker-c183906680
  23. https://www.heraldnet.com/sports/ms-first-round-pick-kyle-lewis-is-coming-to-everett/
  24. https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2016/7/20/12243978/kyle-lewis-suffers-significant-knee-injury-done-for-the-season
  25. https://www.fangraphs.com/players/kyle-lewis/19508/stats?position=OF
  26. https://www.milb.com/news/top-seattle-mariners-prospect-kyle-lewis-ready-to-show-out-in-arizona--258292372
  27. https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/mariners-top-prospect-kyle-lewis-sitting-out-with-knee-soreness-in-class-a-modesto/
  28. https://www.milb.com/news/top-seattle-mariners-prospect-kyle-lewis-promoted-to-double-a-286711012
  29. https://www.mlb.com/news/mariners-2019-top-30-prospects-list
  30. https://www.mlb.com/news/kyle-lewis-hits-first-home-run
  31. https://www.milb.com/player/kyle-lewis-641786
  32. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2178164/2020/11/09/kyle-lewis-a-rookie-of-the-year-to-remember/
  33. https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/analysis/diamondbacks-2023-player-reviews-kyle-lewis
  34. https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/player/185774/
  35. https://www.azsnakepit.com/2023/11/18/23962085/2023-arizona-diamondbacks-reviews-54-kyle-lewis
  36. https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2023/11/17/diamondbacks-nontender-outfielder-kyle-lewis/71627913007/
  37. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/11/five-non-tendered-bats-to-keep-an-eye-on-this-offseason.html
  38. https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-190768538
  39. https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/gruesome-injury-behind-him-mariners-prospect-kyle-lewis-is-embracing-his-first-healthy-spring/
  40. https://sodomojo.com/2021/12/17/mariners-kyle-lewis-injury-history-updates/
  41. https://www.mlb.com/news/kyle-lewis-starts-season-on-injured-list
  42. https://www.mlb.com/news/kyle-lewis-to-injured-list
  43. https://marinersblog.mlblogs.com/mariners-reinstate-of-kyle-lewis-from-7-day-injured-list-c47da232e242
  44. https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/36188/kyle-lewis
  45. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/seattles-kyle-lewis-does-damage-to-baseballs-aims-to-be-direct/
  46. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/top-14-prospects-seattle-mariners/
  47. https://www.fueledbysports.com/kyle-lewis-scouting-report/
  48. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2641044-kyle-lewis-prospect-profile-for-seattle-mariners-1st-round-pick
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