Jacob Michael Smolinski (born February 9, 1989) is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics, and in the KBO League for the NC Dinos.

Jake Smolinski
Smolinski with the Nashville Sounds in 2018
Left fielder
Born: (1989-02-09) February 9, 1989 (age 35)
Rockford, Illinois, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Professional debut
MLB: July 7, 2014, for the Texas Rangers
KBO: July 11, 2019, for the NC Dinos
Last appearance
MLB: June 20, 2018, for the Oakland Athletics
KBO: October 1, 2019, for the NC Dinos
MLB statistics
Batting average.235
Home runs16
Runs batted in67
KBO statistics
Batting average.226
Home runs14
Runs batted in59
Teams

Amateur career

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Born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, Smolinski attended Boylan Catholic High School where he also starred in football as a quarterback.[1] In baseball, Smolinski was a shortstop and pitcher. As a senior, Smolinski batted .441 with 13 home runs and 49 RBIs.[2]

Professional career

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Washington Nationals

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Smolinski was drafted as a left fielder and third baseman by the Washington Nationals in the second round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft, out of high school.

Florida Marlins

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On November 10, 2008, he was traded to the Florida Marlins along with Emilio Bonifacio and P. J. Dean for Josh Willingham and Scott Olsen.[3]

Texas Rangers

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He signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers in December 2013.[4] Smolinski was called up to the majors for the first time on July 7, 2014.

Oakland Athletics

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Smolinski was claimed off waivers by the Oakland Athletics on June 21, 2015. He declared free agency on October 15, 2018.

Tampa Bay Rays

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On November 15, 2018, Smolinski signed a minor-league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays.[5] On July 2, 2019, Smolinski was granted a release from Triple-A Durham to pursue options in Korea.[6]

NC Dinos

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On July 2, 2019, Smolinski signed with the NC Dinos of the KBO League.[7] He became a free agent following the season.

References

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  1. ^ "IHSFW.com's Boylan Catholic Home Page". ihsfw.com. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  2. ^ "One Of Illinois' Best: Jake Smolinski". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  3. ^ "Florida Marlins trade Josh Willingham, Scott Olsen to Washington Nationals". ESPN.com. November 11, 2008. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  4. ^ "Texas Rangers add minor-league outfielder Jake Smolinski". Texas Rangers Blog. Archived from the original on October 1, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  5. ^ Eddy, Matt (November 22, 2018). "Minor League Transactions: Nov 6 - Nov 21". Baseball America. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  6. ^ "Korea's NC Dinos Sign Christian Friedrich, Jake Smolinski". MLB Trade Rumors. July 2, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  7. ^ "Jake Smolinski: Headed to KBO". CBS Sports. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
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