Palauan and American baseball player (born 1996)
Bligh John Madris (born February 29, 1996) is an American-Palauan professional baseball outfielder in the Detroit Tigers organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros.
Amateur career.
Madris attended Foothill High School in Henderson, Nevada, and played college baseball at Colorado Mesa University. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the ninth round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.
Professional career.
Pittsburgh Pirates.
Madris made his professional debut with the West Virginia Black Bears, batting .270 with five home runs and 31 RBIs over 56 games. He spent the 2018 season with the Bradenton Marauders with whom he hit .238 with nine home runs and 53 RBIs over 103 games, and he spent 2019 with the Altoona Curve, batting .260 with eight home runs and 55 RBIs over 132 games. After not playing a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the season, he returned to Altoona to begin the 2021 season before being promoted to the Indianapolis Indians in May. Over 114 games, he slashed .267/.353/.417 with nine home runs and 56 RBIs and was named Rookie of the Year by the Indians. After the season, he played in the Puerto Rico Baseball League for the Gigantes de Carolina. He returned to the Indians to open the 2022 season.
On June 19, 2022, the Pirates announced that Madris would have his contract selected and that he would be promoted to the major leagues the next day. He made his MLB debut the next day as the starting right fielder at PNC Park versus the Chicago Cubs and recorded his first major league hit, a two-RBI single, in his first at-bat versus Caleb Kilian. Madris became the first Pirates rookie since Jason Kendall in 1996 to record three hits in his major league debut. As the Pirates continued their series against the Cubs on June 21, Madris hit his first major league home run while facing Mark Leiter Jr. On September 13, Madris was designated for assignment.
Tampa Bay Rays.
On September 16, 2022, Madris was claimed by the Tampa Bay Rays. He played in 10 games for the Triple–A Durham Bulls to close out the year, and hit .317/.370/.683 with 4 home runs and 15 RBI. On November 15, he was designated for assignment.
On November 18, 2022, Madris was claimed off waivers by the Detroit Tigers. On December 21, he was designated for assignment following the waiver claim of Mario Feliciano.
Houston Astros.
On January 3, 2023, Madris was traded to the Houston Astros in exchange for cash considerations. Madris was optioned to the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys to begin the 2023 season. On March 30, Madris was designated for assignment, after Corey Julks and César Salazar were added to the roster. On April 3, he cleared waivers and was sent outright to Sugar Land. In 60 games for Sugar Land, Madris hit .249/.363/.446 with 10 home runs, 36 RBI, and 10 stolen bases. On June 23, the Astros selected Madris' contract, adding him to the active roster. In 12 games for Houston, he went 4–for–26 (.154) with 4 walks. On August 8, Madris was designated for assignment following the promotion of Jon Singleton. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Sugar Land on August 10. Madris elected free agency on October 11.
Detroit Tigers (second stint).
On November 13, 2023, Madris signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers. In 80 games for the Triple–A Toledo Mud Hens, he batted .236/.339/.464 with 14 home runs, 46 RBI, and 17 stolen bases. The Tigers purchased Madris' contract on July 21, 2024, and added him to the active roster. He hit his first home run as a Tiger on August 3, against the Kansas City Royals. In 21 games for Detroit, he slashed .269/.324/.358 with one home run and five RBI. On November 4, Madris was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to Toledo. He elected free agency the same day. On November 8, Madris re-signed with the Tigers on a minor league contract.
Personal life.
Madris is of Palauan descent. Upon making his MLB debut, he became the first Palauan to play in the major leagues.
References.
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