Vidal Bruján Esteva (born February 9, 1998) is a Dominican professional baseball second baseman and right fielder for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Tampa Bay Rays. Bruján signed with the Rays as an international free agent in 2014, and made his MLB debut with them in 2021.
| Vidal Bruján | |
|---|---|
 Bruján with the Charlotte Stone Crabs | |
| Miami Marlins | |
| Second baseman / Right fielder | |
| Born: February 9, 1998 San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic | |
Bats: Switch Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 7, 2021, for the Tampa Bay Rays | |
| MLB statistics (through 2024 season) | |
| Batting average | .189 |
| Home runs | 5 |
| Runs batted in | 38 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Career
editTampa Bay Rays
editBruján signed with the Tampa Bay Rays as an international free agent in October 2014.[1][2] He made his professional debut in 2015 with the Dominican Summer League Rays, batting .301 with two home runs, 20 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases in 60 games. He split 2016 with the Gulf Coast Rays and Hudson Valley Renegades, hitting a combined .271 with one home run and eight RBIs in 51 games, and played 2017 with Hudson Valley where he batted .285 with three home runs, 20 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases in 67 games.
Bruján played 2018 with both the Bowling Green Hot Rods (with whom he was named a Midwest League All-Star) and the Charlotte Stone Crabs[3][4] where he slashed a combined .320/.403/.459 with nine home runs, 53 RBIs, and 55 stolen bases in 122 games between the two clubs.[5] He split the 2019 season between Charlotte and the Montgomery Biscuits, hitting a combined .277/.346/.389/.735 with 4 home runs and 40 RBIs.[6][7] He played for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League following the 2019 season.[8]
Bruján was added to the Rays 40–man roster following the 2019 season.[9] He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[10] In June 2021, Bruján was selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game.[11]
On July 7, 2021, Bruján was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[12] He made his MLB debut that day as the starting second baseman in the first game of a doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians. In the game, he recorded his first career hit, an RBI single off of Indians starter J. C. Mejía.
Bruján spent most of 2022 with the Triple-A Durham Bulls, batting .292. He did, however, play in 52 games with the Rays, and also hit his first MLB home run off Devin Smeltzer on June 10 vs. the Minnesota Twins.
Bruján was optioned to Triple-A Durham to begin the 2023 season.[13] He played in 37 games for Tampa Bay, hitting just .171/.241/.197 with no home runs, 6 RBI, and 3 stolen bases.[14]
Miami Marlins
editOn November 17, 2023, Bruján and Calvin Faucher were traded to the Miami Marlins in exchange for Erick Lara, Andrew Lindsey and a player to be named later.[15] In an August 24, 2024, blowout loss against the Chicago Cubs, Bruján entered the game in the ninth inning and recorded his first career pitching strikeout against Isaac Paredes.[16] In 102 appearances for Miami, he slashed .222/.303/.319 with two home runs, 16 RBI, and five stolen bases. Bruján was designated for assignment following the signing of Eric Wagaman on December 20.[17]
Personal life
editBruján's father, Vidal Sr., died from heart failure in 2018.[18]
References
edit- ^ "Vidal Brujan Comes to Play Every Day". September 4, 2018.
- ^ "Vidal Bruján, una apuesta de impacto inmediato para los Toros del Este". www.diariolibre.com. September 13, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ "Brujan delivers big night for Stone Crabs". MiLB.com. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ "Vidal Brujan: Nadie creía en mí". El Nuevo Diario (República Dominicana). September 12, 2018.
- ^ "Vidal Brujan Stats, Highlights, Bio". MiLB.com. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
- ^ Michael Avallone (June 27, 2019). "Brujan ready to stir up Biscuits offense". MiLB.com. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
- ^ R.J. Anderson (October 31, 2019). "Tampa Bay Rays top prospect list 2020: Wander Franco, baseball's top prospect, leads the charge". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
- ^ Kelsie Heneghan (October 25, 2019). "Top prospects take stage for Fall League title". MiLB.com. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
- ^ Marc Topkin (November 20, 2019). "Rays move on from Matt Duffy, add five prospects to 40-man roster". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
- ^ "2020 Minor League Season Canceled". MLB Trade Rumors. June 30, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
- ^ "2021 Futures Game rosters". mlb.com. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
- ^ "Rays Place Manuel Margot On 10-Day IL, Activate Josh Fleming". MLB Trade Rumors. July 7, 2021. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
- ^ "Rays' Vidal Brujan: Starting season with Triple-A". cbssports.com. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ "Vidal Brujan - Stats - Batting". fangraphs.com. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ "Marlins acquire Bruján and Faucher from Rays". MLB.com. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- ^ https://www.mlb.com/marlins/video/vidal-brujan-pitches-the-9th-inning-for-the-marlins
- ^ "Marlins Sign Eric Wagaman, Designate Vidal Bruján". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ Juan Toribio (March 6, 2019). "Brujan honors father with big league ambition". MLB.com. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
External links
edit- Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet