Hanser Alberto

Alberto signed as an international free agent with the Texas Rangers in November 2009, receiving a $75,000 signing bonus. Playing for the Dominican Summer Rangers of the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League in 2010, he won the batting title. Alberto began the 2013 season with the Frisco RoughRiders of the Class AA Texas League, but struggled, and was demoted to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League.[1] He returned to Frisco in 2014, and won the Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove Award as the best defensive shortstop in minor league baseball.[2]

The Rangers promoted Alberto to the major leagues on May 28, 2015; he made his debut the next day against the Boston Red Sox. He went 1-for-3 with a run batted in (RBI) triple in his debut. He made the Rangers postseason roster and batted .200 with two RBIs in the 2015 American League Division Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, including recording the game winning RBI in Game 2 of that series.[3] He split the 2016 season between the Round Rock Express and Texas. Alberto playing in only five games in 2017 due to shoulder injuries.[4] On December 14, 2017, Alberto signed a minor league contract with the Rangers.[5] He split the 2018 season between the Rangers and Round Rock.

Alberto bounced around and was claimed off waivers several times during the offseason following the 2018 campaign. To the New York Yankees from the Rangers on November 2, 2018.[6] To the Baltimore Orioles replacing Andrew Susac on the team's 40-man roster on January 11, 2019, just a few hours after being designated for assignment as a result of the Yankees re-signing Zack Britton.[7] To the San Francisco Giants in place of Jake Barrett on February 22,[8] three days after the Orioles' acquisition of Josh Osich made him available on February 19.[9] After only a week with the Giants, he rejoined the Orioles on March 1, this time replacing Donnie Hart.[10]

Alberto was pressed into service as a relief pitcher in the ninth inning of a 15–3 loss to the New York Yankees at Camden Yards on April 7, 2019. With the score 13–3, he hit a batter, surrendered a two-run homer, walked a pair and got a force out and two flyouts.[11] He joined teammates Renato Núñez and Anthony Santander as the third Oriole within a three-week span to achieve his own first-ever five-hit game in a 14–2 win over the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on August 30, 2019.[12] This occurred within a calendar month for the first time since Wally Moses, Frankie Hayes and Lou Finney did it with the Philadelphia Athletics in July 1936.[13]

Alberto enjoyed a career year offensively, hitting .305/.329/.422 with 12 home runs and 51 runs batted in. He had the lowest strikeout percentage in baseball (9.1%), led the majors in at bats per strikeout (10.5), and led the American League in bunt hits (9).[14] He also swung at the highest percentage of pitches outside the strike zone of all American League batters (47.6%), and had the lowest Hard Contact Percentage of all major league batters, at 24.6%.[15]

In 2020 for the Orioles, Alberto slashed .283/.306/.393 with 3 home runs and 22 RBI.[16] He was non-tendered by the Orioles on December 2, 2020 and was released the same day. He had been expected to get a $2–4 million raise in his first year of arbitration eligibility.[17]

On January 31, 2021, Alberto signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals organization.[18]