Jurickson Profar

Profar signed with the Texas Rangers on July 2, 2009.[2][3] Other teams wanted to sign Profar as a pitcher, but the Rangers signed him as a shortstop, his preferred position.[4] He spent his first professional season in 2010 playing for the Spokane Indians. He hit .250 with four home runs and 23 runs batted in in 63 games.

Prior to the 2011 season, Profar was ranked by Baseball America as the Texas Rangers second best overall prospect and the 74th best overall.[5][6] He played the 2011 season for the Hickory Crawdads. He was selected to represent the Rangers at the 2011 All-Star Futures Game.[7] Baseball America ranked him as the 12th best prospect in baseball during their midseason top 50 list.[8] He finished the season hitting .286/.390/.493 with 12 home runs and 65 runs batted in and was named the South Atlantic League MVP.[9] He was named the shortstop on Baseball America's 2011 Minor League All Star team.[10] He was named to appear in the 2012 All-Star Futures Game.[11]

On August 31, 2012, Profar was called up to the Rangers as major league rosters expanded and as a possible postseason addition. He is the first player born in 1993 to play in the majors and was the youngest player active in the major leagues.[12] In his major league debut, Profar started at second base in place of Ian Kinsler, who was out due to back stiffness, and hit a 388-foot solo home run off of Zach McAllister in his first major league at bat. He then later doubled in his second at-bat, and went 2 for 4 for the game. In 9 games, Profar batted .176 with a home run and 2 RBI.

Profar with the Texas Rangers in 2016

Profar started the 2013 season in Triple-A Round Rock. In May 2013, the Rangers called up Profar while putting Kinsler on the 15-day disabled list. In a May 26 game at Seattle, he hit his second career home run off Hisashi Iwakuma while batting leadoff for the first time in his major league career.[13] In 88 games, Profar batted .234 with 6 home runs and 26 RBI.

After the 2013 season, the Rangers traded Kinsler, anticipating that Profar would become the Rangers' starting second baseman.[14]

Profar started the 2014 season on the 60-day disabled list, and wasn't expected to make a return until mid-June. On May 22, the Rangers organization announced Profar had reinjured his shoulder, and as a result missed the entire 2014 season.[15] On February 23, 2015, Profar underwent surgery on his shoulder and missed the entire 2015 season.[16]

Profar batting for the Round Rock Express in 2016

After missing a total of two seasons due to the shoulder injury, Profar was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock Express on March 21, 2016. On May 27, 2016, the Rangers called Profar up to the majors as a replacement for second baseman Rougned Odor, who was suspended by the MLB for seven games for punching the Toronto Blue Jays' José Bautista. Profar went 1-for-5 in his return against the Pittsburgh Pirates the same day. He hit his first home run of the season on May 31, 2016, against the Cleveland Indians.[17] His performance during Odor's suspension earned him a regular roster spot. Upon Odor's return from suspension, Hanser Alberto was optioned to the minors.

Since his return Profar has played, in addition to his normal 2B and SS positions, 3B, 1B, and the outfield (the latter two for the first time in his major league career).

In 2017, Profar lost playing time in left field to Ryan Rua and Delino DeShields Jr.[18] In 2018, Profar made the Rangers' major league roster out of spring training as a utility infielder. On April 16, Profar left the game after being backened after a slide. Profar was placed on concussion protocol shortly thereafter.[19] In his first full season at the Major League level, Profar hit .254/.335/.458 with 20 homeruns, while appearing at 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, and Left Field.

Profar was named the 2018 Richard Durrett Hardest Working Man Award winner by the DFW chapter of the BBWAA.[20]

On December 21, 2018, the Rangers traded Profar to the Oakland Athletics in a three-team deal in which the Rangers acquired Brock Burke, Kyle Bird, Yoel Espinal, Eli White, and $750,000 of international signing bonus pool space and the Tampa Bay Rays acquired Emilio Pagan, Rollie Lacy, and a competitive balance pick in the 2019 MLB draft.[21] The Athletics played Profar almost exclusively at second base to fill the void left by free agent Jed Lowrie. After struggling on defense and to keep his batting average above .200, Profar was relegated to a platoon role when the Athletics called up Corban Joseph. On defense in 2019, he had a -10 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) rating, the lowest in the major leagues among second basemen.[22]

On December 2, 2019, the Athletics traded Profar to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Austin Allen and a player to be named later or cash considerations.[23] On January 27, 2021, Profar re-signed with the Padres on a three-year, $21MM contract.[24]