Leody Taveras...he and his wife, Genny, have three children: sons Leyron (9/26/17) and Leryson (8/16/19), and daughter Emma (9/20/23)¡participated in Rangers Awards Dinner and Fan Fest this past January¡in January 2023, participated in ¡®Soy Grandes Ligas desde Peque?o¡¯, a youth baseball clinic in his native Dominican Republic hosted by the Federaciš®n Dominicana de BšŠisbol¡other attendees included former Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz and Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Rodney Linares, who managed the Dominican in the 2023 World Baseball Classic¡is a cousin of former MLB centerfielder Willy Taveras and former Texas farmhand Luis Taveras, a catcher who played with the organization from 1997-2001 and reached as high as AAA¡tabbed the third-best prospect in the 2015 international signing class by Baseball America before coming to terms with Texas as a non-drafted free agent on 7/2/15.
2023
The 25-year-old tallied career bests in nearly every offensive category last season, batting .266 (136-511) with 14 HR, 31 2B, three 3B, 67 RBIs and 14 SB over 143 games with the Rangers, serving as the club¡¯s primary center fielder for the majority of the season¡opened the campaign on 10-day Injured List (left oblique strain) and was activated on 4/12¡ beginning 4/12, only time he did not start back-to-back games was when he missed 3 straight, 9/13-15, with left hand soreness...Started all 17 postseason games in CF, batting .175 (10-57) with three XBH (HR, 2B, 3B) and three RBI¡was 2-for-34 (.059) with two singles and no RBI in final 10 G beginning with ALCS G3 vs. HOU...Recorded career highs in all four slash categories, hits, HR, RBI, SB, 2B, 3B, BB (35), and R (67)¡his career-high 48 XBH were sixth-most among Rangers and the 4th-most ever by a Texas batter as a centerfielder: 68-Gary Matthews Jr. in 2006, 57-Juan Gonzš¢lez in 1992, 52-George Wright in 1983, 48-Taveras in 2023¡31 2B were also rank fourth in club history for a CF behind Matthews Jr. in 2006 (44), Marlon Byrd in 2009 (32), and Mickey Rivers in 1980 (32)...Was activated from 10-day IL on 4/12 and hit .204 (11-54) with no HR and five RBIs over his first 16 G in April¡ proceeded to slash .368/.419/.516/.935 (35-95) with two HR, six 2B, 15 RBIs over 26 G in May, raising his season BA from .204 to .303¡ranked among A.L. leaders for the month in BA (first), H (T3rd), OBP (ninth) and times on base (T10th, 44)¡hit .266 (25-94) with team-high evens HR and 16 RBIs over 26 games in June before batting .216 (39-181) with three HR and 22 RBI across 48 games in July-August to drop from .292 to .258¡closed the campaign with a .299 BA (26-87) over final 27 G beg. 9/1 to finish at .266...Started team-high 138 games in center field, the fourth-most CF starts in MLB behind SEA¡¯s Julio Rodršªguez (152), SD¡¯s Trent Grisham (142), and CWS¡¯ Luis Robert Jr. (141)¡his career-best .997 (1 ER/363 TC) fielding pct. ranked 3rd among qualified CF (1.000-CLE¡¯s Myles Straw, higher .997-COL¡¯s Brenton Doyle)¡career-high five OF assists (prev. 3 in 2022) were second-most on club (11-Garcšªa) and T3rd-most among A.L. CF (seven-Robert Jr., six-Straw).
2022
Opened the campaign at Triple-A Round Rock and was recalled by Texas on 6/13...proceeded to bat .261/.309/.366/.675 (82-314) while setting career high marks in most offensive categories over 99 games/87 starts in CF (86) and at DH (1)¡ hit .341/.387/.529/.917 (29-85) in July, 2nd-most hits of any Ranger that month to Marcus Semien (30)...ranked among A.L. July leaders in 2B (T2nd, 10) & BA (9th, .341)...had season/ career-high three hits twice during the month (7/24 at OAK, 7/11 vs. OAK)¡recorded career-high 11 steals (prev. 10 in 2021), going 11-for-16 (68.7%) in steal attempts...according to Statcast, his average sprint speed (29.5 ft./sec.) was 3rd-highest on club (30.4-Thompson, 30.1-White) and T13th in the A.L¡had career-high 5 RBI on 8/10 at HOU, tied for most by a Ranger in 2022¡ posted career-best 15-G on-base streak (7/9-27) and career-best 9-G hit streak (7/9-21)...had career-long 46-G HR drought (7/16-9/10)...Batted .294/.335/.485/.820 (60-204) with seven HR, 12 2B, three 3B, 29 RBI and seven SB over 49 G with Round Rock, making starts at all three OF positions: CF (24), LF (13), RF (10)...ranked among Pacific Coast League leaders at the time of recall on 6/13 in hits (T5th, 60) and total bases (T8th, 99)...named Rangers¡¯ April Minor League Player of the Month: .376 BA, four HR, 12 RBI... had season-high 17-G hit streak from 4/16-5/8.
2021
Batted .161/.207/.270/.477 (28-174) with three home runs and nine RBI over 49 games/46 starts spanning two stints in the Majors: O.D.-4/25, 8/24-end of season¡made the Opening Day roster for a 2nd straight year¡went 4-for-46 (.087) with four singles in his first stint and slashed .188/.224/.336/.560 (24-128) over 34 G during his 2nd stint¡all of his 46 starts came in center field, 2nd-most CF starts on club (76-Adolis Garcšªa)¡went 10-for-11 in stolen base attempts, including 10 straight steals without a caught stealing to open the season...CS on 10/2 vs. CLE snapped career-opening 18-for-18 stolen base streak, the 2nd-longest such streak to begin a career in Rangers history: Craig Gentry in 2010-11 (19-for-19)¡tallied six defensive runs saved and five outs above average (Statcast) in CF, with the latter figure ranking 10th among A.L. CF (min. 50 attempts)¡tabbed as the Rangers¡¯ no. 3 prospect by Baseball America.
2020
Served as the Rangers primary center fielder and leadoff batter for the last half of the season, his 1st Major League action¡had two stints with Texas: Opening Day-7/28 and 8/24-end of season¡retains his rookie status for 2021 after spending just 37 days on the active roster¡made his Major League debut as reserve CF on 7/24 vs. COL at 21 years, 320 days old, youngest TEX pos. player to debut on O.D. since Hank Blalock (21.131) on 4/1/02¡lone game action before he was optioned to the Alt. Site on 7/28¡was recalled from the Alternate Training Site on 8/24 and started 25 of 26 G to close the season (all in CF)¡in that span ranked among club leaders in XBH (1st, 11), BB (1st, 14), R (1st, 20), SB (1st, 8), times on base (2nd, 41), TB (2nd, 47), HR (T2nd, 4)¡produced 1.1 rWAR (baseball-reference), 3rd-highest among Texas position players to Kiner-Falefa (1.8) and Gallo (1.2).
2019
Finished with career highs in H (145), 3B (8), RBI (56), SB (32), and BB (54) while reaching Double-A for the 1st time¡tied Miguel Aparicio for the org. lead in 3B while finishing 2nd in H (146-Zack Granite) and T2nd in SB (33-Yonny Hernandez, 32-Taveras/J.P. Martinez)¡named mid-season All-Star for Down East and was promoted to Frisco on 6/20¡batted .239 (39-163) in 1st 42 G w/ Frisco before posting a .307 BA (31-101) in final 23 G¡slashed .282/.349/.397/.746 vs. RHP and .270/.326/.310/.636 vs. LHP¡began season as Texas' 3rd-best prospect and the 10th-youngest player in the Carolina League according to Baseball America¡rated by the same publication as the 14th-best prospect in the Texas League, and named CL's best defensive outfielder in the Best Tools rankings¡saw action defensively at all 3 OF positions, but received a majority of his starts in CF (98 GS)¡recorded 12 outfield assists.
WINTER LEAGUE: Played for Aguilas in the Dominican Winter League for the 2nd straight offseason, batting .290/.327/.320/.647 (29-100) with 5 RBI and 6 SB in 29 games.
2018
Represented Down East at the Carolina League All-Star Game¡ranked among CL leaders in games (T2nd, 132), hits (T4th, 128), triples (T4th, 7), and stolen bases (T9th, 19)...entered season as the 3rd-youngest player in the circuit according to Baseball America...closed campaign with 21-G on-base streak, a stretch in which he batted .284/.351/.398/.748 (25-88)...also reached safely in 16 straight G from 5/4-20 at .338 (22-65)...the switch-hitter hit all 5 HR from the left side of the plate...participated in the 2018 Futures Game on 7/15 at Nationals Park in Washington D.C. as a member of the World team...started 123 games in center field and recorded career-high 13 outfield assists...rated CL's best defensive outfielder and best outfield arm by Baseball America¡batted .229 (8-35) in 16 G for Aguilas in the Dominican Winter League.
2017
Ranked as the 29th-best prospect in baseball in MLB.com's season-ending top prospects list¡named the 3rd-best prospect in the South Atlantic League by Baseball America¡finished T7th in the SAL with 130 hits¡tied for the league lead with 128 games in the outfield, compiling a .989 fielding percentage (3 E/285 TC)¡ was named the organization's Minor League Defender of the Month for both April and July¡began the season as the 5thyoungest player in the SAL and led the league with 134 games played and 522 at-bats.
