Freddy Fermin #34

Freddy resides in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela, with his wife, Consuelo Ortiz...He played for Team Panama during the 2021-22 Caribbean Series.

2023

Fermin had two stints with the Royals in 2023…he began the season with Triple-A Omaha before joining Kansas City from April 21-28…he was recalled again on May 2 and remained with the Royals until he suffered a left middle finger fracture and landed on the IL on Sept. 9...Hit .281 (61-for-217) with the Royals, which led the team (min. 100 at-bats) and ranked fourth among American League rookies, trailing Royce Lewis (.309), Masataka Yoshida (.289) and Yainer Diaz (.282)...Recorded both his first career home run and triple on May 4 vs. the Orioles, becoming the fourth catcher in club history to hit a triple and a HR in a single game, joining Miguel Olivo (on June 29, 2009 and Aug. 11, 2009), Don Slaught (July 8, 1984) and Darrell Porter (Aug. 17, 1979)... Had the game-winning hit with a one-out bunt single in the ninth inning on May 11 vs. the White Sox, marking his first career walk-off RBI…he became the second Royal to hit a walk-off RBI bunt single, joining Frank White, who did so twice, in 1975 and 1982...On June 29 vs. Cleveland, he hit a pinch-hit, walk-off, two-run double, becoming the fifth Royal this century with a pinch-hit, walk-off RBI and the first since Ryan O’Hearn on Sept. 3, 2019...Over his final 48 games from June 18 until he was placed on the IL with a season-ending injury on Sept. 9, he slashed .312/.339/.490 (49-for-157) with 10 doubles, six HR, 25 RBI and 22 runs.. In 14 games with Triple-A Omaha, he batted .304/448/.674 (14-for-46) with seven extra-base hits and more walks (11) than strikeouts (nine).

2022

Fermin had a four-day stint with the Royals from July 14-17, 2022, and made his Major League debut on July 15 in Toronto…he entered as a defensive substitution in his debut...In his first start on July 16 at Toronto, he went 0-for-4 but scored a run after reaching on a fielder’s choice…he also threw out Lourdes Gurriel Jr. attempting to steal second base...He played in 87 games with Triple-A Omaha and slashed .270/.365/.480 (80-for-296) with career highs in HR (15), RBI (56), doubles (17) and walks (46)...He had a career-high six RBI on Aug. 26 vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in which he turned in his third multi-homer game of the season…that game was part of his dominant month of August when he slashed .337/.420/.698 (29-for-86) with seven doubles, eight home runs and 18 RBI in 24 games…in August, he ranked among International League leaders in home runs (second), total bases (60, second) slugging pct. (third), OPS (1.118, third) and XBH (15, third)...Fermin was named International League Player of the Week for Aug. 22-28, over which he went 7-for19 (.368) with a 1.316 slugging pct., a 1.796 OPS and 12 RBI...He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2022-23 Venezuelan Winter League and was unanimously selected as the league’s Rookie of the Year, after leading the league with a .404 batting average (67-for-166) and ranking second hits, in on-base percentage (.482), OPS (1.048), third in slugging percentage (.566), tied for third in runs (38) and tied for fourth in doubles (13)...Fermin earned 26 of 50 first-place votes to earn 161 points and the 2022-23 MVP of the Venezuelan Winter League, topping José Rondón (107 points) and José Martínez (76 points). 

2021

Played four games with Triple-A Omaha before spending the rest of the season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas...Made Triple-A debut on May 5 vs. St. Paul and collected first Triple-A hit May 13 at Columbus...Went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored May 16 at Columbus, his 26th birthday...Played 73 games for the Naturals, slashing .279/.356/.446 with 13 doubles, 10 home runs, and 45 RBI.

2020

Spent the season at the Royals’ Alternate Training Site in Kansas City, Kansas... A non-roster invitee to Major League Spring Training… appeared in three games, going 1-for-2 at the plate... Also participated the club’s Postseason Camp at Kauffman Stadium in October.

2019

Split the season between Lexington (A) and Northwest Arkansas (AA), playing in a career-high 86 games between the two stops…combined to slash .259/.298/.418 (82-for-316) with 14 doubles, 12 homers and 41 RBI...Named a midseason All-Star in the South Atlantic League, entering the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning...Threw out 26-of-55 would-be basestealers (47.3 percent), including 17-of-25 (68 percent) in his 44 games with Lexington…he was the only SAL catcher to throw out better than 50 percent of potential base thieves (min. 40 games played)...Had a four-game stint with Northwest Arkansas (June 2130), before returning to the Naturals for the remainder of the season on July 16…went 15-for-50 (.300) with three doubles and two homers (.480 SLG) in his first 14 games at the Double-A level...Played in four games with the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League. 

2018

Played in a combined 50 games between Idaho Falls (Rookie) and Burlington (Rookie), batting .249/.346/.350 (44-for-177) with 10 doubles, a triple, two homers and 31 runs scored...Threw out 14 would-be basestealers (in 33 attempts) with Burlington, ranking him fourth in the Appalachian League...Matched a career high with four hits on Aug. 11 vs. Pulaski, going 4-for-4 with four singles…marked his second professional game with four hits. 

2017

Made his stateside debut and served as the primary catcher at Idaho Falls...slashed .282/.403/.356 (46-for-163) in 47 games...Ranked tied for 10th in the Pioneer League in walks (31)… reached safely in 40 of his 47 games...Collected 11 hits and 13 RBI in a four-game stretch, from July 22-26…that included his first career home run - a two-run shot on July 23 at Helena.