Alex Avila

This article is about the American professional baseball catcher. For the Honduran footballer, see Álex Ávila.

Alex Avila
Avila with the Washington Nationals in 2021
Catcher
Born: (1987-01-29) January 29, 1987 (age 37)
Hialeah, Florida, U.S.
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
MLB debut
August 6, 2009, for the Detroit Tigers
Last MLB appearance
October 3, 2021, for the Washington Nationals
MLB statistics
Batting average.233
Home runs105
Runs batted in397
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Alexander Thomas Avila (born January 29, 1987) is an American former professional baseball catcher. Between 2009 and 2021 he played for the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks and Minnesota Twins and Washington Nationals. Avila is the son of former Tigers general manager Al Avila.

Avila was the Tigers' starting catcher for the team's four straight American League Central Division titles, which included catching Cy Young Award seasons for starting pitchers Justin Verlander in 2011 and Max Scherzer in 2013.

Nicknamed "The Titanium Catcher"[1] for the perception among many baseball fans that he was unusually likely to be hit by foul tips,[2] Avila has a history of concussions and concussion-like symptoms. He spent time on the disabled list for a concussion in 2013 and missed games on at least two occasions in 2014 for concussion-like symptoms after taking blows to the head.[3] His most recent reported concussion occurred in the clinching Game 3 of the 2014 American League Division Series when a tipped foul ball hit him in the mask, knocking him out of the game and ending his season three innings early.[4]

  1. ^ "Tigers' Titanium Catcher to play it smart". Fox Sports. January 28, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  2. ^ "Alex Avila and Catchers Who Get Hit in the Body". Fangraphs. October 18, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  3. ^ "Alex Avila's season may be in jeopardy due to concussion-like symptoms". SB Nation. September 20, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  4. ^ "Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila suffers another concussion, has no plans to hang up cleats". Booth Newspapers. October 5, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2014.