Cavan Biggio
Biggio with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2020
Toronto Blue Jays – No. 8
Utility player
Born: (1995-04-11) April 11, 1995 (age 28)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
MLB debut
May 24, 2019, for the Toronto Blue Jays
MLB statistics
(through 2023 season)
Batting average.229
Home runs46
Runs batted in167
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  United States
18U Baseball World Championship
Gold medal – first place 2012 Seoul Team

Cavan Thomas Biggio (/ˈkævɪn/ KAV-in; born April 11, 1995) is an American professional baseball utility player for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is the son of former MLB player and Hall of Famer Craig Biggio.

High school and college

Biggio with Notre Dame in 2016

Biggio attended St. Thomas High School in Houston, Texas.[1] He lettered four times in both baseball and football.

The Philadelphia Phillies selected Biggio in the 29th round of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft. He did not sign and chose to attend the University of Notre Dame.[2] In three seasons of college baseball playing second base exclusively, with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Biggio batted .272 with 15 home runs, 70 runs batted in (RBIs), and 33 stolen bases.[3] In 2014 (batting .203) and 2015 (batting .263), he played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and was named a league all-star in 2015.[4][5][6][7]

Professional career

In the 2016 Major League Baseball draft, Biggio was selected in the fifth round by the Toronto Blue Jays.[8][9] Biggio signed with the Blue Jays for the draft slot bonus of $300,000 on June 17,[10][11][12] and was assigned to the Vancouver Canadians of the Class A-Short Season Northwest League. On July 26, Biggio was named an All-Star for Vancouver.[13] He finished the 2016 season with the Lansing Lugnuts of the Class A Midwest League. In 62 games, Biggio batted .273 with 26 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. He also exhibited above-average plate discipline, walking 33 times while striking out 35 times.[14]

He played the entire 2017 season with the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League. Biggio batted .233 with 11 home runs, 60 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases.[14][15]

The Blue Jays assigned Biggio to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats of the Double-A Eastern League to begin the 2018 season.[16] There, Biggio was named the Eastern League's Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player.[17]

Biggio began the 2019 season with the Buffalo Bisons of the Triple-A International League.[18] Through his first 42 games with the Bisons, he hit .307 with six home runs.[19]

On May 24, 2019, Biggio was called up to the Toronto Blue Jays.[20] He made his major league debut that night versus the San Diego Padres. Two days later, on May 26, he got his first major league hit. In his next at bat that game, he hit his first home run.[21] On September 17, Biggio hit for the cycle against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards,[22] becoming the third player in Blue Jays history to accomplish the feat, following Jeff Frye in 2001 and Kelly Gruber in 1989. Biggio had four RBIs, scored three runs, and stole two bases in the game.[23] Cavan, alongside his father, Craig (who hit for the cycle for the Houston Astros on April 8, 2002), joined Gary Ward and his son Daryle as only the second father and son duo to hit for the cycle in MLB history.[24] On the season, Biggio hit .234 in 100 games.

Overall with the 2020 Blue Jays, Biggio batted .250 with eight home runs and 28 RBIs in 59 games.[25]

In 2021 with the Blue Jays, he batted .224/.322/.356 with 7 home runs and 27 RBIs in 79 games. In AAA, he batted .182/.289/.325.

On March 22, 2022, Biggio signed a $2.123 million contract with the Blue Jays, avoiding salary arbitration.[26]

He spent 2022 playing for the Blue Jays, and batted .202/.318/.350.

On January 13, 2023, Biggio signed a one-year, $2.8 million contract with the Blue Jays, avoiding salary arbitration.[27] On June 11, Biggio hit a game winning three-run home run in a 7-6 win over the Minnesota Twins.

Personal life

Biggio is the son of Patricia and former MLB second baseman Craig Biggio, an inductee of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.[28] His given name comes from County Cavan in Ireland.[29] He has a brother, Conor, and a sister, Quinn.[2] Conor also played baseball for St. Thomas and Notre Dame,[30] and was a 34th round draft selection by the Houston Astros in the 2015 MLB draft. Conor later went to work for the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball.[31] As of the 2020–21 collegiate season, Quinn plays softball for Notre Dame.[32]

Upon reaching the major leagues, Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who had been called up a month earlier, became the first teammates in MLB history to be sons of Hall of Fame players.[33]

See also

References

  1. ^ Atkins, Hunter (March 15, 2017). "In the on-deck circle of life, Craig Biggio's son now a budding pro". HoustonChronicle.com.
  2. ^ a b "Cavan Biggio Bio". und.com. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  3. ^ "Cavan Biggio Baseball Statistics". thebaseballcube.com. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  4. ^ Matt Rice (July 8, 2015). "Harwich's Biggio thriving in second go-around". capecodtimes.com. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  5. ^ "#12 Cavan Biggio". pointstreak.com. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  6. ^ "#7 Cavan Biggio". pointstreak.com. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  7. ^ "Cape League All-Star, Home Run selections released". capecodbaseball.org. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  8. ^ Reiss, Aaron (June 10, 2016). "Cavan Biggio drafted in fifth round by Blue Jays". chron.com. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  9. ^ "Blue Jays draft Cavan Biggio, son of Craig". MLB.com. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  10. ^ "Toronto Blue Jays 2016 Draft Results". MLB.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  11. ^ McTaggart, Brian (June 11, 2016). "Biggio goes to Blue Jays, with a surprise twist". MLB.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  12. ^ "Jim Callis on Twitter". Twitter. June 11, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  13. ^ Fai, Rob (July 26, 2016). "Three C's headed to All-Star Game in Utah". MiLB.com. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  14. ^ a b "Cavan Biggio Register Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  15. ^ Griffin, Richard (September 7, 2017). "Blue Jays' sons of big leaguers on fast track to stardom: Griffin". thestar.com. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  16. ^ "Amidst generational talents, Cavan Biggio perhaps biggest surprise". Minor League Ball. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  17. ^ "Biggio Voted MVP, Schneider Manager of the Year". MiLB.com. September 1, 2018. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  18. ^ Wolf, Jason (April 4, 2019). "Bisons' Cavan Biggio, Bo Bichette bring more than talent, famous surnames". buffalonews.com. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  19. ^ Randhawa, Manny (May 23, 2019). "Blue Jays to call up Cavan Biggio (sources)". MLB.com. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  20. ^ Strong, Gregory (May 24, 2019). "Jays' Cavan Biggio, Canadian Padre Josh Naylor, make MLB debuts in Toronto". cbc.ca. The Canadian Press. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  21. ^ Brudnicki, Alexis (May 26, 2019). "Biggio collects first big league hit -- then homers". MLB.com. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  22. ^ "Cavan Biggio hits for cycle in Baltimore". MLB.com. September 17, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  23. ^ "Blue Jays vs. Orioles - Box Score". ESPN. September 17, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  24. ^ "Biggio hits for cycle against Orioles". TSN.ca. September 17, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  25. ^ "Cavan Biggio Stats, Fantasy & News | Toronto Blue Jays". MLB.com.
  26. ^ "Arbitration Tracker For 2022". MLBTradeRumors. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  27. ^ "2023 MLB Arbitration Tracker". MLBTradeRumors. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  28. ^ "Biggio's son among familiar names called on Day 2 of MLB draft". mlb.nbcsports.com. June 11, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  29. ^ Kepner, Tyler (April 25, 2018). "Sons try to eclipse dads". The Palm Beach Post. West Palm Beach, Florida. p. C5. Retrieved June 14, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
  30. ^ Kepner, Tyler (April 20, 2018). "Now Batting in Class AA: Biggio, Bichette and Guerrero". The New York Times. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  31. ^ Townsend, Mark (June 10, 2016). "Craig Biggio's sons shared an unexpected draft moment". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  32. ^ "Quinn Biggio Notre Dame Fighting Irish Official Athletics Website". und.com. August 17, 2018.
  33. ^ Fowler, Will (May 23, 2019). "Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Cavan Biggio Set to Make MLB History Friday". 12up.com.

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