Graduated from Elk Grove (Calif.) High School, where he played for his father, Jeff...Was high school teammates with Nick Madrigal, Rowdy Tellez, Dom Nuñez and Derek Hill...Committed to California State University, Fullerton before signing with St. Louis...Played Little League Baseball with Detroit's Matt Manning, who was also selected in the 2016 First-Year Player Draft in the first round (No. 9 overall)...Brother, Tanner, played baseball at Long Beach State University (2019-22) and the University of Texas (2023).
2024
Opened the season with the St. Louis Cardinals on the 10-day injured list with a left AC sprain suffered in a Spring Training game on March 25 at Chicago-NL...Began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis on April 30; reinstated from the injured list on May 5; acquired by the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for RHP Shawn Armstrong on July 30...Slashed .209/.287/.277 (49-for-235) with seven doubles, three home runs, 19 runs scored, 25 RBI, 22 walks, five hit-by-pitches and two stolen bases in 96 games between the Cardinals (59 games) and Rays (37)...Homered in the first inning Aug. 2 at Houston, snapping a 215 at-bat and 94-game drought without a homer, hitting his first since June 20, 2023 at Washington...Notched his first career walk-off on Aug. 18 vs. Arizona, a one-out single off RHP Justin Martinez in the 12th inning; entered the game in the sixth inning as a pinch-hitter...Went 4-for-17 with one RBI as a pinch-hitter; has now batted .278/.350/.278 (10-for-36) with three RBI and four walks in his career when pinch-hitting.
2023
Missed 86 games due to two injuries during the season, his fewest games played since his rookie season during COVID-19 protocols in 2020...Placed on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left ankle suffered during the Boston series (5/12-14)...Returned from the injured list and was 3-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and two walks in his second game back (6/10 vs. CIN). Was the first Cardinals player in 2023 to reach base safely in five plate appearances...Posted his best month in June, batting .289 (13-45) with three home runs and seven RBI, both his single month highs for the season...Was healthy for two months before an oblique injury suffered at TB (8/10) ended his season...Was one of two Cardinals to homer off Shohei Ohtani vs. LAA (5/3), following Nolan Gorman (first inning) with his blast in the fourth inning...Hit two home runs at WSH (6/20), both off Mackenzie Gore, his third career multi-home run game and first since 2021. Was the longest home run of his career (445' to CF batters eye) on the first home run and his 300th career hit on the second home run...Did not hit another home run the rest of the season and enters 2024 on a 31-game stretch without a home run, third-longest homerless stretch of his career...Tied his career-high with three walks at CWS (7/8)...Entered as a defensive replacement 17 times during the season.
2022
Triples (four, T-9th), outfield assists (eight, T-6th) ..Led Cardinals outfielders with 128 games played. Began playing centerfield regularly on June 27 and started 62 games there during the season. ..Posted back-to-back seasons with 30 doubles, joining Tommy Edman over last two years among Cardinals switch-hitters...Batted .305/.369/.477 with an .845 OPS off left-handed pitching. His .305 average (39-128) v. LHP was 3rd on the Cardinals and ranked T-11th in the National League. ..Missed time on the Injured List with a strained left hamstring (5/23-6/9) and sprained left thumb (9/7-9/16)...Hit .302/.372/.512 (39-129) with an .884 OPS over a 40-game stretch from May 1-June 30...Recorded his 250th career hit in his 1,000th career at-bat vs. Colorado (8/18)...Compiled four sacrifice flies and has 13 since his MLB debut in 2020, most on the Cardinals over that timespan...Went 3-3 on 7/7 at Atlanta as a reserve, becoming the first MLB switch-hitter to record three hits as a reserve since Arizona's Ehire Adrianza (5/8/21), and fourth Cards switch-hitter to do so with Willie McGee (8/28/1997 vs. Montreal); Tom Herr (9/6/1980 at Houston), & Jerry Mumphrey (5/30/1977 vs. Chicago Cubs). ..Hit the last of four consecutive record-setting first inning home runs by the Cardinals at Philadelphia (7/2) off Kyle Gibson. Had his bat requested by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown...Worked a walk in eight straight games (6/14 [2]-6/23), longest by a Cardinal and one shy of Juan Soto (nine) for the MLB lead in 2022...Carried over hitting streak from 2021 and finished with career best 11-game streak (9/26/21-4/13/22)...Threw out six runners in 73 games in center field, T-5th in MLB among centerfielders.
2021
NL Ranks: Triples (4, T-10th), sacrifice flies (8, T-3rd), pitches/plate appearance (4.09, 10th)
NL Rookie Ranks: Hits (144, 1st), plate appearances (619, 2nd), home runs (18, T-3rd), doubles (31, 2nd), triples (4, T-1st), walks (57, 2nd), RBI (65, 2nd), runs (79, 2nd), extra-base hits (53, 2nd), sacrifice flies (1st), times on base (212, 2nd), total bases (237, 2nd)
Finished 3rd in the National League Rookie of the Year award voting, and was recognized as one of three outfielders on the Baseball America, Baseball Digest, and Topps All-Rookie teams.... Entered the season as the Cardinals No. 1 prospect by Baseball America (No. 9 overall), while recognized as the “Best Hitter for Average” in the Cardinals organization... Set single-season franchise records for rookie switch-hitters in extra-base hits, total bases, doubles, RBI, and walks, while ranking 2nd in times on base and plate appearances.... Trailed only former Cardinal Randy Arozarena (Tampa Bay, 145) for the MLB rookie lead in hits.... Among MLB switch-hitters in 2021, ranked 5th in batting average (.266) and 7th in hits.... Homered from both sides of the plate vs. San Diego (9/17) and vs. Milwaukee (9/30), becoming the first rookie in MLB history to homer from both sides of the plate in the same game multiple times in a single-season... Joined Red Schoendienst (1951), Ted Simmons (1975, 1979), Reggie Smith (1975-76), Mark Whiten (1993), Gerónimo Peña (1994), Lance Berkman (2011), Carlos Beltrán (2012-13) as 8th Cardinal to do so.... The Cardinals were 45-23 (.662) when Harrison Bader, Tyler O'Neill, and Carlson were in the starting lineup.... Hit two grand slams (4/7 at Miami & 9/17 vs. San Diego), becoming the first Cardinals rookie in franchise history (54th rookie in MLB history) with multiple grand slams in a single season.... Appeared defensively in 87 games in right field, 60 games in center field, and nine games in left field as Harrison Bader and Tyler O'Neill missed time with injuries.... Hit .341/.394/.528 (42-123) against left-handed pitching.... Defensively, led MLB rookie outfielders in games (145), starts (145), and innings played (1,243.1); shared the MLB lead among rookie outfielders in double plays (3); led NL rookie outfielders in total chances (309), total chances/9 (2.24), putouts (297), assists (8), fielding percentage (.987), putouts/9 (2.15), assists/9 (0.06), range factor/9 (2.21), and zone rating (.918).... Trailed only Pittsburgh's Bryan Reynolds in games, putouts, and innings among all NL outfielders.... Belted a pair of leadoff home runs: 7/22 vs. Chicago Cubs and 8/8 vs. Kansas City.... Batted .301/.364/.503 (49-163) with a .867 OPS in 47 games after August 1.... Missed six games on the 10-day Injured List with a right wrist sprain (8/17-8/23).
2021 POSTSEASON: Went 1-for-4 in the Cardinals 3-1 loss to Los Angeles in the National League Wild Card Game at Dodger Stadium.
2020
The switch-hitting 21-year old rookie played in 35 games, starting 16 games in CF, 8 in LF and 8 in RF...Started his first three games at all three outfield positions, the first Cardinals player to accomplish the feat since Colby Rasmus in 2009...Made his Major League debut at CWS (8/15) and played both games of the doubleheader, recording hit first hit in Game 2 with a double off Evan Marshall...Was optioned back to the Alternate Training Site on Sept. 7, having batted .162 (12-74) with a home run and 5 RBI. Recalled on Sept. 18 and batted .278 (10-36) with four doubles, a triple, two home runs, 11 RBI and an .936 OPS...His 11 RBI from his recall (9/18) through the end of the regular season, was T-4th most in the National League and most among MLB rookies...Hit his first Major League home run vs. CIN (8/23), a two-run shot off Nate Jones...Ranked T-3rd on the Cardinals with seven doubles...Ranked among MLB rookie leaders with seven doubles (T-3rd) and 16 RBI (T-6th)...Led all Cardinals outfielders and all MLB rookie outfielders with four outfield assists; ranked T-3rd among National League outfielders...Turned two double plays as an outfielder, tied with Charlie Blackmon for most by an MLB outfielder...Ranked 9th among rookie outfielders with his 263.0 innings played in the outfield...Recorded two outfield assists vs. KC (8/25) becoming the first Cardinals rookie outfielder since Harrison Bader (6/15/18) to have multiple outfield assists in a game...Started and batted in the clean-up (No. 4 position) for the final regular season game. Was the first Cardinals rookie since Dmitri Young in 1997 and the 7th switch-hitter aged 21 or younger to start and bat 4th, and most recent since Ruben Sierra in 1987. Joined Butch Wynegar (90), Mickey Mantle (82), Eddie Murray (7), George Hunter (7), Frankie Frisch (2) and Ruben Sierra (1) on that list.
2020 POSTSEASON: Reached base safely in 8 of his first 11 plate appearances, walking four times, a hit by pitch and three hits. Reached base safely four times in Game 1 and three times in Game 2, making him the first Cardinal to reach base safely at least three times in his first two games since Jim Edmonds (2000), one behind Darrell Porter for the franchise mark. Joined Jim Edmonds as the only two Cardinals to reach base safely seven times in their first two career postseason games. Is the only player in MLB history to record two runs, two hits, two walks and a double (also a SB) in his first career postseason game. Became the 3rd Cardinal, along with Stan Musial (1942) and Albert Pujols (2001) to bat cleanup (No. 4) at the age of 21 in a postseason game. Joined Musial and Ty Cobb (1908) as the only cleanup hitters age 21 or younger to reach base four times in a postseason game.
2019
Entered the season rated as the No. 10 prospect in the Cardinals organization by Baseball America...Attended Major League Spring Training as a non-roster invitee and appeared in 23 Grapefruit League games before being reassigned on March 25 in the final round of cuts...Combined to slash .292/.372/.542 (143-489) with 26 home runs, eight triples, 28 doubles, 20 stolen bases, and a .914 OPS in 126 games between Springfield (AA) and Memphis (AAA)...His 26 homers were five more than he had hit in his previous three seasons combined...2019 Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year...Appeared in center field in 95 of 118 games defensively overall, picking up four outfield assists at that position...Led Texas League outfielders with a .995 fielding percentage, making one error in 204 total chances in 100 games...Slashed .299/.381/.551 (109-365) as a left-handed batter and .274/.345./516 (34-124) right-handed...At age 20, opened the season as the Texas League’s fourth-youngest player (and second youngest position player) on Opening Day. Only Amarillo third baseman Hudson Potts (Padres) was younger by five days...Texas League Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star, while recognized as the league’s Player of the Year, joining Matt Adams (2011) and Oscar Taveras (2012) as Springfield (AA) winners. Dakota Hudson won 2017 Pitcher of the Year...Was one of 10 minor leaguers with at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases and the first Cardinals minor leaguer to do so since Terry Evans and Tyler Greene in 2006...Named Cardinals Minor League Player of the Month for May; batted .304 with four home runs, five triples, 17 RBI and a .952 OPS in 27 games, with 13 of his 31 hits going for extra bases...At the Texas League All-Star Break, led all of Double-A baseball in runs scored (53), while ranking T4th in extrabase hits (31) and total bases (132), eighth in hits (75), and 13th in RBI (42)...Participated in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at Progressive Field in Cleveland. Batted seventh and started in right field, going 1-for-2 with an RBI...Promoted to Memphis on 8/15, when leading the Texas League in HR’s, slugging, runs scored, and extra-base hits...Slashed .361/.418/.681 (26-72) with five homers and nine RBI in 18 games with the Redbirds to end the season...From 8/15 debut onward, T3rd in the PCL in hits (26), T4th in total bases (49), T5th in extra-base hits (11)...Hit safely in 13 of 18 games, including his first eight in a row. Nine were multi-hit efforts...Following the season, ranked as the Texas League’s “Best Defensive Outfielder” and No. 2 overall prospect by Baseball America.
