Willy Aybar #16

Willy began his career as a shortstop in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. He learned the position from childhood friend Miguel Tejada, now the shortstop for the Houston Astros. Tejada, a four-time All-Star and the 2002 AL MVP, also grew up in the Dominican town of Bani and is seven years Willy's senior...Willy's younger brother, Erick, is an infielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The brothers first faced each other on the field in Erick's third Major League game, May 19, 2006, in the "Free-way Series." Willy was 2-for-6 with a double and 3 RBI in the first game, a 16-3 Dodgers win. He went 4-for-12 with a homer, double, 7 RBI, 4 runs and 2 walks in the Dodgers' 3-game sweep. Erick went 2-for-8.

2009

Set career highs in HR (12) and RBI (41)...Rays were 8-3 when he homered...Switch-hitter hit 6 home runs from each side of the plate...was one of three major league switch-hitters in 2009 to hit the same number of home runs from each side, along with ATL Chipper Jones and NYM Carlos Beltran...Appeared in 105 games and made 73 starts (26-1B, 20-DH, 16-2B, 11-3B)...hit everywhere in the lineup except first and last...Hit a 3-run, go-ahead homer off CC Sabathia on June 6 at NYY in a 9-7 win...hit a walk-off sac fly June 27 vs. FLA as a pinch-hitter in the 9th inning off Burke Badenhop...On July 25 at TOR his solo home run with one out in the 9th off Scott Downs tied the score and brought the Rays back from a 9-1 deficit... they won 10-9 in 12...on Aug 3 vs. KC he led the Rays to a 10-4 win over Zack Greinke with a home run from each side of the plate (off Greinke and Ron Mahay)...A 7-for-54 (.130) slump from Aug 4-Sep 15 dropped his average from .282 to .247...Played in 27 games for Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Winter League, playing 3B, 2B and 1B alongside his brother, shortstop Erick...his season was cut short by a minor right wrist sprain.

2008

Switch-hitting utilityman spent his first full year in the majors after he was acquired from Atlanta on January 17...started 80 games 40- 3B, 18-1B, 14-DH, 6-2B, 2-SS...prior to 2008, had never played anywhere except 3B and 2B in the majors. Set career highs with 95 games played, 10- HR, 33-RBI, 33-R and 324-AB...his 10 HR were twice as many as his career total (5 in 329 AB) entering the season. Started all 30 games at 3rd base from Aug 8-Sep 12 when Evan Longoria was sidelined with a fractured right wrist...hit .308 (37-120) with 5-HR, 18-RBI, 7-2B, 2-3B, 11-BB over that stretch...raised his avg. from .222 to .258 and slugging pct. from .347 to .422. Became the club's 9th different Opening Day third baseman in 11 years, starting 7 of the first 8 games at 3B before sustaining a left hamstring strain that cost him 45 games (April 10-May 29)...his injury led to the promotion of Longoria from Durham. Was hitting .306 on June 9...hit .186 (22-118) from June 10-Aug 6, dropping his avg. to .222 before taking over for Longoria. As a 3B hit .297 (46-155) with 6-HR, 20-RBI, .364-OBP, .497-SLG in 41-G...batted .213 (36- 169) with 4-HR, 13-RBI at all other positions. With Longoria, Aybar and Eric Hinske, the Rays got some of the best production at third base in the AL, combining for 33-HR (2nd in AL), 44-2B (2nd), 106-RBI (3rd), and .519-SLG (2nd). Posted his first career 2-homer game Aug 10 at Seattle and had a career-high 4-RBI. On June 9 at LAA, delivered the middle home run of the first back-to-back-to-back HR in Rays history, flanked by Longoria and Dioner Navarro...Rays won the game 13-4. Had a big series facing his younger brother, Angels shortstop Erick Aybar, Aug 18-20 at Tropicana Field...was their first time facing each other in a game since May 19-21, 2006 when Willy was a Dodger...went 5-for-12 in the series, including a decisive 2-run single in 8th inning of the middle game that broke open a 2-2 tie in the Rays 4-2 win on August 19. Homered off BOS Tim Wakefield on Sep 17 from the right side of the plate...Aybar and Fernando Perez both hit HR vs. Wakefield, the first time in divisional play (since 1969) that two switch-hitters on a team homered in the same game against a RHP while batting from the right side. Played for Licey of the Dominican Winter League, primarily as a first baseman.

2007

Missed the entire season with the Atlanta Braves due to an injured right wrist and personal matters that included a stint at a rehabilitation facility for substance abuse...sustained the wrist injury in spring training and went on the 15-day disabled list March 30...was transferred to the 60-day disabled list on July 31 and underwent season-ending surgery on August 14...was suspended for three games by the Braves on April 15 for violating team policy...suspended by the club indefinitely on April 18...was reinstated on May 10...Played third base for the Tigres del ``Licey, alongside his brother Erick, in the Dominican Winter League after the MLB season...batted .268 (26-97) with 8 RBI and 12 runs scored in 27 regular-season games, including a .299 mark against right-handers...hit .339 in the league's round-robin tournament with a home run, six RBI and four doubles...Licey went on to defeat Aguilas Cibaeñas for the DWL championship.

2006

Batted .313 in 36 games for the Braves following a 7/28 trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers...His overall season totals included 79 games, a .280 batting average, 18 doubles and four home runs...Made 26 starts at third base for the Braves and played a total of 61 games at third on the season...Batted .328 (21-for-64) vs. LHP and .263 (47-for-179) vs. RHP...For the year, hit 30 points higher at home (.296) compared to the road (.266). Batted .328 at Turner Field...Posted a .303 average in day games and hit .266 under the lights...Started and ended his season on a high note. Batted .327 (18-for-55) with 13 RBI in May and ended the year by batting .343 (24-for-70) in September...His best batting average came in the leadoff spot, where he posted a .323 average...Hit .438 (14-for-32) in 10 games against the Mets. Went 3-for-3 with his first Atlanta HR on 9/26 vs. NYM...Played in three injury rehab games at Richmond (AAA) before being activated from the DL on 9/1 at PHI...Left 8/11 game vs. MIL in the fifth..inning with a sprained left middle finger and a non-displaced chip fracture...Was placed on the 15-day DL on 8/13...Made his Braves debut 7/30 vs. NYM and matched his career-high with four hits...Played in 43 games for the Dodgers and batted .250 with three homers and 22 RBI...Had a career-high 13-game hitting streak from 5/26 to 6/7...Drove in a career-high tying three runs in back-to-back games 5/19-20...Was recalled twice with the Dodgers (5/10 & 7/18)...Hit .315 (62-for-197) with 10 HR and 41 RBI in 50 games at Las Vegas (AAA)...Hit .297 (41-for-138) with two HR and 19 RBI with the Tigres of the Dominican Winter League.

2005

Enjoyed a productive first stint in the Major Leagues, appearing in 26 games for the Dodgers, batting .326 with one homer and 10 RBI...began the season with Triple-A Las Vegas and was called up to the Majors on Aug. 28 ... Led all Major Leaguers with a .448 on-base percentage (minimum 100 plate appearances)...his .448 mark was the third best in the Major Leagues among first-year players since 1900 behind the White Sox Frank Thomas (.454 in 1990) and Boston's Olaf Henriksen (.449 in 1911) with a minimum of 100 plate appearances ... His .326 batting average ranked eighth among all Major Leaguers and fifth among all National Leaguers with a minimum of 100 plate appearances, behind Kenny Lofton (.335), Derrek Lee (.335), Albert Pujols (.330) and Ryan Shealy (.330) ... Reached base via hit or walk in his first eight Major League starts and 20 of his first 22...made his first Major League start on Sept. 10 vs. San Diego and after going 2-for-3, started and batted leadoff for every game until the end of the season ... Had a .500 on-base percentage when leading off an inning, the best mark in the Major Leagues (minimum 25 plate appearances) ... Batted .368 (21-for-57) against right-handed pitchers...hit .349 (15-for-43) at home and .302 (13-for-43) on the road ... Went 3-for-3 with the bases loaded and batted .471 (8-for-17) with runners in scoring position ... Made his Major League debut on Aug. 31 at Chicago, grounding out to the pitcher as a pinch-hitter...stayed in the game at second base and fielded the only ground ball hit to him in Derek Lowe's one-hitter ... Recorded his first Major League hit and first double on Sept. 10 vs. San Diego ... Hit his first Major League home run on Sept. 17 at San Francisco, a solo shot off Jason Schmidt ... Had seven two-hit games, one three-hit game and one four-hit game ... Had a season-high eight-game hitting streak over his first eight big league starts from Sept. 10-17, during which he batted .438 (14-for-32) ... Went 4-for-4 on Sept. 21 at Arizona for his first career four-hit game... had a career-high three RBI on Sept. 15 at San Francisco ... Spent the majority of the season at Triple-A Las Vegas, where he batted .297 with five homers, 26 doubles and 60 RBI in 108 games...appeared in 28 games at second base and 78 games at third base for the 51s...batted .330 on the road in the Pacific Coast League and .263 at home at Cashman Field...enjoyed a 17-game hitting streak from May 1-19, in which he batted .352 (25-for-71) with nine doubles ... Appeared in eight games in Spring Training, batting .313 (5-for-16) with one RBI.

2004

In his first full season with Double-A Jacksonville, tied for the team lead in hits (133) while leading the club in RBI (77)... transitioned from third base to second base during the season ... Was selected to play in the Southern League All-Star Game ... Started at second base and had a single for the victorious East Division team Made just 15 errors in 125 games on the field ... For a span of two-plus months, from June 1 - Aug. 8, batted .306 (66-for-216) with eight homers and 35 RBI ... Had two 10-game hitting streaks and one nine-game streak ... Appeared in six games for the Estrellas of the Dominican Winter League.

2003

Spent his second full season with Single-A Vero Beach and established career highs in batting average (.274), hits (122), doubles (29), home runs (11, tied) and RBI (74)...hit .339 (41-for-121) with runners in scoring position, collecting 15 doubles, three homers and 60 RBI...with runners in scoring position and two outs, batted .362 (21-for-58) with 33 RBI...led Florida State League third basemen in putouts (87) and double plays (29)...made 110 starts at third base, one at second base, one at shortstop and seven as the designated hitter...batted .300 (33-for-110) with four home runs and 22 RBI in May...put together a 10-game hitting streak from May 6-15 in which he batted .386 (15-for-39) with three homers and nine RBI.

2002

Entered season tabbed by Baseball America as the Dodgers' No. 7 prospect...was the regular third baseman for Vero Beach and topped the club in RBI (65) and on-base percentage (.339)...led Florida State League third basemen with a .943 on-base percentage... set career highs in home runs (11, tied), runs scored (56), walks (69) and stolen bases (15).

2001

Played 120 games at Single-A Wilmington, where he started 118 games at third base...ranked second on club with 25 doubles...led South Atlantic League third basemen with 106 putouts...hit .277 (28-for-101) with 15 RBI in May.

2000

Made his professional debut at age 17 and was the starting third baseman for Rookie-level Great Falls, which advanced to the Pioneer League finals...topped all Dodger short-season minor leaguers in games played (70) and at-bats (266)...was Dodgers' leader in doubles (15), hits (70) and RBI (49)...went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and five RBI on July 29 at Butte...during August, hit .274 (31-for-113) with 22 RBI and 14 walks.