While growing up in Las Tablas, the capital of Panama’s Los Santos province, José played soccer, volleyball, basketball and baseball...he is an avid soccer fan and supports Barcelona...José enjoys gaming during his free time, mainly playing EA Sports FC and MLB The Show...he briefly considered pursuing a career as a video game streamer during an injury rehab...He overcame surgeries on all four of his limbs during his journey to the big leagues...he broke the tibia and fibula in his left leg following a collision during a game at 16 years old...in 2019, he had surgery on his left hand (fractured fourth metacarpal after a HBP) and his right hand (fractured fourth metacarpal on a SB attempt)…he tore his right ACL while playing winter ball in 2020 and suffered both a left fractured hamate and a re-fractured fourth metacarpal in his right hand in 2022...Despite the abundance of injuries, José has said learning English was the hardest part of his journey to the majors...he mostly studied the language on his own, often watching Netflix movies in English to help him learn...José won a NJCAA National Championship with Chipola (Fla.) College in 2017 after hitting .401 during the season...he was one of 13 players who were eventually drafted off the team...longtime Chipola coach Jeff Johnson, who has produced Major Leaguers like Jose Bautista, Russell Martin and Adam Duvall, described José as “a guy who does everything well.”...José was one of eight Panamanian players to appear in the majors last season...he suited up for Team Panama at the 2023 World Baseball Classic...He and his wife, Ana Lilena, welcomed their daughter, Analía, on Aug. 27, 2020...Selected by the Diamondbacks in the seventh round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft...Hit .369 (147-for-398) 27 HR and 111 RBI over 117 games at Chipola (Fla.) College in 2016-17...was named MVP of the 2017 Junior College World Series after leading the tournament in home runs (tied, 5) and RBI (16)...Graduated from Manuel Marla Tejada Roca (Panama) High School in 2014.
2024
Hit .227/.283/.347 (100-for-441) with 24 2B, one 3B, nine HR, 44 RBI and 44 SB over 139 games in his second Major League season and first with the Rays...only Yandy Díaz (145) suited up for more games for Tampa Bay...made 123 starts between shortstop (83), second base (20) and third base (20)...Joined Garrett Cleavinger as the only players to make the Rays Opening Day roster and remain on the active roster for the entire season...marked his first career Opening Day roster...Stole an AL-most 44 bases, becoming the first Rays player to lead the AL in steals outright since Carl Crawford (58, 2006) and the fourth (12x) with a 40-steal season, joining Mallex Smith (2018), Crawford (7x, last: 2010) and B.J. Upton (3x, last: 2010)...Stole third base a franchise record 13 times, surpassing B.J. Upton (12, 2010) and Julio Lugo (12, 2005)...tied for third-most in the majors behind CIN Elly De La Cruz (20) and KC Maikel Garcia (14)...Swiped a club-record five bases as a pinch runner, surpassing the previous mark of four shared by Rich Thompson (2012), Miguel Cairo (2000) and Randy Winn (1998)...tied for second most in the majors behind KC Dairon Blanco (21)...Hit .421 (24-for-57) on the first pitch of an at-bat, ninth highest in the AL (min. 50AB)...nearly a quarter (24/100) of his hits came on the first pitch...Tallied seven outs above average, tied for seventh most among AL infielders...Recorded a career-high 12-game on-base streak to open the season (March 28–April 12)...during the streak, stole a base in a career-best four straight games from March 31–April 5...From April 5-29, hit safely in 11 straight road games, tied for the longest streak by a Ray all season along with Randy Arozarena (June 1-21) and Amed Rosario (May 13–June 16)…hit .326 (14-for-43) with four 2B, one HR and 5 RBI during the streak...On April 20 at NYY, broke a scoreless tie with an RBI double off Caleb Ferguson to lead off the 10th frame, the first extra-inning RBI of his career and first go-ahead RBI from the ninth inning on...On May 5 vs. NYM, went 0-for-2 while setting career highs in walks (3) and stolen bases (4)...became the 14th player (15x) in the majors since 1901 with three walks and four steals in a game, and the 11th (14x) to collect at least four steals without producing a hit, first since SD Everth Cabrera (2012)...joined Carl Crawford (2x) as the only Rays with at least four steals in a game...the three walks marked a career-high...On Aug. 24 at LAD, clubbed a go-ahead two-run homer off Joe Kelly in the 10th inning of a 9-8 win...marked his second career go-ahead home run, joining his two-run shot off Nathan Eovaldi on July 7 at TEX (3rd inn.)...joined Austin Meadows (Sept. 18, 2019) as the only Ray hitters with a go-ahead, extra-inning home run at Dodger Stadium...On Aug. 31 vs. SD, drove in a career-high four runs in an 11-4 win, contributing a pair of run-scoring singles and an RBI groundout.
2023
Appeared in 104 games and made 70 starts (2B-53G, SS-13G, 3B-4G) with the Mariners in his first Major League season after being selected from Triple-A Tacoma on April 15...Recorded 26 stolen bases, third most by a rookie in Mariners history behind Ichiro Suzuki (56SB, 2001) and James Jones (27SB, 2014)…marked the second-most steals among AL rookies, trailing OAK Esteury Ruiz (67SB), and 11th-most in the AL overall...Went 26-for-29 (89.7%) on stolen base attempts, the fifth-best success rate in the AL...Hit .265 (27-for-102) with a .758 OPS vs. LHP compared to .186 (24-for-129) with a .588 OPS against righties...His 17 HBP ranked sixth among AL hitters…was hit by a pitch in four straight games from August 17-21, tied with LAA Zach Neto (April 18-21) for the longest streak in the majors in 2023...Recorded seven defensive runs saved at second base, third most among AL second basemen behind CLE Andrés Giménez (23) and TEX Marcus Semien (16)...His 29.0 ft./sec. average sprint speed ranked in the 90th percentile of qualified Major Leaguers (Baseball Savant)...Was a non-roster invite to Mariners Spring Training for the second straight year before opening the season with Triple-A Tacoma, hitting .333 (9-for-27) with one 2B, two HR nine RBI and three SB in 10 games prior to his selection…it marked his first career action at the Triple-A level...On April 15 vs. COL, made his Major League debut in the ninth inning as a defensive replacement at shortstop...Hit .273 (15-for 55) with two 2B, two HR, nine RBI and an .832 OPS over 22 games in May, including .381 (8-for-21) vs. LHP...On May 21 at ATL, hit his first career homer off Nick Anderson…became the second Mariner with a homer and 3+ steals in the same game, joining Mike Cameron on May 16, 2002 at TOR...Recorded a career-long nine-game on-base streak from June 2-13, batting .300 (6-for-20) with 2 XBH, 6 BB, 4 HBP and 6 RBI during the run...Went 3-for-31 (.097) with 12 SO in his final 20 games from August 22–end of the season…had hit .421 (8-for-19) with three 2B and five HBP in six games prior to that stretch (Aug. 15-21)...WBC: Appeared in four games for Panama, going 3-for-13 (.231) with one 2B, one RBI and one BB.
2022
Appeared in 33 combined games between the ACL Mariners (2 G) and Double-A Arkansas (31 G), batting .245 (25x102) with 22 runs, four doubles, two home runs, 13 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 17 attempts...also appeared in 16 games in the Arizona Fall League, posting an .800 OPS with six steals.
2021
Appeared in 20 combined games with ACL Mariners, High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas, batting .258 (16x62) with 16 runs scored, five doubles, three home runs, 15 RBI, 13 walks and 11 stolen bases...began the season on the Injured List and was activated and assigned to Double-A Arkansas on Sept. 8.
2020
Did not play due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2019
Split season between High-A Visalia (ARI) and High-A Modesto…among California League leaders, ranked T4th in stolen bases (32)…named to the California League All-Star Team…on the 7-day Injured List with a fractured right wrist, May 31-July 31…acquired by Seattle from the Arizona Diamondback in exchanged for RHP Mike Leake on July 31…appeared in three games with the AZL Mariners, Aug. 1-3, prior to joining Modesto…played for the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League (.190/12x63, 8 R, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI 9 BB, 8 SB, 23 G).
2018
Split season between Hillsboro and Kane County, combining to appear in 70 games.
2017
Began professional career with Missoula.
