Ty Wigginton

Ty Allen Wigginton (born October 11, 1977) is an American former professional baseball infielder. Over his MLB career, he suited up for the New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies, Philadelphia Phillies, and St. Louis Cardinals. Though he primarily played first and third base, he also saw time as a utility infielder and outfielder. He batted and threw right-handed.

Growing up in Chula Vista, California, Wigginton lettered in football and baseball at Chula Vista High School, graduating in 1995. He then played three seasons at UNC-Asheville, where he still holds school records for most home runs in a game, most runs in a season, and most doubles in a season.

The New York Mets selected the 6-foot, 200-pound Wigginton in the 17th round of the 1998 MLB draft. He debuted as a third baseman, posting a promising .302/.354/.526 slash line in 116 at-bats during his partial rookie season. His first full year saw a dip to .255/.318/.396 over 573 at-bats, but he started the following season hot, hitting .285/.334/.487 with 12 home runs and 23 doubles in his first 312 at-bats.

On July 30, 2004, the Mets traded Wigginton to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a six-player deal for pitcher Kris Benson. He struggled after the trade, though he recovered somewhat in September. For the second straight year, he posted the lowest zone rating among National League third basemen (.731). After a rough start in 2005, he was demoted to the minors on June 4. He earned International League Batter of the Week honors in mid-August, was recalled on August 22, and hit .365 over his final 22 games. Despite that, the Pirates released him after the season.

Wigginton signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on January 10, 2006, splitting time between first and second base with occasional starts at third and in the outfield. He inked a three-year extension after the season. On July 28, 2008, he was traded to the Houston Astros for pitcher Dan Wheeler. He became the starting third baseman, and when Carlos Lee broke his finger in August, Wigginton took over in left field. He hit .379 with a 1.200 OPS that month, earning co-NL Player of the Week honors with Johan Santana (August 11–17) after batting .571 with four home runs. The Astros did not tender him a contract on December 12, 2008, a move that angered many fans.

On February 10, 2009, Wigginton signed a two-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles. He hit .272 through his first 60 games in 2010 and ranked eighth in the AL with 13 home runs. That year, he was elected to his first All-Star Game as the Orioles’ lone representative, despite starting the season without a set position. He split time between third and first base after Miguel Tejada was traded.

On December 7, 2010, Wigginton signed a two-year deal with the Colorado Rockies, with a third-year option. He collected his 1,000th career hit on April 20, 2011—a home run off Matt Cain. On June 28, he helped the Rockies win 3–2 in 13 innings: with Troy Tulowitzki on first, Wigginton flared a hit into center. Tulowitzki scored the walk-off run on a close play at the plate.

On November 20, 2011, the Rockies traded Wigginton to the Philadelphia Phillies for a player to be named later or cash. The Phillies declined his $4 million club option for 2013 on October 29, 2012, paying a $500,000 buyout. In his lone season with Philadelphia, he hit .235/.314/.375 with 11 home runs in 125 games.

Wigginton signed a two-year, $5 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals on December 14, 2012, intended as a utility infielder and outfielder. He struggled off the bench, batting .158 in 47 games (57 at-bats), and was released on July 9, 2013. He signed a minor league deal with the Miami Marlins on January 24, 2014, but was released on March 25.

Scouting reports noted that Wigginton showed slightly below-average power for a major league third baseman early on but improved as his career progressed, averaging 20 home runs per 162 games. He reduced his strikeouts and increased his walks in 2004, though his plate discipline remained average at best.