Ivan Rodriguez
Hall of Fame catcher who spent the majority of his career with the Texas Rangers, won the 1999 AL MVP, and holds the record for most games caught.
Iván Rodríguez Torres (born November 27, 1971), nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Texas Rangers (in two separate stints, comprising the majority of his career), Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Washington Nationals. Rodríguez is widely regarded as one of the greatest catchers in MLB history and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017.
- Role
- Catcher
- Affiliation
- Texas Rangers (1993–2004, 2016)
- Status
- Retired / Hall of Famer
- Jersey Number
- 7
- All-Star Appearances
- Multiple selections while with Texas
- Key Achievement
- First catcher to win AL MVP Award (1999)
Lore & Background
Rodríguez was awarded the American League Most Valuable Player Award in 1999. He won the 2003 World Series with the Florida Marlins and played in the 2006 World Series while with the Tigers. In 2009, he set an MLB record by catching his 2,227th game, passing Carlton Fisk for the most. He had the best career caught-stealing percentage of any major league catcher, at 45.68% (versus a league average of 31%), and he had nine seasons with a caught-stealing rate of 50% or higher. Only one major league catcher (Yadier Molina) has more putouts. Rodríguez recorded 2,844 hits in his career, the most of any catcher in MLB history. In October 2024, he was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in Detroit. After retiring from baseball, he served as a Shadow Representative from Puerto Rico.
In Their Own Story
The air inside The Ballpark in Arlington was thick with humidity on a hot July night. Iván Rodríguez crouched behind home plate, his mitt snapping shut as the pitcher delivered a fastball that kissed the corner of the strike zone. With two outs and bases loaded, he signaled for a curveball, pointing to the dirt with a finger call only the pitcher could see. As the batter swung and missed, Pudge rose from his squat, adjusting his mask with a calm confidence that had defined his career in Texas for years.
Reader's Guide
Rodríguez made his MLB debut with the Texas Rangers on June 20, 1991, at age 19. He played for the Rangers from 1991 to 2002, then returned for a second stint in 2009. He was traded back to the Rangers on August 18, 2009, and retired in 2012. He is the ninth catcher in MLB history to win the MVP award. His career totals include 2,844 hits and 311 home runs.
Did You Know?
- Rodríguez was the youngest player to catch in a major league game in 1991 at 19 years old.
- He caught Kenny Rogers' perfect game on July 28, 1994.
- He set an MLB record for most doubles by a catcher in a season (47) in 1996.
- He was the first catcher in MLB history with more than 30 home runs, 100 RBIs, and 100 runs scored in a season (1999).
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