Andrew Sebastian Benintendi, a professional baseball player hailing from the United States, was born on the 6th of July, 1994. Currently, he is promoting his flourishing career by serving the Chicago White Sox as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Prior to this, Benintendi proved his baseball prowess while playing with the reputed Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, and New York Yankees in MLB.
The athletic journey of Benintendi began in the prominent Madeira High School, situated in Madeira, Ohio, where he deployed his potential with the school’s baseball team. His sports mantra was evident in his senior year when he secured .564 with 12 home runs, 57 runs batted (RBIs) in, and 38 stolen bases for the Mustangs. Showing his exceptional performance of playing baseball and not limiting himself, Benintendi also tried his hands in basketball at school, setting records in various facets of the game.
However, the focal point of his high-school athletic achievement undoubtedly was his baseball performance. His brilliance in the sport touched new heights when he bagged the titles of ABCA/Rawlings National High School Player of the Year and the Ohio Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year. In a state of contrasts like Ohio, he left an indelible mark on its baseball history by scoring an Ohio-record 199 career runs.
A profound turning point in his career was visible when the Cincinnati Reds selected him in the 31st round of the 2013 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft for his commendable performance in baseball. But Benintendi decided to opt for the University of Arkansas, lending his services with his terrific baseball playing skills to the Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team, which made his potential evident to the world.
While being a junior in 2015, Benintendi erupted the Southeastern Conference (SEC) with his stunning baseball portfolio, which consisted of home runs (19), on-base percentage (.489), slugging percentage (.715), and walks (47), apart from his remarkable batting average (.380). This led his selection as the SEC player of the year and brought him two prestigious awards, the Baseball America College Player of the Year Award and the Golden Spikes Award, in addition to the Dick Howser Trophy.
The Boston Red Sox saw a future baseball star in Benintendi and secured their investment by choosing him with the seventh overall selection in the 2015 MLB draft. Benintendi, as expected, inked the deal with the Red Sox, receiving a whopping $3.6 million as a signing bonus.
As part of the Red Sox, Benintendi made his significant venture into professional baseball with the team against the Lowell Spinnersand the Class A Greenville Drive. Benintendi’s MLB debut came in 2016 when he was promoted to the major leagues. His first significant achievement was a home run hit in his first postseason at-bat. This feat declared him as the youngest Red Sox player to hit a home run in a postseason game. Despite losing the game against the Cleveland Indians, Benintendi finished the season with remarkable scores, and his star performance took a new flight.
In the subsequent years, Benintendi continued to produce astonishing performances, earning a consistent batting average with home runs, RBIs, stolen bases, and phenomenal games played. His consistent performance in making the team mark victories, especially during the 2018 MLB playoffs, helped the Red Sox secure the World Series over the Los Angeles Dodgers, awarding Benintendi his first championship title.
In the following years, while he stayed with the Red Sox, he continued showing his unmatchable performance, but his tenure with the Red Sox ended when they traded him to the Royals, post the gloomy 2020 season.
With a new team to conquer, Benintendi started his journey with the Royals, which was fruitful as he won his first Gold Glove Award and was named an All-Star in 2022, due to his captivating performance. In 2022, the New York Yankees saw the promising sportsman as a significant addition and traded him from the Royals. Although his journey with the Yankees was outstanding, it was marred by an injury, which saw him eventually leaving the team. As he recovered, he found a new home with the Chicago White Sox and signed a five-year contract penalty worth $75 million.
Off the field, Benintendi is of Italian ethnicity, with his paternal grandparents having immigrated from Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, Italy to the United States where they settled in Brooklyn. Being the die-hard Cincinnati Reds fan that he is, Benintendi also extends his support to other sports teams like the St. Louis Blues, for which he showed his unwavering loyalty during the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals. Towards the conclusion of his MLB season, he spends his downtime in St. Louis.