Isaac Paredes

Isaac Edgardo Paredes Calderón, a Mexican professional baseball third baseman, was born on February 18, 1999. Paredes’s mastery of the game has led him to play professionally for the Chicago Cubs, the Detroit Tigers, and the Tampa Bay Rays, all revered teams in the Major League Baseball (MLB).

Paredes embarked on his journey with the Chicago Cubs in 2015, signing as an international free agent. The following year, he made his professional debut at the Arizona League Cubs, flaunting a remarkable .305 batting average. He quickly moved up to play three games with the South Bend Cubs that same season and continued there in 2017.

His promising journey with the Cubs experienced a change of scenery when he was traded to the Detroit Tigers in late July 2017. Paredes, along with Jeimer Candelario, was exchanged for Alex Avila and Justin Wilson. The Tigers immediately assigned him to the West Michigan Whitecaps, where he spent the residual season. He played 124 games that season, batting .252 with 11 home runs and making 70 RBIs, underlining his vital contribution to both the Cubs and Tigers.

Post the 2017 season, he joined the Mexican Pacific League (LMP), playing for the team Yaquis de Obregón. His 2018 season witnessed him split his time between the Lakeland Flying Tigers and Erie SeaWolves. He played 123 games that year and hit .278 with 15 home runs and 70 RBIs. His impressive performance led him to represent Yaquis again in the LMP after the 2018 season.

Paredes’s journey continued in 2019, starting with Erie and earning a prestigious place in the 2019 All-Star Futures Game. Following the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League for the Mesa Solar Sox. Displaying unsurpassed skill, he finished the season with 13 home runs, 66 RBIs, and a batting average of .282. The Tigers, appreciating his potential, added him to their 40-man roster after the season.

In August 2020, the Tigers recalled Paredes, who subsequently made his MLB debut against the Chicago White Sox. This memorable day saw him hit a two-RBI single off Gio Gonzalez in his second at-bat. Paredes hit a significant milestone later that month with his first major league home run. Against the Cleveland Indians, Paredes hit a grand slam, becoming the first Tiger since Brennan Boesch (2010) and the youngest since Al Kaline (1954) to achieve this feat for their first major league homer.

In 2021, Paredes was not initially on the Tigers’ major league roster but was recalled in June 2021. Later that season, the Tigers traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays. Paredes made his debut with the Rays in May 2022, after playing for the Triple–A Durham Bulls, and by 2023, he was the opening day starter at third base. Showing superb prowess, Paredes played in 143 games for the Rays, hitting 31 home runs and 98 RBIs while maintaining a .250 batting average.

In an interesting twist of events, Paredes was traded back to the Chicago Cubs by the Rays in 2024. Despite the team change, his management continued to impress, as he was selected for the 2023 World Baseball Classic Mexican national team. He performed exceptionally well at the tournament, with his six RBIs being the second-highest on the team’s track record. His on-field performance in the tournament, including his solo home run against Puerto Rico in the quarterfinals and his standout performance against Japan in the semifinals, helped the Mexico team reach its best ever position in the WBC.

In a relatively short span of time, Isaac Paredes has made considerable strides in the professional baseball scene. Playing for renowned teams and achieving several personal feats, Paredes’s journey in the Major League Baseball is one that portrays relentless passion, unwavering commitment, and exceptional talent.