Tyler Colvin

[Brandon Glick]

Tyler Eugene Colvin is a former MLB outfielder, who spent three of his six seasons in the major leagues with the Chicago Cubs.

Colvin was a brilliant player in high school and college, starring at Clemson University and making numerous All-ACC teams. He was the the 13th overall pick in the 2006 MLB Draft, marking the fourth time a Clemson player was taken in that draft slot (joining Bill Spiers in 1987, Mike Paradis in 1999, and Khalil Greene in 2002). Colvin gradually worked his way up the team's farm system, earning Top-100 prospect status prior to the 2008 season.

Colvin made his MLB debut on September 21, 2009, and he earned a full-time gig as a corner outfield on the Cubs following spring training in 2010. He hit 20 home runs and posted above-average metrics in most notable offensive categories, and his defense rated out solidly despite having never played the outfield prior to college. Colvin's breakout campaign positioned him as a potential replacement for aging corner outfielders Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome.

However, the most memorable moment of Colvin's career was also the scariest. In a game against the Marlins in September of 2010, Colvin was was headed to the plate from third base when catcher Wellington Castillo’s bat broke as he was hitting a double to left field. Colvin was struck by a shard of the bat in the upper chest, which punctured his lung. He was forced to miss the remainder of his rookie season, which he finished with an .816 OPS. He wasn't the same following the injury, as he batted just .150 in 80 games in 2011.

Following the 2011 season, Colvin was traded to the Colorado Rockies (along with future batting champion DJ LeMahieu) for Casey Weathers and Ian Stewart. It was the first trade executed by Theo Epstein following his takeover of the team's front office that year.

Colvin played two years for Colorado, alternating between the outfield and first base. His best season came in 2012, when he slashed .290/.327/.531 and accumulated 2.1 WAR. He was eventually DFA'ed by the Rockies prior to the end of the 2013 season, and he would make one final big league stop with the San Francisco Giants in 2014. Colvin officially retired following the 2018 season after minor league detours with the Marlins, White Sox, and Dodgers.

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