Brandon Dixon (baseball)

{{Infobox MLB player

|name = Brandon Dixon

|image = Brandon Dixon (32830206157) (cropped).jpg

|caption = Dixon with the Detroit Tigers in 2019

|team =

|number =

|position = Infielder / Outfielder

|bats = Right

|throws = Right

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|1|29}}

|birth_place = La Jolla, California, U.S.

| debutleague = MLB

| debutdate = May 22

| debutyear = 2018

| debutteam = Cincinnati Reds

| debut2league= NPB

| debut2date = April 23

| debut2year = 2021

| debut2team = Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

| finalleague = MLB

| finaldate = July 16

| finalyear = 2023

| finalteam = San Diego Padres

| final2league= NPB

| final2date = October 2

| final2year = 2021

| final2team = Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

| statleague = MLB

| stat1label = Batting average

| stat1value = .224

| stat2label = Home runs

| stat2value = 22

| stat3label = Runs batted in

| stat3value = 74

| stat2league = NPB

| stat21label = Batting average

| stat21value = .167

| stat22label = Home runs

| stat22value = 4

| stat23label = Runs batted in

| stat23value = 15

| teams =

Cincinnati Reds ({{mlby|2018}})
Detroit Tigers ({{mlby|2019}}–{{mlby|2020}})
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles ({{npby|2021}})
San Diego Padres ({{mlby|2022}}–{{mlby|2023}})

}}

Brandon Allen Dixon (born January 29, 1992) is an American former professional baseball infielder and outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, and San Diego Padres, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

Career

=Amateur career=

Dixon attended Murrieta Valley High School in Murrieta, California where he played high-school baseball alongside Patrick Wisdom,{{cite web|last=Lassen |first=David |url=https://www.pe.com/2012/06/15/alumni-report-murrieta-valley8217s-dixon-living-omaha-dream/ |title=ALUMNI REPORT: Murrieta Valley's Dixon living Omaha dream – Press Enterprise |publisher=Pe.com |date=June 15, 2012 |access-date=April 18, 2019}}Love, Carl (September 23, 2018) [https://www.pe.com/2018/09/23/carl-love-cincinnati-reds-brandon-dixon-and-st-louis-cardinals-patrick-wisdom-first-played-ball-in-murrieta/ Carl Love: Cincinnati Reds’ Brandon Dixon and St. Louis Cardinals’ Patrick Wisdom first played ball in Murrieta], Press Enterprise, September 28, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2019. before enrolling at the University of Arizona and playing college baseball for the Arizona Wildcats in the Pac-12 Conference. After playing sparingly as a freshman, Dixon appeared in 62 games during the 2012 season during which the team won the College World Series.{{cite web |url=http://arizonawildcats.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=2181 |title=Brandon Dixon |publisher=arizonawildcats.com |access-date=May 30, 2018}} In his junior season, Dixon led the Pac-12 Conference both with a .369 batting average and 30 stolen bases and was named a third-team Louisville Slugger All-American.{{cite web |url=http://arizonawildcats.com/sports/2013/5/30/208467360.aspx |title=Brandon Dixon Garners All-American Honor |publisher=arizonawildcats.com |access-date=May 30, 2018}}

=Los Angeles Dodgers=

After his junior season at Arizona, Dixon was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third round of the 2013 MLB draft. He signed and spent 2013 with the Single–A Great Lakes Loons where he slashed .185/.227/.261 with one home run and 17 RBIs in 59 games. In 2014, he played for the High–A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes compiling a .262 batting average with nine home runs and 46 RBIs in 94 games, and in 2015, he played for both the Quakes and Double-A Tulsa Drillers, batting .263 with 19 home runs, 68 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases in 128 games between the two teams.

=Cincinnati Reds=

File:CINvARI - Brandon Dixon (44442229005) (cropped).jpgOn December 16, 2015, Dixon was traded to the Cincinnati Reds (with José Peraza and Scott Schebler) in a three team trade that sent Frankie Montas, Micah Johnson and Trayce Thompson to the Dodgers and Todd Frazier to the Chicago White Sox.{{cite web |url=http://m.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article/159795544/reds-trade-todd-frazier-to-white-sox |title=White Sox acquire Frazier in 3-team deal |work=mlb.com |first=Andrew |last=Simon |date=December 16, 2015 |access-date=December 16, 2015 |archive-date=September 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927202328/http://m.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article/159795544/reds-trade-todd-frazier-to-white-sox/ |url-status=dead }} He spent 2016 with the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos where he slashed .260/.315/.434 with 16 home runs and 65 RBIs in 118 games, and 2017 with the Triple-A Louisville Bats where he collected a .264 batting average with 16 home runs, 64 RBIs, and a .783 OPS in 124 games.{{cite web |url=http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=641525#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL |title=Brandon Dixon Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball |publisher=MiLB.com |access-date=March 30, 2018}}

Dixon was called up to the majors for the first time on May 22, 2018.{{cite web |url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/mlb/reds/2018/05/22/brandon-dixon-called-up-major-leagues-cincinnati-reds-mlb-tucker-barnhart-relievers-starting/634817002/ |title=Brandon Dixon shares story of how he found out he was called up to the Cincinnati Reds |first=Bobby |last=Nightengale |work=Cincinnati.com |date=May 22, 2018 |access-date=May 22, 2018}} On May 24 he collected his first three major league hits, going on to play in 74 games for the Reds during the 2018 season at six different defensive positions, in addition to two appearances as a pitcher. He batted .178/.218/.356 in 118 at bats{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dixonbr01.shtml |title=Brandon Dixon Stats |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |date= |access-date=April 18, 2019}} and was recorded as having the fastest base-running sprint speed of all major league first basemen, at 28.9 feet/second.{{cite web|url=https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/sprint_speed_leaderboard?year=2018&position=3&team=&min=10 |title=Statcast Sprint Speed Leaderboard | baseballsavant.com |publisher=Baseballsavant.mlb.com |date= |access-date=April 18, 2019}}

=Detroit Tigers=

Dixon was claimed off waivers by the Detroit Tigers on November 2, 2018.{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/tigers/news/tigers-add-brandon-dixon-and-jose-fernandez/c-300169028 |title=Tigers claim Dixon, Fernandez off waivers |first=Jason |last=Beck |work=MLB.com |date=November 2, 2018 |access-date=November 2, 2018}} He began the 2019 season with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens before being promoted to the major leagues on April 18.{{cite web|url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2019/04/18/tigers-christin-stewart-out-lineup-stint-il-possible/3507789002/ |title=Tigers put Christin Stewart on the injured list; Brandon Dixon up |publisher=Detroitnews.com |date= |access-date=April 18, 2019}} In a May 5 game against the Kansas City Royals, Dixon hit a tenth-inning, walk-off three-run homer to give the Tigers a 5–2 victory.{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/tigers-beat-royals-in-10th-to-win-series?game_pk=565524 |title=Dixon foils Royals in 10th with catch, walk-off HR |work=MLB.com |last=Beck |first=Jason |date=May 5, 2019 |access-date=May 13, 2019}} Dixon finished 2019 with a .248 average, 52 RBI and a team-leading 15 home runs in 391 major league at-bats. He had the fastest sprint speed of all major league first basemen, at 28.5 feet/second.{{cite web|url=https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/sprint_speed_leaderboard?year=2019&position=3&team=&min=10 |title=Statcast Sprint Speed Leaderboard | baseballsavant.com |publisher=Baseballsavant.mlb.com |date= |access-date=October 9, 2019}} On December 21, 2019, Dixon was designated for assignment by the Tigers to make room on the 40-man roster for two free agent signings.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/tigers-brandon-dixon-removed-from-40-man-roster/|title=Tigers' Brandon Dixon: Removed from 40-man roster|website=CBSSports.com|date=December 21, 2019|access-date=December 21, 2019}} He cleared waivers and was outrighted to the Toledo Mud Hens on January 8.{{cite news|url=https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2020/01/tigers-brandon-dixon-clears-waivers-outrighted-to-toledo.html |title=Tigers' Brandon Dixon clears waivers, outrighted to Toledo |website=MLive.com |first=Evan |last=Woodbery |date=January 8, 2020 |access-date=January 9, 2020}} On September 22, 2020, Dixon was selected to the Tigers 40-man and active rosters.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/09/tigers-select-brandon-dixons-contract.html|title=Tigers Select Brandon Dixon's Contract|date=September 22, 2020 }} Dixon appeared in only 5 games for the Tigers in 2020, going 1-for-13.

He was released by the Tigers on November 19, 2020, with the intention that he would be heading to a team in Nippon Professional Baseball.{{cite news |title=Brandon Dixon: Bound for Japan |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/brandon-dixon-bound-for-japan/ |access-date=November 19, 2020 |work=CBS Sports |date=November 19, 2020}}

=Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles=

Days after his release from Detroit, Dixon signed with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball. On April 23, 2021, Dixon made his NPB debut. Dixon played in 38 games for the Golden Eagles, hitting .167 with 4 home runs and 35 RBIs. He became a free agent following the season.

=San Diego Padres=

On March 26, 2022, Dixon signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/03/padres-sign-trayce-thompson-brandon-dixon-to-minors-deals.html|title = Padres Sign Trayce Thompson, Brandon Dixon To Minors Deals|website=MLBTradeRumors|last=Polishuk|first=Mark|date=March 26, 2022|access-date=March 26, 2022}} In the minor leagues in 2022 he led the minors in slugging percentage (.823) in 198 at bats while batting .374 with a .442 on base percentage and 23 home runs.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/leader.cgi?request=1&type=bat&year=2022&group=Minors&sort_by=slugging_perc |title=2022 Register Batting Leaders |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=January 2, 2023}} His contract was selected on September 27. In 5 games for San Diego, Dixon went 3-for-14 with no home runs and one RBI.

Dixon was optioned to the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas to begin the 2023 season.{{Cite web|title=Padres' Brandon Dixon: Optioned to Triple-A|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/padres-brandon-dixon-optioned-to-triple-a/amp/|access-date=March 26, 2023|website=cbssports.com|language=en}} In 33 games for San Diego, he batted .203/.244/.329 with 2 home runs and 9 RBI. On August 2, 2023, Dixon was designated for assignment following the acquisition of Scott Barlow.{{Cite web|title=Padres Acquire Scott Barlow|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/08/padres-to-acquire-scott-barlow.html|access-date=August 2, 2023|website=mlbtraderumors.com|date=August 2023 |language=en}} He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple–A El Paso on August 5.{{Cite web|title=Padres' Brandon Dixon: Removed from 40-man roster|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/padres-brandon-dixon-removed-from-40-man-roster/amp/|access-date=August 5, 2023|website=cbssports.com|language=en}} On October 2, Dixon elected free agency.

On February 29, 2024, Dixon announced his retirement from professional baseball.{{Cite web|title=Brandon Dixon Announces Retirement|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/02/brandon-dixon-announces-retirement.html|access-date=February 29, 2024|website=mlbtraderumors.com|date=February 29, 2024 |language=en}}