Gavin Sheets

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name = Gavin Sheets

|image = GavinSheets.jpg

|caption = Sheets with the White Sox in 2024

|number = 30

|team = San Diego Padres

|position = Right fielder / First baseman

|bats = Left

|throws = Left

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|4|23}}

|birth_place = Lutherville, Maryland, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate = June 29

|debutyear = 2021

|debutteam = Chicago White Sox

|statleague = MLB

|statyear = June 22, 2025

|stat1label = Batting average

|stat1value = .235

|stat2label = Home runs

|stat2value = 58

|stat3label = Runs batted in

|stat3value = 220

|teams =

Chicago White Sox ({{mlby|2021}}–{{mlby|2024}})
San Diego Padres ({{mlby|2025}}–present)

}}

Gavin Crawford Sheets (born April 23, 1996) is an American professional baseball right fielder for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago White Sox. He made his MLB debut in 2021.

Amateur career

Sheets attended Gilman School in Baltimore, Maryland. The Atlanta Braves selected him in the 2014 Major League Baseball draft. He did not sign with the Braves, and instead enrolled at Wake Forest University to play college baseball for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.{{cite web|last=Collins |first=Dan |url=http://www.journalnow.com/sports/wfu/football/the-right-move-sheets-decision-to-attend-wake-instead-of/article_e0082535-80c2-57fa-97da-16b1268f49cf.html |title=The right move: Sheets' decision to attend Wake instead of play pro ball has worked out | Wake Forest Football |publisher=journalnow.com |date=April 20, 2016 |accessdate=June 22, 2017}} In 2016, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League.{{cite web|author= |url=http://pointstreak.com/baseball/player.html?playerid=914339&seasonid=29795 |title=#38 Gavin Sheets – Profile |publisher=pointstreak.com |date= |accessdate=September 25, 2019}} In 2017, his junior season, Sheets batted .317 with 21 home runs and 84 RBIs in 63 games and was named All-Atlantic Coast Conference.{{cite web|last=Collins |first=Dan |url=http://www.journalnow.com/sports/colleges/gavin-sheets-named-first-team-all-acc-has-picked-up/article_41cb2359-c89d-50a0-b78a-23e94b27cffb.html |title=Gavin Sheets, named first-team All-ACC, has picked up where Will Craig left off | College Sports |publisher=journalnow.com |date=May 23, 2017 |accessdate=June 22, 2017}} He also played for the Baltimore Redbirds of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League.{{cite web |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/north-baltimore/ph-tt-sheets-0702-20140701-story.html |title=Sheets hopes summer work pays off in the fall |publisher=Baltimore Sun |date= |accessdate=June 22, 2017 |archive-date=July 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705170535/http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/north-baltimore/ph-tt-sheets-0702-20140701-story.html |url-status=dead }}

Professional career

=Chicago White Sox=

==2017–2020==

The Chicago White Sox selected Sheets in the second round, with the 49th overall selection, of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.{{cite web |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-x-20170612-story.html |title=Gilman alumnus Gavin Sheets drafted 49th by White Sox out of Wake Forest |publisher=Baltimore Sun |date= |accessdate=June 22, 2017 |archive-date=June 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170616023212/http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-x-20170612-story.html |url-status=dead }} Sheets signed with the White Sox, receiving a $2 million signing bonus.{{cite web|last=Hayes |first=Dan |url=http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-white-sox/white-sox-sign-top-two-draft-picks-gavin-sheets-and-jake-burger |title=White Sox sign top two draft picks Gavin Sheets and Jake Burger |publisher=CSN Chicago |date= June 22, 2017|accessdate=June 22, 2017}} He began his professional career with the Arizona White Sox of the Rookie-level Arizona League. After playing four games in Arizona, the White Sox promoted him to the Kannapolis Intimidators of the Single-A South Atlantic League.{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/white-sox/ct-white-sox-minor-league-report-spt-0711-20170710-story.html|title=White Sox draftees Jake Burger, Gavin Sheets make quick move to Class A|first=Colleen|last=Kane|website=chicagotribune.com|date=July 10, 2017 }} Sheets posted a combined .279 batting average, four home runs, and 28 RBI in 56 games between both clubs.{{cite web|url=http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=657757#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL|title=Gavin Sheets Stats, Highlights, Bio – MiLB.com Stats – The Official Site of Minor League Baseball|publisher=|accessdate=October 31, 2017}}

Sheets spent 2018 with the Winston-Salem Dash of the High-A Carolina League, where he slashed .293/.368/.407 with six home runs and 61 RBI in 119 games.{{cite web|url=http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=657757#/career/R/hitting/2018/ALL|title=Gavin Sheets Stats, Highlights, Bio – MiLB.com Stats – The Official Site of Minor League Baseball|publisher=|accessdate=October 24, 2018}} He spent 2019 with the Birmingham Barons of the Double-A Southern League,{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagonow.com/future-sox/2019/04/2019-birmingham-barons-season-preview/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405213921/http://www.chicagonow.com/future-sox/2019/04/2019-birmingham-barons-season-preview/|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 5, 2019|title=2019 Birmingham Barons Season Preview}} batting .267/.345/.414 with 16 home runs and 83 RBI over 126 games.{{Cite web |date=January 21, 2020 |title=White Sox's Gavin Sheets: Joining major-league camp |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/white-soxs-gavin-sheets-joining-major-league-camp/ |access-date=June 5, 2024 |website=CBSSports.com}} He was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Glendale Desert Dogs following the season.{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/2019-arizona-fall-league-rosters|title=Arizona Fall League rosters revealed|website=MLB.com}} Sheets did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and was not invited to participate at the White Sox' alternate training site.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/gavin-sheets-gets-versatile/ |title=Gavin Sheets Gets Versatile |work=Baseball America |first=Scott |last=Gregor |date=April 28, 2021}}

On November 20, 2020, the White Sox added Sheets to their 40-man roster in order to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.{{cite web|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/11/white-sox-claim-emilio-vargas-add-three-others-to-40-man-roster.html|title=White Sox Claim Emilio Vargas, Add Three Others To 40-Man Roster|website=MLB Trade Rumors|date=November 20, 2020 }} Sheets began the season with the Charlotte Knights of the new Triple-A East, and in addition to playing first base, he received his first professional games in the outfield.{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/white-sox/ct-chicago-white-sox-gavin-sheets-20210605-j3d3oqinkfe5bkp3vlc7tjmu5m-story.html |title=Chicago White Sox prospect Gavin Sheets soaks in all he can after joining the team from Triple-A Charlotte: 'It's incredible' |work=Chicago Tribune |first=LaMond |last=Pope |date=June 5, 2021}}

==2021–2024==

On June 3, 2021, following the placement of regular left fielder Andrew Vaughn on the COVID-19 injured list, Sheets was recalled to the major league team, but was sent back down to Charlotte following Vaughn's return two days later, without appearing in a game.{{Cite web |last=Franco |first=Anthony |date=June 5, 2021 |title=White Sox Activate Andrew Vaughn, Option Gavin Sheets |url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/06/white-sox-place-andrew-vaughn-on-injured-list-recall-gavin-sheets.html |access-date=June 5, 2024 |website=MLB Trade Rumors}} Sheets was promoted to the major leagues for a second time on June 29.{{Cite web |title=Major League Baseball Transactions – June 2021 |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/transactions/#month=6&year=2021 |access-date=July 3, 2021 |website=MLB.com}}

Sheets made his MLB debut that day as the starting right fielder against the Minnesota Twins, and recorded his first major league hit — a single to left field — off Kenta Maeda . In that same game, he recorded his first major league RBI, his first extra base hit, and scored his first major league run, all off Maeda.{{Cite web|last=Schouwen|first=Daryl Van|date=June 29, 2021|title=Gavin Sheets gives White Sox spark in victory over Twins|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/6/29/22556443/gavin-sheets-white-sox-twins|access-date=July 5, 2021|website=Chicago Sun-Times|language=en}} On June 30, he hit his first major league home run, off of Matt Shoemaker.{{Cite web |date=July 1, 2021 |title=White Sox bash six homers in rout of Twins |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/baseball-mlb-chw-min-idUSMTZXEH71JSPXG0 |access-date=June 5, 2024 |website=Reuters}} On July 19, during the second game of a doubleheader, Sheets recorded his first career walk-off hit, with a three run home run off José Berríos, to win the game 5–3. Overall in 2021, Sheets appeared in 54 games, posting a .250 batting average, while hitting 11 home runs and driving in 34 runs.{{Cite web |title=Gavin Sheets 2021 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=sheetga01&t=b&year=2021 |access-date=June 5, 2024 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} Sheets was added to the postseason roster that same year. He made his postseason debut in game 1 against the Houston Astros, going 0-for-4. In game 4, Sheets hit his first postseason home run, off Lance McCullers Jr., which would be the only run the White Sox would score in that game, as they lost 10–1 and were eliminated.{{Cite web |title=2021 American League Division Series (ALDS) Game 4, Houston Astros vs Chicago White Sox: October 12, 2021 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA202110120.shtml |access-date=June 5, 2024 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}

In 2023 with the White Sox, Sheets batted .203/.267/.331 in 311 at–bats.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=sheets000gav|title=Gavin Sheets Amateur, College, Minor & Fall Leagues Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}} Against left-handers, he batted .053 with an OPS of .103 in 20 plate appearances.{{Cite web |last=Kaminski |first=Mitchell |date=February 3, 2024 |title=How Kevin Pillar Signing Will Impact White Sox Outfield Competition |url=https://www.sportsmockery.com/chicago-white-sox/how-kevin-pillar-signing-will-impact-white-sox-outfield-competition/ |access-date=June 5, 2024 |website=SportsMockery.com}} On defense, he had a fielding run value of −6, placing him in the 13th percentile in MLB.

Sheets made 139 appearances for Chicago in 2024, slashing .233/.303/.357 with 10 home runs and 45 RBI. On November 22, 2024, the White Sox non–tendered Sheets, making him a free agent.{{Cite web|title=White Sox To Non-Tender Gavin Sheets|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/11/white-sox-to-non-tender-gavin-sheets.html|access-date=November 22, 2024|website=mlbtraderumors.com|date=November 22, 2024 |language=en}}

=San Diego Padres=

On February 9, 2025, Sheets signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres.{{Cite web|title=Padres, Gavin Sheets Agree To Minor League Deal|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/padres-gavin-sheets-agree-to-minor-league-deal.html|access-date=February 9, 2025|website=mlbtraderumors.com|language=en}} On March 20, the Padres selected Sheets' contract after he made the team's Opening Day roster.{{Cite web|title=Padres Select Gavin Sheets|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/03/padres-select-gavin-sheets.html|access-date=March 24, 2025|website=mlbtraderumors.com|language=en}} On Opening Day, he hit a solo home run off of Atlanta Braves pitcher Héctor Neris in his first at bat as a Padre.{{Cite web |title=Sheets' 'big swing' complemented by small things in Opening Day win |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/gavin-sheets-homer-sparks-padres-opening-day-comeback |access-date=March 28, 2025 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}

Personal life

He is the son of former Major League Baseball outfielder Larry Sheets. Sheets is a Christian.{{cite web |last1=Mercer |first1=Kevin |title=Gavin Sheets enjoys hot start with San Diego Padres, declares ‘Jesus Christ is my Savior’ |url=https://sportsspectrum.com/sport/baseball/2025/04/14/gavin-sheets-hot-start-padres-jesus-christ-savior/ |website=Sports Spectrum |access-date=20 April 2025}}