Kyle Roller
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name = Kyle Roller
|image = Kyle Roller, 2015 Triple-A All-Star Game.jpg
|image_size = 240
|caption = Roller, during his tenure with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, at {{By|2015}} Triple-A All-Star Game
|team =
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|position = First baseman
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1988|3|27}}
|birth_place = Pinehurst, North Carolina
|bats = Left
|throws = Right
|debutleague = MLB
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|statleague = MLB
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Kyle Matthew Roller (born March 27, 1988) is an American professional baseball first baseman.
Career
=Amateur=
Roller played college baseball at East Carolina University from 2007 to 2010. In 2008 and 2009, he played collegiate summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) for the Bourne Braves, and was named both the league MVP and playoff MVP in 2009, leading the Braves to their first league title.{{cite web|url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/college/summer/stats.asp?Y=2008&T=Bourne_Braves |title=2008 Bourne Braves |publisher=thebaseballcube.com |accessdate=September 23, 2021}}{{cite web|url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/college/summer/stats.asp?Y=2009&T=Bourne_Braves |title=2009 Bourne Braves |publisher=thebaseballcube.com |accessdate=September 23, 2021}}{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.capecodbaseball.org/news/season/index.html?article_id=1370 |title=Bourne Braves Kyle Roller Most Valuable Player |publisher=capecodbaseball.org |date= |accessdate=July 31, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://baseball.pointstreak.com/player.html?playerid=397595&seasonid=21914 |title=#31 Kyle Roller |publisher=pointstreak.com |accessdate=July 20, 2021}} He was inducted into the CCBL Hall of Fame in 2016.{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.capecodbaseball.org/news/league-news/index.html?article_id=2332 |title=Six Former Cape Leaguers to Join Hallowed Hall |publisher=capecodbaseball.org |date= |accessdate=September 1, 2019}}
He was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 47th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft, but did not sign and returned to East Carolina for his senior season.[http://www.thewashingtondailynews.com/2009/06/12/roller-selected-by-athletics-in-mlb-draftslugger-expected-to-return-to-pirates/ Roller selected by Athletics in MLB Draft|Slugger expected to return to Pirates]{{Cite web |url=http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20090710%2FSPORTS%2F307109858&cid=sitesearch |title=Cape League Extra: Roller has staying power |access-date=2020-02-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023003142/http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20090710%2FSPORTS%2F307109858&cid=sitesearch |archive-date=2014-10-23 |url-status=dead }} As a senior, he was named a first-team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) after hitting .324/.531/.606 with 12 home runs and 48 runs batted in (RBI).[http://www.ecupirates.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/062409aac.html ECU Trio Pickup ABCA/Rawlings Honors] He finished his four-year career batting .319/.459/.584 with 51 home runs and 203 RBI in 223 games.
=Professional=
Roller was drafted by the New York Yankees in the eighth round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft.[http://www.ecupirates.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/060810aab.html Roller Selected By The Yankees In MLB Draft] He made his professional debut that season with the Staten Island Yankees. During his first season he hit .272/.367/.402 with five home runs in 67 games. Roller started 2011 with the Charleston RiverDogs. He was promoted to the Tampa Yankees during the season after hitting .305/.379/.545 with nine home runs in 50 games with Charleston. Overall, he hit .284/.371/.482 and 16 home runs in 110 games between the two levels.
Roller spent the entire 2012 season with Tampa. In 121 games he hit .266 with a .828 on-base plus slugging (OPS) and 18 home runs. He was promoted to the Double-A Trenton Thunder for 2013.[http://www.nj.com/thunder/index.ssf/2013/06/trenton_thunders_roller_back_r.html Trenton Thunder's Roller back rolling again] In 124 games, he had a .774 OPS and 17 home runs.
Roller returned to Trenton to start the 2014 season.[http://www.trentonian.com/sports/20140503/thunders-roller-trying-to-slug-his-way-into-big-leagues Thunder's Roller trying to slug his way into big leagues][http://www.nj.com/times-sports/index.ssf/2014/04/kyler_roller_and_the_thunder_a.html Kyler Roller and the Thunder are contributing from all positions] After hitting .385/.456/.808 with nine home runs and 23 RBI in his first 21 games of the season, he was promoted to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.[http://www.timesleader.com/news/yankees/1402378/Roller-adjusting-well-to-Triple-A RailRiders 1B Kyle Roller adjusting well to Triple-A opportunity][http://citizensvoice.com/sports/hard-work-paying-off-for-swb-railriders-roller-1.1729762 Hard work paying off for SWB RailRiders' Roller][http://peedeepost.com/latest-headlines/2014/07/richmond-follows-roller-to-charlotte/ Richmond follows Roller to Charlotte]{{Cite web |url=http://psdispatch.com/news/yankees/1492004/Rolling-along |title=Rolling along |access-date=2014-10-15 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141015073551/http://psdispatch.com/news/yankees/1492004/Rolling-along |archive-date=2014-10-15 |url-status=dead }} Overall, he batted .300 with a .941 OPS and 26 home runs. Roller spent 2015 with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and hit .232 with 14 home runs. He was released by the Yankees after the season.
Roller signed a minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays in January 2016.
Roller signed with the Somerset Patriots on July 22, 2016.
Roller was released by the St. Paul Saints on May 17, 2017.
On May 26, 2017, Roller signed with the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
Roller was released after 2018 season.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Baseballstats|mlb=572393|espn=|br=|fangraphs=|brm=roller001kyl}}
- [http://www.ecupirates.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/roller_kyle00.html East Carolina Pirates bio]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roller, Kyle}}
Category:People from Pinehurst, North Carolina
Category:Baseball players from North Carolina
Category:Baseball first basemen
Category:East Carolina Pirates baseball players
Category:Bourne Braves players
Category:Staten Island Yankees players
Category:Charleston RiverDogs players
Category:Tampa Yankees players
Category:Trenton Thunder players