2016 Dodgers in Review: OF/IF Rob Segedin

Photo: Stacie Wheeler
PA AVG OBP SLG wRC+ HR WAR
MLB 83 .233 .301 .370 83 2 0.0
AAA 424 .319 .392 .598 159 21 N/A

What happened in 2016: After seven years in the minors, 27-year old Rob Segedin made his Major League debut with the Dodgers after a record number of injuries opened the door.

Segedin contemplated retirement in 2015 after he was demoted from Triple A-Scranton/Wilkes Barre to Double-A Trenton in the Yankees organization. He decided to forge on and was subsequently traded to the Dodgers last January in exchange for Ronald Torreyes and Tyler Olson.

After an impressive showing in Spring Training with the Dodgers as a non-roster invitee, he was assigned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. He may have even broke camp with the team after Spring Training commenced if there had been room on the roster, and if the Dodgers had parted ways with Alex Guerrero sooner.

In OKC, he was a team leader and midseason All-Star. Soon all his hard work and years of dedication to the sport would pay off. Once the injury list continued to grow for the Dodgers over the summer, Segedin finally got the opportunity to make his Major League debut. It was a long-awaited dream come true for the 27-year old rookie who had accumulated 2,331 plate appearances in the minors. He wasted no time and made history in his MLB debut on Aug. 7 by collecting four RBIs, the most by a Dodger in franchise history in a debut.

His first career home run would come two weeks later, sharing the moment with fellow rookie Andrew Toles. Toles and Segedin hit their first career home runs back-to-back in the fifth inning against the Reds Aug. 22.

Segedin’s second career home run would be even more memorable. Not only did he hit it in his first at-bat against the one and only Madison Bumgarner, but he then was quickly double-switched out of the game in order to race to a nearby hospital where his son Robinson, donned in a Rasta-themed baby-sized beanie, was born just 50 minutes after the final out was recorded in the Dodgers’ 9-5 victory over the Giants.

I love me some Bob Marley, but Rob, Robin and Robinson are three little obsessed birds.

Segedin also was versatile defensively for the Dodgers, spending time at first base, third base, left field and right field.

2017 status: He’s on the 40-man roster (for now). Barring any injuries, Segedin will likely begin the season in Oklahoma City.

About Stacie Wheeler

Stacie Wheeler, born and raised in So Cal, has been writing about the Dodgers since 2010. She wrote daily as the co-editor of Lasorda's Lair for five long years, and she has also written for Dodgers Nation, Dodger Blue 1958, and The Hardball Times. She currently contributes to True Blue LA. Stacie graduated from the University Of Southern California with a bachelor's degree in Cinema-Television. You can also watch her videos on her YouTube channel, DishingUpTheDodgers.