Vincent Logan Watkins (born August 29, 1989) is an American professional baseball coach and former infielder who is currently the manager for the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association of Professional Baseball. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs.
| Logan Watkins | |
|---|---|
 Watkins with the Erie SeaWolves in 2017 | |
| Winnipeg Goldeyes – No. 14 | |
| Second baseman / Manager | |
| Born: August 29, 1989 Wichita, Kansas, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 4, 2013, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 28, 2014, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .233 |
| Home runs | 1 |
| Runs batted in | 6 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Early life
editWatkins attended Goddard High School in Goddard, Kansas, where he played football as a quarterback and baseball.[1]
Professional career
editChicago Cubs
editWatkins was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 21st round of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft, and signed with the team on June 27, 2008, receiving a reported signing bonus of $600,000. He made his professional debut with the rookie-level AZL Cubs, and hit .325/.462/.363 in 27 games. In 2009, Watkins played in 72 games for the Low-A Boise Hawks, and recorded a .326/.389/.391 slash with 29 RBI. The following year, Watkins played for the Single-A Peoria Chiefs, batting .261/.351/.339 with 1 home run and 30 RBI. In 2011, Watkins played for the High-A Daytona Cubs, setting career-highs in home runs (5) and RBI (45). For the 2012 season, Watkins played for the Double-A Tennessee Smokies, slashing .281/.383/.422 with new career-highs in home runs (9) and RBI (52).[2] Watkins was named the Cubs' minor league player of the year in 2012 and the Cubs added him to their 40-man roster after the season.[3] He was assigned to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs to begin the 2013 season. On August 4, 2013, the Cubs promoted Watkins to the major leagues and made his debut as the starting second baseman against the Los Angeles Dodgers, going 1-for-4.[4] He finished his rookie season 8-for-38 (.211) with no home runs or RBI. Watkins hit .246 with a home run and 6 RBI in 65 at-bats with the Cubs in 2014.
Watkins was designated for assignment by the Cubs on December 19, 2014, and was outrighted three days later.[5] On February 4, 2015, Watkins suffered a torn Achilles tendon while working out, and missed the entire season as a result.[6]
In 2016, Watkins played for Triple–A Iowa, hitting .261/.314/.353 with one home run and 42 RBI in 108 games. He elected free agency following the season on November 7, 2016.[7]
Detroit Tigers
editOn December 23, 2016, Watkins signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers organization.[8] He split the 2017 season between the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens and the Double-A Erie SeaWolves, posting a .242/.343/.300 slash line with 2 home runs and 21 RBI in 86 games between the two teams. He elected free agency following the season on November 6, 2017.[9]
Wichita Wingnuts
editOn March 26, 2018, Watkins signed with the Wichita Wingnuts of the American Association. Watkins set the Wingnuts franchise single season record for hits with 142. In 100 games for the Wingnuts, Watkins hit .338/.403/.469 with 3 home runs and 51 RBI.
Toros de Tijuana
editOn December 13, 2018, Watkins signed with the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League for the 2019 season.[10] In 69 games with Tijuana in 2019, Watkins slashed .254/.364/.393 with 3 home runs and 16 RBI.
Olmecas de Tabasco
editOn January 7, 2020, Watkins was traded to the Olmecas de Tabasco of the Mexican League in exchange for Humberto Castro. However, he did not appear in a game for the club as the 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11]
Coaching career
editCleburne Railroaders
editOn April 5, 2021, Watkins was announced as the new hitting coach for the Cleburne Railroaders of the American Association of Professional Baseball.[12] On June 30, Watkins was named the interim manager for the club after Mike Jeffcoat announced his retirement.[13]
Winnipeg Goldeyes
editOn November 1, 2023, Watkins was named the manager of the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association of Professional Baseball.[14]
References
edit- ^ Arguello, John (November 13, 2012). "Logan Watkins working his way to Wrigley". Chicago Now. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
- ^ "Logan Watkins Minor, Fall, Independent & Mexican Leagues Statistics & History".
- ^ "Bryan LaHair designated for assignment as Cubs set 40-man roster | MLB.com: News". Mlb.mlb.com. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
- ^ John Arguello (July 25, 2013). "Logan Watkins gets the call up to Chicago, will start at 2B today. | Cubs Den". Chicagonow.com. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
- ^ "Cubs claim catcher Ryan Lavarnway and outfielder Shane Peterson off waivers". MLB.com. December 19, 2014. Archived from the original on December 20, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
- ^ "Achilles injury cancels Watkins' season".
- ^ "Minor League Free Agents 2016". baseballamerica.com. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
- ^ Beck, Jason (January 10, 2017). "Tigers sign Minors contracts with 22 players". MLB.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
- ^ "Minor League Free Agents 2017". baseballamerica.com. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ "Toros de Tijuana se fortalece; Logan Watkins se une a la "embestida"" (in Spanish). December 13, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^ "Mexican League Cancels 2020 Season".
- ^ "Former Major Leaguer Watkins Named Railroaders Hitting Coach". ilovetexasbaseball.com. April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ @CRRBaseball (June 30, 2021). "Manager Mike Jeffcoat has elected to retire. Hitting coach Logan Watkins has been named interim manager, effective…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Under New Management: Goldeyes Name Watkins Skipper". goldeyes.com. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
External links
edit- Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)