Chris Gittens

BIOGRAPHY

Chris Gittens was born February 4, 1994, in Sherman, Texas. He is an infielder in the MLB.

Gittens attended Sherman High School in Sherman, Texas, and Grayson County College. The New York Yankees selected Gittens in the 12th round of the 2014 MLB draft. He signed with the Yankees for a $125,000 signing bonus. He made his professional debut with the GCL Yankees.

In 2015, Gittens split the season between the GCL Yankees and the High-A Tampa Yankees, slashing .341/.429/.594 with eight home runs and 30 runs batted in (RBIs). The next year, he played for the Single-A Charleston RiverDogs, batting .253/.359/.478 with career-highs in home runs (21) and RBIs (70). In 2017, Gittens played for High-A Tampa, hitting .266/.372/.472 with 13 home runs and 43 RBIs. Gittens split the 2018 season between the Double-A Trenton Thunder and the Low-A Staten Island Yankees, posting a .193/.294/.330 batting line with six home runs and 27 RBIs in only 57 games, missing some time with a left hip injury.

In 2019, Gittens returned to the Trenton Thunder of the Class AA Eastern League and won the Eastern League Most Valuable Player Award after hitting 281/.393/.500 with career-highs in home runs (23) and RBIs (77). His average exit velocity of 95 miles per hour (153 km/h) led all of the minor leagues. Gittens did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021, Gittens began the season with the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, batting .283 with four home runs and 11 runs batted in in 18 games. The Yankees promoted him to the major leagues for the first time on June 5, 2021.