Friedl, Terry Lee “TJ,” is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds.
He signed with the Reds in 2016, getting the largest bonus ever paid to an undrafted free agent, after playing collegiate baseball for the Nevada Wolf Pack. In 2021, Friedl debuted in Major League Baseball.
Friedl was a member of the basketball and baseball teams at Foothill High School in Pleasanton, California.
He was a three-year letterman for the baseball team, with a batting average of .308 during that time.
He walked on to the Nevada Wolf Pack baseball team at the University of Nevada, Reno. As a freshman, he hit .216 in 37 at bats.
Friedl agreed to take a redshirt year to retain a season of eligibility when he was told he would only play minimally as a sophomore.
Friedl saw more playing time during his junior season. He had the second-most triples, the 17th-best on-base percentage (.494), and the 24th-most hits in collegiate baseball, batting .401 (89)
Friedl was selected for the first team of the Mountain West Conference. In his next season, he was supposed to be the Wolf Pack’s captain.
Friedl did not consider it an option since he mistakenly believed that he needed to play college baseball for three years in order to be eligible for the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft.
He hit .373 in 16 games with 12 stolen bases for the St. Cloud (MN) Rox of the Northwoods League that summer, earning him a spot in the all-star game.
However, before the NWL all-star game, he signed with the United States national collegiate baseball team, where he batted .290 with a .536 slugging percentage.
How Much Does TJ Friedl Make?
TJ Friedl makes a base salary of $700,000.