Kyle Harris Higashioka (born April 20, 1990) is an MLB catcher for the New York Yankees. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2008 MLB draft and debuted in the leagues in 2017.
In the seventh round of the 2008 MLB draft, the New York Yankees picked him.
Rather than attending college, he chose to join the Yankees and get a $500,000 signing bonus.
In 2015, Higashioka played catcher for the Tampa Yankees.
Higashioka batted.170/.228/.327 in 147 at-bats with the Tampa Yankees and Trenton Thunder of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League in 2012.
Due to Tommy John’s surgery and a fractured thumb between the 2013 and 2014 seasons, he only appeared in 13 games.
In 2015, he was a minor-level free agent after spending the season with the Tampa Yankees. During the offseason, he resigned with the Yankees.
Higashioka began the 2016 season with the Trenton Thunder of the Class AA Eastern League, where he was named Player of the Week. During the season, he was promoted to the Class AAA International League’s Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
The Yankees promoted him to their 40-man roster after he ended the 2016 season with a.276 batting average, 21 home runs, and 81 RBIs.
In a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on September 16, 2020, Higashioka hit three home runs. He was the 24th Yankee to hit three home runs in a game and the first to do it while batting ninth.
Higashioka caught the no-hitter thrown by Corey Kluber against the Texas Rangers on May 19, 2021. Since Joe Girardi caught David Cone’s perfect game in 1999, he became the first Yankees catcher to catch a no-hitter.
Where Is Kyle Higashioka From?
Kyle Harris Higashioka is an American MLB catcher for the New York Yankees from Huntington Beach, California, United States. The MLB catcher for the New York Yankees is an American from California.