Rixon Wingrove of Team Australia hits a two-run homerun in the top of the 6th inning during the World Baseball Classic quarterfinal between Australia and Cuba at Tokyo Dome on March 15, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images)
Rixon Wingrove, an Australian first baseman in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, was promoted to Double-A Reading from High-A Jersey Shore on Monday.
Wingrove, 23, was born in Newcastle, Australia, and has been with the Phillies organization since he signed a minor league contract as an international free agent on April 20, 2018.
Wingrove is the 27th player from Australia that is listed with a Major League Baseball organization this season. There are currently 30 born Australian players playing in the United States between Major League Baseball, the affiliated minor leagues, and in the independent professional leagues.
This season with High-A Jersey Shore, Wingrove has played in 101 games with 418 plate appearances and is batting .246 with 90 hits, 20 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs, 63 RBI, six stolen bases, 41 walks, 123 strikeouts and a .769 OPS.
Wingrove played for Australia at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, helping them reach the Quarterfinals where they lost to Cuba at the Tokyo Dome 4-3. He played in all five games for Australia, getting 16 at-bats and hitting .375 with a 1.069 OPS with six hits, one double, one home run, led the team with seven RBI, two walks, and struck out four times.
Last winter, Wingrove played in the Australian Baseball League for the Adelaide Giants, helping them win the Claxton Shield in the best-of-three championship series against the Auckland Tuatara. He suited up in 33 games with 135 plate appearances recording 34 hits, 12 doubles, one triple, five home runs, 22 RBI, three stolen bases, 10 walks, and 33 strikeouts including a .857 OPS.
Last season, Wingrove split the season between Low-A Clearwater and High-A Jersey Shore, playing in 75 games with 283 plate appearances and batting .236 with 58 hits, eight doubles, two triples, 12 home runs, 43 RBI, 29 walks, and 100 strikeouts with a .767 OPS.
In 2021, Wingrove splitted time between the complex level and Low-A Clearwater, playing in 86 games and batting .203 across 346 plate appearances with 62 hits, 13 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs, 39 RBI, and 30 walks.
In five seasons in the Australian Baseball League playing with the Sydney Blue Sox from 2017-19 and the Adelaide Giants from 2019-23, Wingrove has played in 109 games with 372 plate appearances, batting .255 and smacking 85 hits, 21 doubles, one triple, 16 home runs, 66 RBI, and 31 walks.
The Double-A Reading Fightin’ Phils will begin their six-game home series against the Double-A Harrisburg Senators on Tuesday through Sunday. All games will be streamed on MiLB.com paid streaming service website.