World Baseball Network’s International Player of the Week is Charros de Jalisco outfielder Billy Hamilton in Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico. Hamilton, 34, had a huge game for Charros de Jalisco in their 10-2 win against Naranjeros de Hermosillo on October 16 at Estadio Panamericano in Jalisco. Hamilton went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, two runs, and a stolen base. The home run came in the sixth against reliever Saúl Arias.
Hamilton is off to a fast start this season with one home run, three RBI, three stolen bases, and a batting average of .438 in 16 at-bats. Hamilton also played with Charros de Jalisco in Liga de Mexicana de Beisbol this past summer. In 52 games with them in the LMB, his numbers were 13 RBI, 35 stolen bases, and a slash line of .283/.335/.367 in 191 at-bats. In 2024, he also played 12 games in the LMB for Olmecas de Tabasco before joining Charros de Jalisco.
Hamilton played in MLB for 11 seasons from 2013-2023. The Cincinnati Reds drafted him in the second round of the 2009 MLB Draft. In 2013, Hamilton was ranked 11th on their Top 100 Prospects list. The right-handed hitting Hamilton always possessed great speed and still holds the Minor League single-season record with 155 stolen bases in 2012. He accomplished this with the Reds’ High-A affiliate, the Bakersfield Blaze, and the Double-A affiliate, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.
Hamilton also set a Reds’ rookie record with 56 stolen bases in 2014. He stole at least 56 bases in four straight seasons from 2014-2017. Hamilton never had more than six home runs or 48 RBI in any season. After he finished his rookie deal with the Reds, he bounced around quite a bit, going to the Kansas City Royals and six other teams. Hamilton made his last MLB appearance with the Chicago White Sox in 2023.
Hamilton’s MLB career stats are 24 home runs, 189 RBI, 326 stolen bases, and a slash line of .239/.292/.325 in 2,988 at-bats.
Photo Credit: Billy Hamilton #0 of the Chicago White Sox dives to score in the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field on May 03, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
