Page 26 - 2026 Los Angeles Angels Media Guide

urt
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Kurt
20 26 SUZUKI 8
2026

Manager
BORN: OCT. 4, 1983 OPENING DAY AGE: 42
BIRTHPLACE: WAILUKU, HI RESIDES: REDONDO BEACH, CA
APPOINTED: OCT. 21, 2025

SUZUKI

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
◆ Begins first season as manager of the Angels...Named the 21st full-time field manager in franchise history on
Oct. 21, 2025...Is the first non-interim Major League manager to be born in Hawaii.
◆ Embarking on 23rd season in professional baseball and first as a manager...Spent the 2023-2025 seasons as
Angels Special Assistant to the General Manager. In that role, he aided the organization in all areas of baseball
operations, including instruction with both the Major League club and minor league affiliates.
◆ Transitioned to the Angels front office after spending the previous two seasons (2021-2022) as Halos
backstop...Compiled a 16-year Major League career with a .255 career average and 295 doubles, 143 home
runs and 730 RBI in 1,635 Major League games.
◆ On April 20, 2021 while with the Angels, became the 16th player in MLB history to record 10,000 career putouts
at catcher.
◆ Won the 2019 World Series as a member of the Washington Nationals...Homered in Game 2 win over the
Houston Astros and became the first Hawaiian-born player to hit a World Series home run.
◆ Named a 2014 American League All-Star while with the Minnesota Twins.
◆ From his first full season in 2008 to his final year in 2022, Suzuki ranked second among MLB catchers in hits (1,314)
and doubles (266), third in RBI (654), fourth in runs (544), and ninth in home runs (131) while behind the plate.
He also ranked second in games caught (1,474), with a .994 fielding percentage and 158 runners caught stealing
in that span.
◆ During his career, tied for the Major League lead with nine walk-off plate apperances while playing catcher...Had
11 total walk-off plate appearances in his career.
◆ A second-round draft pick by the Athletics in 2004, Suzuki made his Major League debut with the A’s on June 12,
2007. During his career, Suzuki played with the Athletics (2007-2012, 2013), Nationals (2012-2013, 2019-2020),
Twins (2014-2016), Braves (2017-2018), and Angels (2021-2022).
PERSONAL/MISC
◆ Kurt Kiyoshi Suzuki...Resides in Redondo Beach with wife, Renee,
and their three children.
◆ Graduated from Henry Perrine Baldwin High School (Wailuku, HI)
in 2001.
◆ Attended Cal State Fullerton, located six miles from Angel Stadium.
While at Fullerton, he led the Titans to a College World Series title
in 2004, the fourth in CSUF history...His two-out RBI single in the
bottom of the 7th inning of the championship game broke a 2-2 tie
en route to a 3-2 victory over Texas.
◆ Won the 2004 Johnny Bench Award as the nation’s top collegiate
catcher and the inaugural Brooks Wallace Award, given to the
nation’s most outstanding college player.
◆ Started Kurt Suzuki Family Foundation in 2011 to support scientific
research of chronic illnesses–specifically kidney disease research–
and encourage and promote healthy lifestyle choices...The Kurt
Suzuki Family Foundation also raised money to support relief
efforts in the wake of the 2023 Maui wildfires.

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