Brendan Rodgers Bio
Brendan Austin Rodgers (born August 9, 1996) is an American professional baseball second baseman who is currently a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies and Houston Astros. Drafted third overall by the Rockies in the 2015 MLB draft, Rodgers has spent his career in the middle infield and earned a Gold Glove Award in 2022 for his work at second base.
Over the course of his major league career, Rodgers has established himself as a steady defensive player and a consistent run producer. He has batted .261 with 47 home runs and 208 runs batted in across his MLB appearances through the 2025 season. Known for his strong glove and contact-oriented approach, Rodgers has remained a respected presence in the clubhouse throughout his professional journey.
Early Life and Background
Brendan Austin Rodgers was born on August 9, 1996, in Winter Park, Florida. He is the son of Greg and Julie Rodgers, who own an apparel and promotions company. Rodgers grew up in a household that leaned heavily toward soccer, as his father and his two brothers all played the sport, and he did not begin playing baseball until a neighbor encouraged him to give the game a try.
That early nudge proved transformative. Rodgers grew up playing on youth baseball teams alongside Bo Bichette, the son of Major League Baseball player Dante Bichette. When Rodgers was five years old, the elder Bichette reportedly told his parents that the young infielder had a serious future in baseball. Those early years of organized competition helped shape his defensive skills and baseball instincts.
Rodgers attended Lake Mary High School in Lake Mary, Florida, where he played for the school’s baseball team. After playing as a second baseman during his first year, he switched to shortstop for his next three seasons at the school. During his senior season, Rodgers batted .368 with eight home runs and 23 runs batted in. Outside of his high school team, he also played for the Orlando Scorpions, a well-known traveling program previously attended by major leaguers Chris Sale, Zack Greinke, and Jonathan Lucroy.
Path to Professional Baseball
Coming out of high school, Rodgers was widely regarded as one of the top amateur players in the country. He had committed to playing college baseball for the Florida State Seminoles, but his stock in the 2015 MLB draft was high enough to lure him away from that path. The Colorado Rockies selected Rodgers with the third overall pick of the 2015 MLB draft, making him one of the headliners of that year’s class.
Rodgers signed with the Rockies on June 17, 2015, and received a $5.5 million signing bonus. After signing, he began his professional career with the Grand Junction Rockies, a Rookie-level team in the Pioneer League. He spent the rest of the 2015 season there, batting .273 with three home runs and 20 runs batted in across 37 games. The foundation for his climb through the minors was set in that first professional summer.
Brendan Rodgers Career
Early Career (2015-2018)
Rodgers wasted little time showing he could handle advanced competition in the minor leagues. He was promoted to the Low-A Asheville Tourists for the 2016 season and impressed manager Warren Schaeffer by batting .358 with seven home runs and 27 runs batted in through the first month of the South Atlantic League schedule. That May, he hit his first career grand slam during a 16-7 Asheville victory over the Delmarva Shorebirds. He finished his 2016 campaign with a .281 average, 19 home runs, and 73 runs batted in across 110 games.
In 2017, Rodgers split the season between the Lancaster JetHawks and the Hartford Yard Goats, batting a combined .336 with 18 home runs, 64 runs batted in, and a .940 OPS in 89 games. The following year, he played for both Hartford and the Albuquerque Isotopes, compiling a .268 batting average with 17 home runs and 67 runs batted in across 114 games. By the end of 2018, he was considered the top second base prospect in the Rockies organization, and he opened the 2019 season back at Albuquerque.
Colorado Rockies Era (2019-2024)
On May 17, 2019, Rodgers was promoted to the major leagues for the first time, and he made his debut that night against the Philadelphia Phillies. In 25 games for Colorado during his rookie campaign, he batted .224 with a .272 on-base percentage and seven runs batted in. The 2020 season was disrupted by the pandemic, and Rodgers appeared in only seven games before a lingering right shoulder issue landed him on the injured list.
Rodgers returned healthy in 2021 and played 102 games for the Rockies, slashing .284/.328/.470 with career highs of 15 home runs and 51 runs batted in. On June 1, 2022, he enjoyed his first career three-home-run game, capped by a walk-off shot off Cole Sulser that gave Colorado a 13-12 win over the Miami Marlins. In 137 appearances that year, he batted .266/.325/.408 with 13 home runs and 63 runs batted in, and he led the National League in double plays grounded into with 25. That season, he also earned a Gold Glove Award for his defense at second base.
Injuries continued to test Rodgers in the years that followed. On February 28, 2023, he dislocated his left shoulder during a spring training game against the Texas Rangers, which delayed the start of his season. He returned to play 46 games, hitting .258/.313/.388 with four home runs and 20 runs batted in. In 2024, he batted .267/.314/.407 with 13 home runs and 67 runs batted in, and led all of MLB in ground ball percentage at 56.1 percent. On November 22, 2024, the Rockies non-tendered Rodgers, making him a free agent.
Houston Astros Era (2025)
On February 18, 2025, Rodgers signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros. He performed well enough in camp that the Astros selected his contract on March 27, putting him on the Opening Day roster. In his first 43 games for Houston, he hit .191 with two home runs and 11 runs batted in. On July 19, while on a rehab assignment with the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys, Rodgers suffered a concussion and a nasal fracture after colliding with teammate Edwin Díaz, and he was transferred to the 60-day injured list the following day.
Driving Style and Strengths
Rodgers is best known for his elite defensive work at second base, which earned him a Gold Glove Award in 2022. Offensively, he has built his profile as a contact-oriented hitter who puts the ball in play at a high rate, leading MLB in ground ball percentage in 2024. His combination of glove work, contact skills, and gap-to-gap power has been his blueprint, even as injuries have at times interrupted his rhythm.
Notable Events and Milestones
Rodgers was selected third overall in the 2015 MLB draft, the highest pick of his draft class to reach the majors. He hit his first career grand slam on May 7, 2016, with Low-A Asheville, and his first career three-home-run game came on June 1, 2022, against the Miami Marlins. He earned a Gold Glove Award that same season, and he led the National League in grounding into double plays in 2022 and all of MLB in ground ball percentage in 2024.
Brendan Rodgers Career Wins
Brendan Austin Rodgers has built his professional resume primarily around his defense and his run production in the middle infield. He was a Gold Glove Award winner at second base in 2022, the highest individual honor of his major league career. Rodgers has also posted multiple seasons of double-digit home runs and consistent run production, most notably in 2021 and 2022, when he set personal bests at the plate.
Minor League Highlights
In 2016, Rodgers batted .281 with 19 home runs and 73 runs batted in across 110 games for the Low-A Asheville Tourists, a season that established him as one of the top prospects in baseball. In 2017, he batted .336 with 18 home runs, 64 runs batted in, and a .940 OPS in 89 games between the Lancaster JetHawks and the Hartford Yard Goats. He added 17 home runs and 67 runs batted in across 114 games in 2018, split between Hartford and the Albuquerque Isotopes.
Other Performances
Rodgers began his professional career in 2015 with the Grand Junction Rockies of the Pioneer League, batting .273 with three home runs and 20 runs batted in. His first career grand slam came on May 7, 2016, during a 16-7 Asheville victory over the Delmarva Shorebirds, a memorable early moment in his climb through the minors.
Brendan Rodgers Family
Family Background
Brendan Austin Rodgers was born to Greg and Julie Rodgers, owners of an apparel and promotions company. His father and his two brothers all played soccer, and Rodgers did not begin playing baseball until a neighbor urged him to try the sport. Growing up in a tight-knit household in the Orlando, Florida, area, he credits his parents and his youth baseball circle for nurturing his early interest in the game.
Personal Life
Rodgers remains connected to his Winter Park, Florida, roots and has continued to be supported by his family throughout his professional career. He has largely kept his personal life private, with no public details about a spouse or children available from verified sources.
2025 Season Performance
Rodgers began the 2025 season back in the major leagues after signing a minor league deal with the Houston Astros in February. He made Houston’s Opening Day roster in late March and served as a second base option for manager Joe Espada, though his bat was slow to come around. In his first 43 games with the Astros, he hit .191 with two home runs and 11 runs batted in, a modest offensive line that reflected his adjustment to a new organization.
His season took a difficult turn on July 19, when a collision with teammate Edwin Díaz during a rehab assignment with the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys resulted in a concussion and a nasal fracture. The injury sent Rodgers to the 60-day injured list and effectively halted his 2025 campaign. The combination of limited at-bats and the midseason injury left him searching for his next opportunity once he healed.
Looking ahead, Rodgers remained a free agent following the 2025 season, with his Gold Glove credentials and his track record of contact hitting still intact. His outlook hinged on his recovery from the head and facial injuries, as well as his ability to rediscover the line-drive swing that produced his 2022 Gold Glove season. Teams in need of veteran infield depth viewed him as a low-risk, defense-first option with bounce-back potential.
