Jurickson Profar Bio
Jurickson Barthelomeus Profar is a Curaçaoan professional baseball outfielder who plays in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves. Born on February 20, 1993, in Willemstad, Curaçao, he has built a long MLB career that has included stops with the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, and Colorado Rockies. He has also represented the Netherlands in international competition. Profar gained his widest recognition in 2024, when he was selected to the MLB All-Star Game and earned a Silver Slugger Award while playing for the Padres.
Early Life and Background
Jurickson Profar was born in Willemstad, Curaçao, and grew up in a baseball family that shaped his early development. He began playing organized baseball at a young age and quickly stood out as one of the most promising young players from the Caribbean. Curaçao has produced a steady stream of MLB talent, and Profar was among the next wave of players from the island to attract attention from international scouts.
Profar first gained global notice as a Little League player. He represented Curaçao at the Little League World Series in both 2004 and 2005, playing for the Pabao Little League team from Willemstad. In 2004, he helped that team defeat Conejo Valley East Little League from Thousand Oaks, California, to win the championship. The following year, Profar helped lead Pabao back to the championship game, where the team fell to West Oahu Little League from ʻEwa Beach, Hawaii. These early international appearances helped establish Profar as a top teenage prospect.
Path to Baseball
Profar’s rapid rise through the amateur ranks drew attention from Major League organizations. On July 2, 2009, he signed with the Texas Rangers as an international free agent. Other teams had expressed interest in signing him as a pitcher, but the Rangers signed him as a shortstop, which was his preferred position. At the time, he was only 16 years old, and his signing was viewed as one of the most significant international signings of that period.
He began his professional career in 2010 with the Spokane Indians, where he batted .250 with four home runs and 23 runs batted in (RBI) across 63 games. The following year, Profar played for the Hickory Crawdads and was selected to represent the Rangers at the 2011 All-Star Futures Game. He finished 2011 hitting .286/.390/.493 with 12 home runs and 65 RBI and was named the South Atlantic League’s most valuable player. Baseball America also named him the shortstop on its 2011 Minor League All-Star team, and he was invited to the 2012 All-Star Futures Game as well.
Jurickson Profar Career
Early Career (2012-2015)
Profar was called up to the Rangers on August 31, 2012, becoming the first player born in 1993 to appear in the majors. In his MLB debut, he started at second base and homered off Cleveland’s Zach McAllister in his first at-bat, finishing 2-for-4. Across nine games that season, he batted .176 with one home run and two RBI while splitting time between second base and shortstop.
In 2013, Profar played 88 games for Texas, hitting .234 with six home runs and 26 RBI while seeing action at shortstop, second base, third base, and left field. After the season, the Rangers traded Ian Kinsler, anticipating that Profar would become their starting second baseman. However, a shoulder injury limited him during 2014 spring training, and he missed the entire 2014 season after reinjuring the shoulder. He underwent surgery in February 2015 and missed all of 2015 as well, keeping him off the field for two full seasons.
Texas Rangers Breakthrough (2016-2018)
Profar returned to the majors on May 27, 2016, replacing the suspended Rougned Odor at second base. He hit his first home run of the season on May 31 against Cleveland and gradually earned a regular role, playing five positions while also serving as the designated hitter. In 2017, however, he lost outfield playing time to Ryan Rua and Delino DeShields Jr., which limited his opportunities.
In 2018, Profar made the Rangers’ opening-day roster as a utility infielder and played more than 100 games for the first time in his career. He hit .254/.335/.458 with 20 home runs while appearing at left field, shortstop, first base, second base, and third base. He also won the 2018 Richard Durrett Hardest Working Man Award from the DFW chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
Oakland Athletics (2019)
On December 21, 2018, the Rangers traded Profar to the Oakland Athletics in a three-team deal that brought back prospects and international signing bonus space. Oakland used him almost exclusively at second base to fill the void left by free agent Jed Lowrie. He struggled to keep his batting average above .200 and finished the year with a minus-10 Defensive Runs Saved rating, the lowest among major-league second basemen. After the season, Oakland traded him to San Diego.
San Diego Padres (2020-2022)
On December 2, 2019, the Athletics traded Profar to the Padres for Austin Allen and cash considerations. With San Diego, he was moved from a utility infielder role into the outfield, playing primarily left field while also seeing time at second base. In 2020, he hit .278/.343/.428 with seven home runs and 25 RBI in 56 games.
He re-signed with the Padres on January 27, 2021, on a three-year, $21 million contract, though he struggled at the plate that year, hitting .227/.329/.320. In 2022, Profar set career highs in plate appearances and hits. He also suffered a concussion after colliding with teammate CJ Abrams on July 7 and was placed on the 7-day injured list. One of his most memorable moments came on August 9, 2022, when he made a diving catch in the ninth inning against the Giants that preserved the lead before Manny Machado hit a game-winning home run. He opted out of his contract after the season and became a free agent.
Colorado Rockies and Return to San Diego (2023)
Profar signed a one-year, $7.75 million contract with the Colorado Rockies on March 21, 2023. He played 111 games, hitting .236/.316/.364 with eight home runs and 39 RBI before being released on August 27. On September 1, he signed a minor league deal to return to the Padres organization, and San Diego selected his contract on September 8, adding him back to the major-league roster. He became a free agent after the season.
Padres Resurgence and Braves Move (2024-2025)
On February 12, 2024, Profar re-signed with the Padres on a one-year deal guaranteeing $1 million, with up to $1.5 million in incentives. He produced the best season of his career, posting a career-high .839 on-base-plus-slugging line. He was selected to the All-Star Game for the first time and won the Silver Slugger Award. On January 23, 2025, he signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Atlanta Braves.
Driving Style and Strengths
Profar has long been valued for his versatility and his ability to play multiple positions at the major-league level, including shortstop, second base, third base, and all three outfield spots. Offensively, his swing adjustments during the 2022-2023 offseason helped him unlock a more patient, power-oriented approach that produced his career-best 2024 season.
Notable Events and Milestones
Profar’s career-defining season came in 2024, when he earned his first All-Star selection and his first Silver Slugger Award. Earlier highlights include his 2004 Little League World Series championship with Curaçao, his MLB debut home run in 2012, and his game-saving diving catch for the Padres against the Giants on August 9, 2022.
Jurickson Profar Career Wins
Jurickson Profar has built a long and durable MLB career defined more by consistency and positional versatility than by championship trophies. His most decorated individual season came in 2024, when he was named to the All-Star team and won the Silver Slugger Award as the top offensive player at his position. He has also represented Curaçao and the Netherlands on multiple international stages, including the World Baseball Classic.
MLB Highlights
Profar reached his career offensive peak in 2024, hitting for a career-high .839 on-base-plus-slugging line and earning his first All-Star selection and Silver Slugger Award. He set earlier career highs in plate appearances and hits during the 2022 season with the Padres. He made his MLB debut on August 31, 2012, and recorded a home run in his first major-league at-bat.
Other Wins and Performances
Profar won the 2004 Little League World Series championship representing Curaçao. He was also named the South Atlantic League’s most valuable player in 2011 and the shortstop on Baseball America’s 2011 Minor League All-Star team. He received the 2018 Richard Durrett Hardest Working Man Award from the DFW chapter of the BBWAA.
Jurickson Profar Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Jurickson Profar comes from a baseball family. He has two younger brothers, Juremi and Jurdrick. Juremi signed with the Texas Rangers in 2012 and has played professionally in multiple leagues, including Baseball United’s Karachi Monarchs. Jurdrick signed with the Chicago White Sox in January 2024. All three brothers have represented Curaçao in the Little League World Series.
Personal Life
Profar’s son was born in 2017. In 2025, indie-folk singer-songwriter Cousin Wolf released a song titled “Jurickson Profar” as part of an album called Nine Innings, a nod to his broader cultural profile beyond baseball.
2025 Season Performance
Profar entered 2025 having signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Atlanta Braves. On March 31, 2025, he was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for human chorionic gonadotropin, a performance-enhancing substance. He returned from the suspension on July 2 and went 2-for-4 with an RBI home run against the Los Angeles Angels. His 2025 campaign was therefore split between suspension and a return to play in the second half of the season.
On March 3, 2026, Profar was suspended for the entire 2026 season and postseason following a second performance-enhancing substance test, forfeiting his annual salary of roughly $15 million. The suspension was upheld on March 19, making him the seventh player to receive a 162-game ban for a second PED violation. Looking ahead, the suspension will keep him off the field for the full 2026 season, and his return timeline beyond that point will depend on the length of any future discipline and his recovery once he is eligible to play again.
