Jean Segura

Jean Carlos Enrique Segura ( ; born March 17, 1990) is a Dominican former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, and Miami Marlins. Segura was an All-Star in 2013 and 2018, and led the National League in hits in 2016. He played for the Dominican Republic national team at the 2017 and 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Segura signed with the Angels as a free agent in 2007. He made his MLB debut with the Angels in 2012 and was traded to the Brewers as part of a package for Zack Greinke. He played for Milwaukee through 2015, when he was traded to the Diamondbacks. Arizona traded him to Seattle after the 2016 season, and he signed a five-year, $70 million contract extension with the Mariners in 2017. After the 2018 season, Seattle traded Segura to Philadelphia. He signed as a free agent with Miami in 2023, then retired in 2025.

Professional career

Los Angeles Angels Segura signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim as an international free agent in 2007. He made his professional debut with the Dominican Summer Angels of the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League (DSL) in 2007. He batted .324/.392/.393 with 22 stolen bases and seven sacrifice hits (seventh in the league) in 219 at-bats, and was named a DSL postseason All-Star. His season was limited by a broken finger on his right hand. He had a 22-game hitting streak with the Owlz, one short of the franchise record. While playing for them was tied for eighth in the Pioneer League in triples (4), and eighth in batting average (.346).

In 2010, Segura played for the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Single-A Midwest League, where he had a standout year. He was the May 24 Midwest League Player of the Week and led the league with 50 stolen bases and 161 hits, also hitting 12 triples (second in the league), 10 home runs, and 24 doubles, while recording 11 sacrifice hits (third), 89 runs (fourth), 79 runs batted in (RBIs) (seventh), and batting .313 (10th). He was named a Midwest League mid-season All-Star, and an MiLB.com Angels Organization All-Star. He was promoted to the Inland Empire 66ers of the Class A-Advanced California League in 2011, but missed a significant portion of the season after suffering a torn left hamstring and only played in 44 games for the team, batting .281/.337/.422 with 18 stolen bases in 185 at-bats.

Segura played for the Arkansas Travelers of the Double-ATexas League in 2012. After batting .287 with 25 stolen bases in his first 69 games of the season, he was named to appear in the 2012 All-Star Futures Game. He was fourth in the Texas League in stolen bases (33), tied for eighth in sacrifice hits (6), and 9th in triples (5). He was named a mid-season Texas League All-Star, and was again named an MiLB.com Angels Organization All-Star. The Brewers assigned him to the Huntsville Stars of the Double-A Southern League and promoted him on August 6 after he batted 13-for-30 in eight games with the club. He batted .264/.321/.331 with seven stolen bases and 14 RBIs in 148 at-bats with the Brewers. He was named the Brewers' Opening Day shortstop in 2013. He was a National League (NL) reserve for the MLB All-Star Game. He won the Player of the Week Award on May 12 and finished the year hitting .294/.329/.423 with 10 triples and 44 stolen bases (each second in the NL), 12 home runs, an 18.9 power–speed number (ninth in the league), and 7.0 at bats per strikeout (10th-lowest) in 588 at-bats. His walk percentage of 4.0% was tied for the 6th-lowest in MLB.

In 2014, he batted .246/.289/.326 with 7.3 at-bats per strikeout (seventh-lowest), and 10 sacrifice hits (10th in the league) in 513 at-bats.

"Stealing first base"

In the eighth inning of a game on April 19, 2013, Segura stole second base, and then "stole" first base, then was thrown out trying to again steal second base. After Segura singled and stole second, and Ryan Braun walked, Segura and Braun attempted a double steal. However, Segura retreated to second after the pitcher Shawn Camp threw to third base instead of pitching. With both Segura and Braun standing on second base, both were tagged, and by baseball's rules, Braun was ruled out. However, Segura thought that he himself was out and began to head back to the Brewers' dugout, which was on the first-base side of the field, until first base coach Garth Iorg instructed Segura to stand on first base, where he was ruled safe. Two pitches later, Segura was caught stealing second base.

The play resulted in much confusion regarding whether Segura should have been allowed to retreat to first base after he had legitimately occupied second base. The umpires allowed it under a rule that specifies only that a player may not retreat if the intent is to "confuse the defense or make a travesty of the game," as Segura was doing no such thing but was simply confused. MLB later declared that the ruling on the field was wrong, as a rule forbidding a player from reaching a base after "abandoning the effort" at base running should have superseded the rule invoked when calling him safe, and that Segura should have been called out at first base.

Because the usual methods of reporting baseball play-by-play do not allow for a runner on second to retreat to first base, some records of the game indicate that Segura remained on second and was thrown out trying to steal third base, though this is not what occurred. In 153 games in 2016, most of which he played at second base—for the first time in the majors—Segura batted .319 (fifth in the NL)/.368 (a career best)/.499, with an NL-leading 203 hits, 135 singles (second), a 24.9 power–speed number (fourth), 41 doubles and 33 stolen bases (each, fifth), 102 runs (seventh), 7 triples (8th), and 20 home runs, while on defense leading all NL players in assists with 428. He came in 13th in the voting for NL Most Valuable Player.

In June 2017, Segura signed a five-year, $70 million contract extension covering the 2018–2022 seasons with a $17 million option for 2023 that had a $1 million buyout. He returned to shortstop and ended the season batting .300/.349/.427 with 22 stolen bases in 125 games.

In 2018, while batting .329 mid-season, he was named to the All-Star Game, in which he hit a go-ahead three-run home run off of Josh Hader in the 8th inning. For the season, Segura batted .304 (seventh in the AL)/.341/.415, with 136 singles (leading the majors), 178 hits (sixth), and 20 stolen bases while striking out once every 8.5 at-bats (fifth-fewest), as on defense he was third in the American League in assists with 387. He became one of only four MLB batters with a .300 or better batting average over the last three years, along with Jose Altuve, Freddie Freeman, and Mike Trout.

Philadelphia Phillies On December 3, 2018, the Mariners traded Segura, Juan Nicasio, and James Pazos to the Philadelphia Phillies for Carlos Santana and J. P. Crawford. Segura waived the no-trade clause in his contract to allow the trade. He made contact with the highest percentage of pitches he swung at in the strike zone (94.3%) of all NL batters. He had 1 strikeout per 7.9 at-bats, second-best in the NL, and on defense, his 20 errors lef the league and his 83 double plays were fourth-most among NL shortstops. He was activated on August 4, and assumed the vacant shortstop role that was opened when Didi Gregorius was released. In 2022, Segura batted .277/.336/.387 in 354 at-bats, with 10 home runs and 33 RBIs. He stole 13 bases and was sixth in the NL in caught stealing (6), and ninth in double plays grounded into (16).

Miami Marlins On January 4, 2023, Segura signed a two-year, $17 million contract with the Miami Marlins. On August 1, Segura and Kahlil Watson were traded to the Cleveland Guardians for first baseman Josh Bell; however, Segura was immediately released after the deal was made official. Prior to the trade, Segura appeared in 85 games for Miami, batting .219/.277/.279 with three home runs and 21 RBI.

Baltimore Orioles On August 9, 2024, Segura signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles. In 14 games for the Triple-A Norfolk Tides, he slashed .137/.250/.196 with three RBI and one stolen base. Segura was released by the Orioles organization on September 1.

Leones del Escogido Following the 2024 season, Segura signed with the Leones del Escogido to play winter league baseball in the Dominican Professional Baseball League. Segura announced his retirement from professional baseball on May 21, 2025.

Personal life Segura and his wife have three sons. He had a son from a previous relationship who died in 2014 at nine months of age, which nearly caused Segura to quit baseball.