Logan Forsythe

John Logan Forsythe (born January 14, 1987) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers and Miami Marlins. While primarily a second baseman, Forsythe has played at least one game at every position except for center field and catcher.

Prior to playing professionally, Forsythe played college baseball for the University of Arkansas. He has also competed for the United States national baseball team.

Amateur career Forsythe playing third base for the Diamond Hogs in Baum Stadium in 2007. Forsythe played baseball at Christian Brothers High School in Memphis, Tennessee, where he led his team to the 2005 state championship while batting .527 with 58 runs batted in (RBIs) and two stolen bases. He was recruited by the University of Arkansas to play college baseball for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Forsythe's mother had also attended Arkansas. He became the team's starting third baseman as a Sophomore He played in 51 games, hitting .351 with seven homers and 34 RBI.

Professional career

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres chose Forsythe in the supplemental first round (46th overall pick) of the 2008 MLB draft. He signed with the Padres on June 5, 2008 for a $835,000 bonus.

Forsythe began 2009 with the Lake Elsinore Storm of the California League where he hit .322 in 66 games On June 25, 2009, he was promoted to the Double-A San Antonio Missions of the Texas League, and played the entire season for the Missions, hitting .253 in 107 games with 38 RBI and 17 steals.

Forsythe was called up to the MLB for the first time on May 4, 2011 and made his MLB debut that day, appearing as a pinch hitter in the fifth inning against Kevin Correia of the Pittsburgh Pirates and grounding out to shortstop.

Forsythe was optioned and recalled three more times during the summer of 2011 Forsythe was mostly used as a pinch hitter or late inning defensive replacement until Chase Headley broke his pinkie and went on the disabled list in August, and Forsythe took over as the regular third baseman until his 2011 season was ended by knee surgery. After a brief stop in Triple-A, Forsythe returned to the Major League club on June 3 and became the regular second baseman. Forsythe made 73 starts at second base and also put in time at shortstop and third base. His first major league home run was a walk-off on June 5 off of Steve Edlefsen of the San Francisco Giants.

Forsythe was sidelined by plantar fasciitis in spring training and opened the 2013 season on the 60-day disabled list. After a brief rehab stint with Triple-A Tucson, he was activated on June 10 when Jedd Gyorko went to the DL with a groin strain. Forsythe manned second base until Gyorko returned in mid-July, and then served the club in a utility role playing shortstop, second, and third as well as both corner outfield positions. His plantar fasciitis returned at the end of the season, and he was largely limited to a pinch hitting role. Forsythe batted .214/.281/.332 on the season with 6 home runs in 75 games played and 220 at-bats.

In 2014, Forsythe slashed .223/.287/.329 with 6 home runs in 110 games with the Rays. He played First, Second, Third, Short, and Outfield in his first season with the Rays. Forsythe's numbers became even more impressive once turned into sabermetrics, the WAR measurements had Forsythe at 5.12, the second best 2nd baseman and 32nd best overall player.

After the season, Forsythe signed a two-year contract with a club option for the 2018 year to return to the Rays. He finished his 2016 season with a .264 batting average and a career-high 20 home runs. On April 19, 2017, Forsythe was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a fractured big right toe. The injury kept him sidelined for 30 games, and he did not rejoin the Dodgers until May 23. He struggled with his swing after his return, blaming his problems on his timing being thrown off by the injury. On the season, he played in 119 games, with a .224 batting average, six home runs and 36 RBI. Forsythe played 70 games with the Dodgers in 2018, batting .207 with 2 home runs and 13 RBI.

Minnesota Twins On July 31, 2018, Forsythe was traded to the Minnesota Twins, along with minor leaguers Devin Smeltzer and Luke Raley, for Brian Dozier. In the second half of the season with the Minnesota Twins, Forsythe appeared in 50 games batting .258 with no home runs and 14 RBIs.

Texas Rangers On February 26, 2019, the Texas Rangers signed Forsythe to a minor league deal with a non-roster invitation to spring training. On March 22, 2019, the Texas Rangers announced that Forsythe had made the opening day roster as their utility infielder. Forsythe hit .227/.325/.353/.678 with 7 home runs and 39 RBI over 101 games for Texas in 2019.

Philadelphia Phillies On February 5, 2020, Forsythe signed a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. He was released on July 18, 2020.

Miami Marlins On July 28, 2020, Forsythe signed a deal with the Miami Marlins after being released by the Philadelphia Phillies. On August 3, Forsythe was selected to the active roster. Forsythe appeared in 12 games for the Marlins, slashing .118/.211/.235 before being placed on the 60-day injured list with a right oblique strain and missing the remainder of the season.

Milwaukee Brewers On May 4, 2021, Forsythe signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers organization and was assigned to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. Forsythe hit .250/.483/.400 in 17 games with Nashville before being released on June 18.

Post-playing career On February 26, 2024, Forsythe joined Razorback Sports Network as a TV analyst.

International career Forsythe was selected to be part of the United States national baseball team in the summer of 2007. His team placed second at the Pan American Games and third at the World Port tournament.

Personal life Forsythe married longtime girlfriend Ally Atkins on November 15, 2014. The two met while they were both attending the University of Arkansas. The couple's first child, a son, was born in 2016. Their second child, a girl, was born in February 2021.