Scott Van Slyke

Scott Tyler Van Slyke (born July 24, 1986) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers and in the KBO League for the Doosan Bears.

The son of All-Star outfielder Andy Van Slyke, he was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 14th round of the 2005 MLB draft out of John Burroughs School in Missouri.

Early life Scott Van Slyke was born on July 24, 1986, in Chesterfield, Missouri, to Andy and Lauri Van Slyke. He is of Dutch ancestry and grew up in St. Louis, where his father, Andy, played with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1983 to 1986. Scott is the second of four children; his older brother, A. J., played in the Cardinals' minor league system from 2005 to 2008. At the age of seven, he rescued his three-year-old brother Jared from drowning in a hot tub near the Pittsburgh Pirates' spring training camp in Bradenton, Florida.

Van Slyke began playing baseball at age five. He attended John Burroughs School in Ladue, Missouri, Van Slyke hit his first Major League home run on May 20, 2012, as a pinch hitter against St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Marc Rzepczynski when he was given the green light to swing on a 3–0 count. The three-run home run gave the Dodgers the game-winning 6–5 lead.

On June 1, 2012, Van Slyke was part of a record-setting Dodgers lineup that featured the sons of five former Major Leaguers (along with Tony Gwynn Jr., Iván DeJesús Jr., Dee Gordon, and Jerry Hairston Jr.). This was the first time in Major League history this had ever occurred and was also the first time for a starting infield of four major league sons: first baseman Van Slyke, second baseman Hairston, third baseman De Jesus and shortstop Gordon. He played in a total of 27 games with the Dodgers and hit .167 with 2 home runs.

In 2014, Van Slyke was a backup in a crowded Dodgers outfield that also included Yasiel Puig, Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, and Carl Crawford. He regularly started against left-handed pitching in a platoon role, first with Ethier and later with Crawford. Van Slyke finished the 2014 regular season hitting .297, with 8 home runs and 29 RBIs in 98 games. He led the team in slugging percentage and on-base plus slugging.

In 2015, he hit .239/.317/.383 in 96 games with six homers and 30 RBI. Following the season, he agreed to a one-year, $1.225 million contract with the Dodgers for 2016, avoiding salary arbitration.

Van Slyke again struggled with injuries in 2016 and played in just 52 games, hitting .225./.292/.314 with one home run and seven RBI. A back injury hampered him at the start of the season, and his right wrist injury recurred, ending his season in early August. In late August, he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his wrist in order to resolve the issue. On December 1, 2016, he signed a one-year, $1.325 million contract with the Dodgers to avoid arbitration and remain with the team for 2017.

Cincinnati Reds Van Slyke was traded to the Cincinnati Reds, along with minor league catcher Hendrik Clementina in exchange for Tony Cingrani on July 31, 2017. On August 9, 2017, he was designated for assignment by the Reds.

Miami Marlins On January 13, 2018, Van Slyke signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins.

Doosan Bears (2018) On June 26, 2018, he signed with the Doosan Bears of the KBO League. He was released on September 20, 2018.

Acereros de Monclova On July 9, 2021, after several years out of professional baseball, Van Slyke signed with the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League. He became a free agent after the 2021 season without appearing in a game.

Personal life Van Slyke and his wife, Audrey, are Christian and are active in Bible study groups. They have one son, Jackson.