Ian Desmond
Washington Nationals — No. 6
Shortstop
Born: September 20, 1985 (1985-09-20) (age 24) Sarasota, Florida
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
September 10, 2009 for the Washington Nationals
Career statistics (through 2009)
Batting average	.280
Home runs	4
Runs batted in	12
Teams
Washington Nationals (2009–present)

Ian M. Desmond (born September 20, 1985 in Sarasota, Florida) is a shortstop in the Washington Nationals system. He is currently on the Nationals 40-man roster. He was selected by the Montreal Expos in the third round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft and signed on June 16.

Desmond was named the 19th best prospect and the best defensive shortstop in the South Atlantic League by Baseball America's at the end of 2005.

[edit] Professional career

Desmond batted .227 with one home run and 27 RBIs for the Gulf Coast League Expos in 2004. He was second in the Gulf Coast League with 216 at-bats and fifth in stolen bases with 13. He had a .250 batting average with one home run and one RBI in four games for Class-A Short-Season Vermont Expos.

In 2005 Desmond batted .247 with four home runs and 23 RBIs in 73 games for Class-A Savannah Sand Gnats. He added a career-high 20 stolen bases. Desmond had a .256 batting average with three home runs and 15 RBIs in 55 games for the Class-A Advanced Potomac Nationals. At seasons end was named the best defensive shortstop in the South Atlantic League in Baseball America's top tools survey of league managers. He ranked 19th best prospect in the SAL by Baseball America.

Desmond batted .244 with a career-high nine home runs and 45 RBIs for Class-A Advanced Potomac. He scored 50 runs and had 20 doubles in 92 games. He had a .182 batting average with no home runs and three RBIs for the Double-A Harrisburg Senators.

He spent the 2007 season with Class A Advanced Potomac in the Carolina League and set career highs in home runs with 14, average with a .264 clip, on-base percentage with .357 and doubles with 30. Desmond slugged his first homer of the season on April 17. He went 3-for-5 with a home run, double, three RBIs and scored twice on April 20. He homered in consecutive games on July 28 and 29 and August 12 and 13.

In 2008 he played for Double-A Harrisburg, and started the year there in 2009. In his three months there he batted .306 and, in June, was promoted to the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs, and in 55 games batted .354 ^[1]. After the minor league season ended, he was called up to the Nationals.

He played his first major league game on September 10, 2009. He had his first hit, a double, and RBI during his second at bat. He later went on to hit his first home run during the same game. ^[2] He followed that up with a 4-for-4 game, and become only the second player ever (along with Guy Sturdy of the 1927 St. Louis Browns) to record at least six hits and four RBI in his first two games as a major leaguer. ^[3]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

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