Christian Bethancourt
Pitched a 1-2-3 inning against the Oakland Athletics in 2023, becoming the first player in 100 years to start a game as a position player and earn the win as a pitcher.
Born 1991 (age 35)·Panamanian baseball player·Birthday: September 2·Millennials
Biography
Christian Bethancourt pitched a perfect eighth inning against the Oakland Athletics on July 28, 2023, and earned the win. The Tampa Bay Rays had started him at catcher. No player had started a game as a position player and recorded a win as a pitcher since 1921. Bethancourt signed with the Atlanta Braves out of Panama at age 16 in 2008. He debuted as a catcher in 2013. The Braves traded him to San Diego in 2015. After being released and playing in Korea, he reinvented himself as a two-way player. The Rays signed him in 2022. He appeared in 104 games that season, hitting 11 home runs with an OPS+ of 107 and pitching 6.1 innings with a 2.84 ERA. He threw a fastball averaging 95.7 mph. The Miami Marlins acquired him via trade in 2024, deploying him as a catcher, first baseman, and relief pitcher. His hybrid role forced MLB to reconsider roster construction and the definition of a two-way player.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Christian was born in 1991, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Christian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1991
#1 Movie
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Best Picture
The Silence of the Lambs
#1 TV Show
Cheers
Christian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1991Born
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1996Started school
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2004Became a teenager
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2007Could drive
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2009Could vote
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2012Turned 21
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2021Turned 30
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 35 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Earned a win as a pitcher after starting the same game as the catcher for the Tampa Bay Rays on July 28, 2023.
- Posted a 107 OPS+ as a hitter and a 2.84 ERA as a pitcher over 6.1 innings in the 2022 season.
- Forced MLB to formally address the rules and qualifications for two-way player status in roster designations.
Did You Know?
He learned to pitch by playing catch with his son in the backyard during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.
He is the first Panamanian-born player to record both a home run and a pitching appearance in MLB history.
His catcher's pop time to second base (1.85 seconds) ranked in the 98th percentile in 2022.
“"I just want to be ready for whatever they need. If they need an inning, I'll give them an inning."”
