Biographical

Portrait of Marcus Semien

Marcus Semien 2BBlue Jays

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2019 Projections (Preseason PECOTA - seasonal age 28)
PA AVG HR R RBI SB DRC+ WARP
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Birth Date9-17-1990
Height6' 0"
Weight195 lbs
Age33 years, 7 months, 2 days
BatsR
ThrowsR
2.12015
3.72016
1.72017
5.42018
3.42019
proj
WARP Summary

MLB Statistics

YEAR TEAM AGE G PA H 2B 3B HR BB SO HBP SB CS AVG OBP SLG DRC+ DRAA BRR FRAA BWARP
2013 CHA 22 21 71 18 4 0 2 1 22 0 2 2 .261 .268 .406 77 -1.7 -0.6 0.5 0.0
2014 CHA 23 64 255 54 10 2 6 21 70 1 3 0 .234 .300 .372 91 -2.3 -1.3 2.7 0.7
2015 OAK 24 155 601 143 23 7 15 42 132 1 11 5 .257 .310 .405 97 0.0 0.8 -4.4 2.1
2016 OAK 25 159 621 135 27 2 27 51 139 0 10 2 .238 .300 .435 107 6.4 2.6 1.0 3.7
2017 OAK 26 85 386 85 19 1 10 38 85 2 12 1 .249 .325 .398 94 -1.6 3.9 -1.5 1.7
2018 OAK 27 159 703 161 35 2 15 61 131 1 14 6 .255 .318 .388 99 1.4 5.4 16.2 5.4
2019 OAK 28 162 747 187 43 7 33 87 102 2 10 8 .285 .369 .522 135 37.6 1.8 4.2 7.5
Career80533847831612110830168176224.256.323.42910639.812.618.821.1

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
Minor league stats are currently shownClick to hide.
YEAR Team Lg LG G PA oppAVG oppOBP oppSLG BABIP BPF BRAA repLVL POS_ADJ DRC+ DRC+ SD FRAA BRR DRAA BWARP
2011 KAN A SAL 60 262 .261 .332 .391 .313 103 -0.9 7.6 3.1 97 0 2.6 1.1 -5.1 1.0
2012 WNS A+ CAR 107 487 .263 .330 .402 .323 97 22.3 14.6 4.6 128 0 -4.1 -1.5 13.0 2.6
2013 CHA MLB AL 21 71 .246 .310 .382 .348 100 0.4 1.9 0.3 77 16 0.5 -0.6 -1.7 0.0
2013 BIR AA SOU 105 484 .244 .321 .363 .317 102 32.3 13.1 2.7 173 0 2.0 2.9 29.4 5.4
2013 CHR AAA INT 32 142 .255 .324 .379 .293 101 2.2 4.0 1.6 113 0 -2.4 -0.9 0.2 0.3
2014 CHA MLB AL 64 255 .256 .315 .397 .310 104 -2.5 6.6 0.3 91 10 2.7 -1.3 -2.3 0.7
2014 CHR AAA INT 83 366 .261 .330 .392 .282 115 8.9 11.0 1.9 135 0 6.7 2.8 8.8 3.1
2015 OAK MLB AL 155 601 .252 .313 .401 .312 101 -5.3 16.2 7.4 97 7 -4.4 0.8 0.0 2.1
2016 OAK MLB AL 159 621 .258 .319 .425 .268 99 2.3 17.6 8.1 107 7 1.0 2.6 6.4 3.7
2017 OAK MLB AL 85 386 .255 .320 .427 .300 104 -1.4 11.3 5.2 94 9 -1.5 3.9 -1.6 1.7
2017 STO A+ CAL 5 20 .279 .349 .423 .294 97 2.4 0.6 -0.1 113 0 -0.1 0.0 0.3 0.1
2017 NAS AAA PCL 3 15 .288 .343 .467 .250 103 0.6 0.4 0 100 0 0.1 0.8 0.1 0.1
2018 OAK MLB AL 159 703 .252 .317 .423 .296 98 3.4 19.7 9.1 99 6 16.2 5.4 1.4 5.4
2019 OAK MLB AL 162 747 .255 .323 .446 .294 99 39 22.6 10.4 135 8 4.2 1.8 37.6 7.5

Statistics For All Levels

Minor league stats are currently shownClick to hide.
Year Team lvl LG PA AB R H 2B 3B HR TB RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG ISO SF SH
2011 KAN A SAL 262 229 35 58 15 2 3 86 26 22 53 3 4 .253 .320 .376 .122 3 6
2012 WNS A+ CAR 487 418 80 114 31 5 14 197 59 55 97 11 5 .273 .362 .471 .199 3 6
2013 BIR AA SOU 484 393 90 114 21 5 15 190 49 84 66 20 5 .290 .420 .483 .193 0 2
2013 CHR AAA INT 142 125 20 33 11 1 4 58 17 14 24 4 0 .264 .338 .464 .200 2 0
2013 CHA MLB AL 71 69 7 18 4 0 2 28 7 1 22 2 2 .261 .268 .406 .145 1 0
2014 CHR AAA INT 366 303 57 81 20 3 15 152 52 53 59 7 2 .267 .380 .502 .234 5
2014 CHA MLB AL 255 231 30 54 10 2 6 86 28 21 70 3 0 .234 .300 .372 .139 0
2015 OAK MLB AL 601 556 65 143 23 7 15 225 45 42 132 11 5 .257 .310 .405 .147 1 1
2016 OAK MLB AL 621 568 72 135 27 2 27 247 75 51 139 10 2 .238 .300 .435 .197 1 1
2017 OAK MLB AL 386 342 53 85 19 1 10 136 40 38 85 12 1 .249 .325 .398 .149 3 1
2017 NAS AAA PCL 15 14 4 4 0 0 1 7 3 1 1 0 0 .286 .333 .500 .214 0 0
2017 STO A+ CAL 20 17 2 6 3 0 1 12 5 0 2 0 0 .353 .300 .706 .353 3 0
2018 OAK MLB AL 703 632 89 161 35 2 15 245 70 61 131 14 6 .255 .318 .388 .133 7 2
2019 OAK MLB AL 747 657 123 187 43 7 33 343 92 87 102 10 8 .285 .369 .522 .237 1 0

Plate Discipline

YEAR Pits Zone% Swing% Contact% Z-Swing% O-Swing% Z-Contact% O-Contact% SwStr% CSAA
2013 263 0.5209 0.4715 0.6290 0.5620 0.3730 0.7792 0.3830 0.3710 -0.0013
2014 1076 0.4944 0.4108 0.7579 0.5695 0.2555 0.8383 0.5827 0.2421 -0.0023
2015 2352 0.5111 0.4379 0.7748 0.6106 0.2574 0.8583 0.5676 0.2252 -0.0045
2016 2578 0.4926 0.4558 0.7626 0.6433 0.2737 0.8360 0.5950 0.2374 0.0000
2017 1587 0.4814 0.4449 0.7465 0.6257 0.2770 0.8389 0.5526 0.2535 0.0000
2018 2871 0.5033 0.4378 0.7963 0.6360 0.2370 0.8596 0.6243 0.2037 0.0000
2019 2906 0.4917 0.4219 0.8148 0.6333 0.2173 0.8807 0.6293 0.1852 0.0000
Career136330.49720.43720.77810.62450.25200.85380.59380.2219-0.0010

Injury History  —  No longer being updated

Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET

Date On Date Off Transaction Days Games Side Body Part Injury Severity Surgery Date Reaggravation

Compensation

Year Team Salary
2028 TEX $20,000,000
2027 TEX $26,000,000
2026 TEX $26,000,000
2025 TEX $26,000,000
2024 TEX $26,000,000
2023 TEX $26,000,000
2022 TEX $25,000,000
2021 TOR $18,000,000
2020 OAK $13,000,000
2019 OAK $5,900,000
2018 OAK $3,125,000
2017 OAK $545,000
2016 OAK $512,500
2015 OAK $510,000
2014 CHA $500,000
2013 CHA $
YearsDescriptionSalary
10 yrPrevious$93,092,500
2019Current$26,000,000
11 yrPvs + Cur$119,092,500
4 yrFuture$98,000,000
15 yrTotal$217,092,500

 

Service TimeAgentContract Status
8 y 118 dBoras Corp.7 years/$175M (2022-28)

Details
  • 7 years/$175M (2022-28). Signed by Texas as a free agent 11/30/21. 22:$25M, 23-27:$26M annually, 28:$20M.
  • 1 year/$18M (2021). Signed by Toronto as a free agent 1/26/21.
  • 1 year/$13M (2020). Re-signed by Oakland 1/10/20 (avoided arbitration).
  • 1 year/$5.9M (2019). Re-signed by Oakland 1/11/19 (avoided arbitration).
  • 1 year/$3.125M (2018). Re-signed by Oakland 1/12/18 (avoided arbitration).
  • 1 year (2017). Re-signed by Oakland 3/17.
  • 1 year/$512,500 (2016). Re-signed by Oakland 3/16.
  • 1 year/$510,000 (2015). Re-signed by Oakland 3/15.
  • 1 year/$500,000 (2014). Re-signed by Chicago White Sox 3/1/14. Acquired by Oakland in trade from Chicago White Sox 12/9/14.
  • 1 year (2013). Contract selected by Chicago White Sox 9/3/13.
  • Drafted by Chicago White Sox 2011 (6-201) (Cal). $130,000 signing bonus.

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT PA R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG DRC+ VORP FRAA WARP
90o 37 9 2 0 1 4 7 1 0 .273 .351 .424 111 2.3 SS 0 0.0
80o 26 6 1 0 1 3 5 1 0 .261 .346 .435 106 1.4 SS 0 0.0
70o 17 4 1 0 0 2 3 0 0 .267 .353 .333 103 0.8 SS 0 0.0
60o 10 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 .111 .200 .111 100 0.4 SS 0 0.0
50o 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000 .000 .000 98 0.1 SS 0 0.0
Weighted Mean300000100.000.000.000980.1SS 00.0

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BP Annual Player Comments

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BP Articles

Click here to see articles tagged with Marcus Semien

BP Chats

DateQuestionAnswer
2020-01-15 13:00:00 (link to chat)If you could choose both of Jeff McNeil and Marcus Semien, which one would you be happier about owning for 2020 and why? Please limit your response to 3,500 words or less.
(Fudgie the Whale Cake from Carvel )
This is a fun one. I really like McNeil and I think his positional versatility actually helps him out here despite Semien being a shortstop. Shortstop is crazy deep right now (partially due to his breakout) but I think I would opt for McNeil. AVG hasn't been a super strong spot generally, and I really like what he brings to the table there (and the flexibility he provides). (Craig Goldstein)
2019-09-23 20:00:00 (link to chat)Can Marcus Semien perform at 85-90% of his 2019 production in 2020? I really enjoyed what he did this year. It made me feel very happy for him and me.
(Ace from Tom Ace)
Great question. I'd knock it back to 75-80% if that even means anything. I think he'll be an All-Star next season, but I don't expect 120 runs and 32 home runs. Semien is a really good player, but I think he will hover around a DRC+ of 115 for future seasons not 137(!!). The DRC+ and WARP are bananas this year - and it does make sense, but expect a return to kinda normalcy next season. (Tyler Oringer)
2018-04-05 20:00:00 (link to chat)If you were the A's what positions do you put Franklin Barreto, Jorge Mateo, and Sheldon Neuse? Third base is blocked with Matt Chapman. Are any of them better shortstops, defensively, than Marcus Semien? And the A's seem intent on using Dustin Fowler in centerfield once healthy.
(Ken from Fairfax)
Barreto second base, Mateo center field and Neuse first base. They're going to need to make some trades or see some injuries but these things have a way of working themselves out. (Mike Gianella)
2018-05-11 13:00:00 (link to chat)With Jorge Mateo, Franklin Barreto, and Sheldon Neuse all knocking at the door of the majors, what should the A's do with them? Matt Chapman is ensconced at 3B. The A's aren't giving Barreto or Mateo reps in center despite the fact Dustin Fowler is at best a tick below average defensively there. And it isn't clear Mateo or Barreto would be better than Marcus Semien at shortstop. They can't all play second base...
(John from Harrisonburg)
So this is a good problem for a team to have. Talent logjams have a way of clearing up. Remember when the Cubs had Too Many Shortstops? The thing about some of these guys is that some of them simply wind up being not that great, and you can trade people for stuff too. I mean, is Neuse really threatening to unseat anyone right now? Barreto will work his way into the lineup somehow. Part of the reason some of these guys are still in Triple-A is that Jed Lowrie has been playing his ass off, but he's a free agent after this year. Patience, grasshopper. (Nicolas Stellini)
2017-06-20 13:00:00 (link to chat)Who is the best defensive option for the A's at shortstop going into next season: A) Marcus Semien, B) Chad Pinder, C) Franklin Barreto?
(John from San Francisco)
Thanks for asking this in advance, John-it gave me a chance to dig up this great Eric Longenhagen line: "Oakland...is more inclusive regarding shortstops than the average MLB club." (This ties into my Beane-is-inscrutable comment earlier--what is his current view of fielding?) I don't think you're going to see any of them at the top of the Fielding Bible or FRAA leaderboards. Barreto's only 21, so his glove could develop, but at this moment Semien's probably the best of the bunch. This is not the same as saying that he's really good. (Rob Mains)
2017-04-11 19:00:00 (link to chat)Why did the White Sox get off to that crazy good start last year? Are there any lessons from the rise and then crash landing?
(bemused from connecticut)
They started 17-8 and were below .500 every month after that until September. Looks like a lot of that good start was individual herculean pitching efforts, which seems easy to explain given their personnel. David Robertson was probably healthy in the first few months, as opposed to pitching through a knee injury in the second half. Austin Jackson was roughly replacement level instead of Shuck who was below, luck, variance.

In terms of collapsing in the second half, the team had already traded away what little depth they had in previous years (Trayce Thompson, Chris Bassitt, Marcus Semien, etc.) so any time anything went wrong there was no fallback option.

The White Sox did aggressively attempt to fix their rotation. Miguel Gonzalez worked out, James Shields didn't.

But they did basically nothing to help what already looked like a horrible offense as the season went on. Jerry Sands, Jimmy Rollins, and blitzing Tim Anderson through the minors at a blinding pace were basically their only efforts to upgrade from some really, really miserable options. (Nick Schaefer)
2016-09-19 13:00:00 (link to chat)What's your best guess as to when Franklin Barreto arrives in the majors? And will it be with A's or will they trade him off in they are in contention next year ala Addison Russell?
(JM from CT)
I'm horrible at guessing these, but I'd assume next year. AAA at the point in the year he moved up seems to me to be a "let's see if he can sustain it" gamble heading into 2017. If he keeps hitting in camp, I can't imagine they leave him down any longer than service time would dictate.

That said, will he start? I'm not sure -- I'd assume if he was up, he'd be up to play, but I've been wrong there too. The luster kind of wore off Marcus Semien, but he's still a contributor, and I doubt the A's are looking to move on from him incredibly quickly. That said, Joey Wendle might be more of a bench piece, and if they're competitive, they might want to have Barreto and Semien play together in the middle infield by moving Semien to 2nd. I could definitely see it.

Also, here's my sports radio guy coming out: no way they do another high profile SS trade any time soon after Russell. Beane seemed to have worked out an exciting Cal-League mirage trading loophole, but that one bit him very badly. (Trevor Strunk)
2016-08-15 22:00:00 (link to chat)Who would be better at shortstop for the A's next season: Marcus Semien or Chad Pinder?
(John from San Francisco)
Semien, and it shouldn't really be a question. He's been the fifth-best SS in the majors by FRAA this year, and with the pop in his bat he's currently 8th in WARP. He's pre-arb and cost-controlled through next season, and he'll be Oakland's starting shortstop unless Billy Beane beanes him out of town for a HAUL. (Wilson Karaman)
2015-10-27 13:00:00 (link to chat)Which of the following will make an impact this year above and beyond what they have done to this point Marcus Semien, Steven Souza Jr., Eddie Rosario C.J. Cron,
(OB1 from Tampa)
All those guys are giving you about what you'd expect, no? None were huge upside guys as prospects, and all have been usefulish major league pieces. Semien might benefit from moving off shortstop, but I don't see a huge offensive step forward. Cron is well on his way to being suitably Trumboish, and Souza is an example of the dangers of the 35% K guys I mentioned above. Rosario is another guy I saw a fair bit of on those Rock Cats teams, and he is playing more or less to what I saw. I guess if I had to pick one I'd take Rosario because maybe he can make some marginal approach gains to let the power play a bit more. (Jeffrey Paternostro)
2015-10-07 14:00:00 (link to chat)Marcus Semien made a cr@pload of errors, ok 'only' 35 actually, at short. Please evaluate his defense skills.
(Paul from DC)
Hmmm... I was thinking a Cubs/Pirates chat, but what the heck, I'll do more stuff. Christina Kahrl wrote about this, Semien has really improved defensively in the second half, a lot of that has to do with working under Ron Washington. I was doubtful, but apparently he's someone they believe can really stick there now. (Sahadev Sharma)
2015-08-13 20:00:00 (link to chat)If you were the A's, do you start Marcus Semien or Chad Pinder at shortstop next season?
(Jeff from San Francisco)
Pinder is getting pretty close but I think he probably starts in AAA. Beane will probably pick up someone but if not, it's Semien even though he's horrendous with the glove. (Greg Wellemeyer)
2015-06-18 13:00:00 (link to chat)Chad Pinder is having a pretty decent season in AA for Oakland so far. He's back at shortstop after spending most of last season at second because of the now traded Daniel Robertson. Can Pinder be a passable shortstop in the majors? Do you think he will be ready at the start of 2016 (and allowing Marcus Semien to shift over to second base)?
(John from San Francisco)
My understanding is Pinder has the arm for the left side but not the actions. For most teams, that would mean a shift to second or third base. For the A's? Who knows. They haven't prioritized shortstop (or catcher) defense the past few years, so it's possible he gets a look there if he keeps hitting. Of course, Marcus Semien might prevent that from happening. (R.J. Anderson)
2015-06-02 18:00:00 (link to chat)If the White Sox can't develop position players, what does that say for the developmental arc of Marcus Semien, and the likelihoods of his offensive breakout's being real and his defensive problems' being fixable?
(justarobert from Santa Clara)
I don't think his specific defensive game is fixable to the point of being a long term starting shortstop but the first question is a really good one. I think that what it can say is that the White Sox development plan to this point produces MiLB results but does not fully prepare players for MLB pitching. It's a pretty serious problem. (Mauricio Rubio)
2015-06-02 18:00:00 (link to chat)A's fan here trying to find something positive in this season beyond Sonny Gray. So what do you make of the seasons so far (SSS caveat) of Stephen Vogt, Billy Burns, and Mark Canha (against right-handers)?
(Eric from Fremont)
There was another Canha question that was just submitted so I'll answer it in this one. Yeah I think there's always room for players who can hit right handed pitching even if LHPs get them out. I don't understand why Vogt is doing what he's doing and I really want Billy Burns to work but I don't think it's a long term thing. At least Marcus Semien is mashing. (Mauricio Rubio)
2015-01-15 18:00:00 (link to chat)What do you think of Marcus Semien? I know you weren't a fan of the Samardzija deal, but what can we expect from him going forward stats-wise? Is he an everyday shortstop at the major league level?
(Zach Morris from Bayside)
Semien comes up short of that role for me. he's more of a second division type or utility player, though I wouldn't blame a club for giving him a shot to fill a larger role. He's already exceeded some expectations in his career and it is possible he does so again. (Mark Anderson)
2015-02-16 11:00:00 (link to chat)Can Marcus Semien be Matt Carpenter lite for Oakland at any point?
(Chipshot212 from MA)
I keep thinking Jed Lowrie-spotty defense, some pop, etc. Maybe that's just the obvious/lazy comp, but that's where my mind goes when I think about Semien's upside. (R.J. Anderson)
2015-01-28 19:00:00 (link to chat)If you had to choose Marcus Semien or Jonathan School for your MI next year, who do you choose?
(RotoLando from Cloud City)
They're both not ideal options at the position. Full disclosure, I root for Semien real hard. He's a hard worker and consistently tries to improve. It's taken him from a middling prospect to potential utility guy and that's a pretty bi deal. Schoop has the power potential over Semien so I'll say this. Brain says Schoop, heart says Semien. (Mauricio Rubio)
2014-06-26 14:00:00 (link to chat)Who has the better career, Marcus Semien or Micah Johnson?
(hamsterjockey from DC)
Blech. Real baseball? I guess, Semien. Fantasy baseball? Johnson. The steals will help him carry some value. Just wish he could hit. (J.P. Breen)
2014-04-03 19:30:00 (link to chat)While he's got a shot, is Marcus Semien fantasy-worthy, or just another warm body in the MI slot, mocking you, daring you to drop him every morning.
(RotoLando from Cloud City)
I'm a fan of Semien, and a converted one at that. Originally I billed him as a utility type but he's got a really nice approach and - especially in that park - enough pop to matter. Add in that his competition is Gordon Beckham and I think he can last in the bigs this year (Craig Goldstein)
2014-03-03 13:00:00 (link to chat)Thoughts on Marcus Semien? Better offensively than Beckham?
(Ryan from Chicago)
Yes. I'd take him over Beckham. Nothing flashy, but a solid ballplayer. Second-division type. (Jason Parks on the Completed Prospect Rankings)
2014-01-30 14:00:00 (link to chat)Where do you see Marcus Semien rated at the end of a full year playing. Is his ceiling as a 2B/SS capable of being a top 10?
(OB1 from NYC)
Probably not. His OFP in Jason's White Sox top 10 was "Low 5; second-division player." A guy like that could maybe have a fluky season where he's top 10 a some position, but he wouldn't be there consistently. (Ben Lindbergh)
2014-01-30 14:00:00 (link to chat)Isn't Marcus Semien the sort of player who does a lot of things fairly well and nothing extraordinarily well? As such, isn't he the sort of player who tends to be shortchanged in prospect lists but ends up carving out a pretty successful career? As a Sox fan, I hope so. Any chance this is the new market inefficiency to exploit?
(GrinnellSteve from Iowa)
I think that type of player does tend to be underrated on prospect lists, and in general--the focus on tools probably does make us miss out on some productive players who don't stand out in any one area. I don't know enough about Semien to say whether he's one of them. (Ben Lindbergh)
2014-02-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)Keith Law said he prefers Marcus Semien to Kolten Wong. Can you go find him and beat some sense into him?
(Reed from Texas)
I'd rather have Wong, but it's not a ridiculous statement. Wong is more of a high-floor than a high-celing guy. If Semien turns into an everyday player, it will be close. (Jeff Moore)
2013-10-15 13:00:00 (link to chat)Can you rank these first-year 2b in order of who will have the best career? Kolten Wong, Scooter Gennett, Nick Franklin, Chris Owings, Wilmer Flores, Jonathan Schoop, Marcus Semien, Grant Green. Thank you.
(The Kernel from Pasadena)
Wong, Owings, Franklin, Schoop, Gennett, Semien, Flores, Green. (Jason Parks)
2013-07-29 11:00:00 (link to chat)is there anything Marcus Semien can do to get some respect? 17.4% BB%, 13.6% K%, 189 ISO, 19 SBs in second season at AA! I understand he isn't "toolsy", but sometimes scouts are slow to catch up to just out of the blue.
(D from NY)
Hey I pumped him in the MLU the other day! (Zach Mortimer)
2013-07-29 11:00:00 (link to chat)Seriously, what kind of upside can we expect for Marcus Semien on the big-league level?
(Matt from New York)
I think Marcus Semien is a utility player in the big leagues. (Zach Mortimer)


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PITCHf/x Hitter Profile

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