Who is Alex Rodriguez?

Alex Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975) is an American former professional baseball player. Acknowledged as a power hitter, his career was marked by his use of performance-enhancing drugs. Rodriguez debuted with the Seattle Mariners at age 18. In 2003, he won American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors while with the Texas Rangers. After a trade to the New York Yankees, he won two more AL MVP titles, in 2005 and 2007. In 2009, Rodriguez admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) from 2001 to 2003. In 2013, he was suspended for his involvement with Biogenesis, a clinic supplying PEDs. Rodriguez retired in August 2016, later becoming a baseball analyst and broadcaster.

What sport did Alex Rodriguez play professionally?

Alex Rodriguez is an American professional baseball player , a power hitter considered among the sport's greatest talents. The Seattle Mariners drafted Rodriguez in 1993, and he debuted with the team as a shortstop at age 18. During his career, Rodriguez played for the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, and New York Yankees. In 2009, Rodriguez admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) from 2001 to 2003. After retiring from baseball in August 2016, Rodriguez began a second career as a baseball analyst and broadcaster.

Which Major League Baseball (MLB) teams did Alex Rodriguez play for?

Alex Rodriguez played for three Major League Baseball (MLB) teams during his career.

What positions did Alex Rodriguez play during his baseball career?

During his MLB career, Alex Rodriguez played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners, starting at age 18. After signing with the Texas Rangers, he continued to play great offensive seasons. Following a trade to the New York Yankees, Rodriguez played third base and continued to be a significant offensive player. In his final season, before abruptly retiring in August 2016, Rodriguez played as a part-time player.

What are some of Alex Rodriguez's major achievements and records in baseball?

Alex Rodriguez, a power hitter, debuted with the Seattle Mariners at 18. In 1996, he led the league with a .358 batting average, 36 home runs, and 123 RBIs. In 1998, he was the third player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a season. With the Yankees, in 2007, at age 32, Rodriguez became the youngest player to hit 500 career home runs and was named AL MVP for the third time. In 2009, he helped the Yankees win the World Series. In 2010, Rodriguez became the seventh player to hit 600 career home runs. By the time of his retirement, he had 3,115 hits, 696 home runs, and 2,086 RBIs, ranking 20th, 4th, and 3rd, respectively, among all-time MLB totals. Despite his achievements, his career was overshadowed by his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

What controversies or challenges did Alex Rodriguez face during his career?

Alex Rodriguez, a celebrated baseball talent, faced significant controversies. In 2009, he admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) from 2001 to 2003, which threatened his legacy. This admission followed a Sports Illustrated report that he tested positive for steroids in 2003. In 2013, MLB suspended Rodriguez for the final 49 games of the season and the entire 2014 season due to his involvement with Biogenesis, a clinic supplying PEDs. This suspension, initially the largest for a first-time PED offender, was reduced to 162 games after appeal.

Alex Rodriguez

Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees follows through after batting, while a Philadelphia Phillies catcher watches from behind home plate.

Quick Facts

In full:: Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez

Byname:: A-Rod

Born:: July 27, 1975, New York City, New York, U.S. (age 51)

Awards And Honors:: World Series; Most Valuable Player (2007); Most Valuable Player (2005); Most Valuable Player (2003)

See all related content

Alex Rodriguez

American baseball player

Also known as: A-Rod, ARod, Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 31, 2026 •History

News •

What is Alex Rodriguez's and David Ortiz's Appleton connection? • Oct. 27, 2026, 11:09 PM ET (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Top Questions

Who is Alex Rodriguez?
Alex Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975) is an American former professional baseball player. Acknowledged as a power hitter, his career was marked by his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Rodriguez debuted with the Seattle Mariners at age 18. In 2003, he won American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors while with the Texas Rangers. After a trade to the New York Yankees, he won two more AL MVP titles, in 2005 and 2007.

In 2009, Rodriguez admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) from 2001 to 2003. In 2013, he was suspended for his involvement with Biogenesis, a clinic supplying PEDs. Rodriguez retired in August 2016, later becoming a baseball analyst and broadcaster.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Alex Rodriguez
2. Sports and Drugs: Feb. 7, 2009 - New York Yankees’ Third Baseman Alex Rodriguez Reportedly Tested Positive for Steroids in 2003
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What sport did Alex Rodriguez play professionally?
Alex Rodriguez is an American professional baseball player, a power hitter considered among the sport's greatest talents. The Seattle Mariners drafted Rodriguez in 1993, and he debuted with the team as a shortstop at age 18. During his career, Rodriguez played for the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, and New York Yankees. In 2009, Rodriguez admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) from 2001 to 2003. After retiring from baseball in August 2016, Rodriguez began a second career as a baseball analyst and broadcaster.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Alex Rodriguez
2. Sports and Drugs: Feb. 7, 2009 - New York Yankees’ Third Baseman Alex Rodriguez Reportedly Tested Positive for Steroids in 2003
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Which Major League Baseball (MLB) teams did Alex Rodriguez play for?
Alex Rodriguez played for three Major League Baseball (MLB) teams during his career.
- Seattle Mariners Rodriguez debuted with the Mariners at age 18, and his first successful season came in 1996.
- Texas Rangers Before the 2001 season, the Texas Rangers signed Rodriguez.
- New York Yankees After the 2003 season, he was traded to the New York Yankees and played with the team until he abruptly retired in August 2016.
1 Britannica Source
1. Alex Rodriguez
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What positions did Alex Rodriguez play during his baseball career?
During his MLB career, Alex Rodriguez played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners, starting at age 18. After signing with the Texas Rangers, he continued to play great offensive seasons. Following a trade to the New York Yankees, Rodriguez played third base and continued to be a significant offensive player. In his final season, before abruptly retiring in August 2016, Rodriguez played as a part-time player.
1 Britannica Source
1. Alex Rodriguez
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are some of Alex Rodriguez's major achievements and records in baseball?
Alex Rodriguez, a power hitter, debuted with the Seattle Mariners at 18. In 1996, he led the league with a .358 batting average, 36 home runs, and 123 RBIs. In 1998, he was the third player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a season. With the Yankees, in 2007, at age 32, Rodriguez became the youngest player to hit 500 career home runs and was named AL MVP for the third time. In 2009, he helped the Yankees win the World Series. In 2010, Rodriguez became the seventh player to hit 600 career home runs. By the time of his retirement, he had 3,115 hits, 696 home runs, and 2,086 RBIs, ranking 20th, 4th, and 3rd, respectively, among all-time MLB totals. Despite his achievements, his career was overshadowed by his use of performance-enhancing drugs.
1 Britannica Source
1. Alex Rodriguez
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What controversies or challenges did Alex Rodriguez face during his career?
Alex Rodriguez, a celebrated baseball talent, faced significant controversies. In 2009, he admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) from 2001 to 2003, which threatened his legacy. This admission followed a Sports Illustrated report that he tested positive for steroids in 2003.

In 2013, MLB suspended Rodriguez for the final 49 games of the season and the entire 2014 season due to his involvement with Biogenesis, a clinic supplying PEDs. This suspension, initially the largest for a first-time PED offender, was reduced to 162 games after appeal.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Alex Rodriguez
2. Sports and Drugs: Feb. 7, 2009 - New York Yankees’ Third Baseman Alex Rodriguez Reportedly Tested Positive for Steroids in 2003
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Alex Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975, New York City, New York, U.S.) is an American professional baseball player, a noted power hitter who was considered one of the greatest talents in the history of the sport but whose career was in many ways overshadowed by his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Rodriguez and his family moved to his father’s native Dominican Republic when Alex was four, but they later relocated to Miami, Florida. There he became an excellent ballplayer at Westminster Christian High School, and in 1993 the Seattle Mariners selected Rodriguez as the first overall pick in the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft. He made his debut with the Mariners at age 18, playing shortstop.

Rodriguez’s first successful season came in 1996, when he accumulated a league-best .358 batting average with 36 home runs and 123 runs batted in. Over the next six seasons with the team, he continued to produce outstanding offensive statistics, most notably in 1998, when he became the third player in league history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season. Before the 2001 season, when Rodriguez was a free agent, the Texas Rangers signed him to a 10-year $252 million contract, the richest contract ever given to an athlete at the time.

By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Serena Williams poses with the Daphne Akhurst Trophy after winning the Women's Singles final against Venus Williams of the United States on day 13 of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 28, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (tennis, sports)

Britannica Quiz

Great Moments in Sports Quiz

With the Rangers, Rodriguez continued to have great offensive seasons. He won American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) honours in 2003 with a .298 batting average, 47 home runs, and 118 runs batted in. After that season he was traded to the New York Yankees. In 2005 he posted a .321 batting average, with 48 home runs and 130 runs batted in, to win his second AL MVP title. At Yankee Stadium on August 4, 2007, at age 32, Rodriguez hit his 500th career home run, becoming the youngest player to accomplish that feat. The 2007 season was Rodriguez’s best yet—he had a .314 batting average, with 54 home runs and 156 runs batted in—and he was named AL MVP for the third time.

In 2009 Rodriguez admitted that he used various performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) from 2001 to 2003, a revelation that threatened to taint his seemingly extraordinary career accomplishments. His preseason admission was followed by a relatively sub-par regular season that saw Rodriguez fail to hit over 30 home runs and amass over 100 RBIs for the first time since 1997. His streak of nine consecutive All-Star Game selections also ended. However, he overcame his longtime reputation of faltering in the postseason by batting .365 with six home runs and 18 RBIs during the play-offs, and the Yankees went on to win the 2009 World Series. In 2010 Rodriguez became the seventh player in major league history to hit 600 career home runs.

Rodriguez missed the first two-thirds of the 2013 campaign because of off-season hip surgery. On August 5 of that year, the day of his return to the Yankees lineup, he was suspended for the final 49 games of the season and for the entirety of the 2014 season for his involvement with Biogenesis, a Florida anti-aging clinic that supplied PEDs to a number of major league players. While Rodriguez had not tested positive for PEDs, his ties to the clinic were documented sufficiently enough for MLB to hand down its largest suspension ever for a first-time PED offender. (Rodriguez continued playing with the Yankees through the end of the season while he appealed his suspension. In January 2014 an arbitrator reduced Rodriguez’s suspension to the 162 games of the 2014 major league season.)

Rodriguez rejoined the Yankees in 2015 and hit his 661st career home run that season to pass Willie Mays for the fourth highest total in MLB history. He also recorded his 3,000th career hit later that year. A seemingly rejuvenated Rodriguez finished that season with 33 home runs, his most since 2008, but his play fell off in 2016, as he batted just .200 as a part-time player before abruptly retiring in August of that year. He finished his career with 3,115 hits, 696 home runs, and 2,086 RBIs, which ranked 20th, 4th, and 3rd, respectively, among all-time MLB totals at the time of his retirement. Rodriguez then entered into a second career as a baseball analyst and broadcaster.

Explore Britannica Premium!

The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.