Jose Trevino Bio
Jose Ramón Trevino is an American professional baseball catcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees. The Texas Rangers selected Trevino in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB draft out of Oral Roberts University, and he has since become known as one of the top defensive catchers in the sport. He made his MLB debut in 2018, was named an All-Star in 2022, and won a Gold Glove Award that same year.
Early Life and Background
Jose Ramón Trevino was born on November 28, 1992, in Corpus Christi, Texas. He grew up in the same coastal city and attended St. John Paul II High School, where he developed his skills as a catcher. Coming out of high school, he was not selected in the Major League Baseball draft, which pushed him to continue his playing career at the collegiate level.
Trevino went on to attend Oral Roberts University, where he played college baseball for the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles. During his college years, he sharpened his defensive game and worked on his hitting against top amateur competition. His time at Oral Roberts helped him grow into a more complete catcher and prepared him for the rigors of professional baseball.
Path to Professional Baseball
During his summers at Oral Roberts, Trevino played in prominent collegiate baseball leagues. In 2012, he played collegiate summer baseball in the Northwoods League for the Madison Mallards, appearing in 22 games and showing patience at the plate by striking out only 12 times in 83 at-bats. The following summer, in 2013, he joined the Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod Baseball League, one of the most respected amateur leagues in the country.
His strong amateur resume led the Texas Rangers to select him in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB draft. That selection launched his professional career and put him on a clear development path through the Rangers farm system. Over the next several seasons, Trevino moved steadily through the minor leagues, refining his defense and earning recognition as a rising catching prospect.
Jose Trevino Career
Draft and Minor Leagues (2014–2017)
After being drafted by the Texas Rangers in 2014, Trevino made his professional debut with the Spokane Indians of the Low-A Northwest League, where he played catcher, third base, and second base. He hit .257 with 9 home runs and 49 RBIs in his first pro season and was sent to the Hickory Crawdads of the Single-A South Atlantic League in 2015. With Hickory, he became a full-time catcher, hit 14 home runs, drove in 63 runs, and later gained valuable experience in the Arizona Fall League.
In 2016, Trevino played for the High Desert Mavericks of the High-A California League and won a minor league Gold Glove Award. He followed that with a strong 2017 season for the Frisco RoughRiders of the Double-A Texas League, hitting 7 home runs with 42 RBIs. He was recognized with the MiLB Rawlings Gold Glove Award for catchers in both 2016 and 2017, and the Rangers added him to their 40-man roster after the 2017 season.
Texas Rangers (2018–2021)
Trevino made his major league debut with the Rangers on June 15, 2018, in a game against the Colorado Rockies. He wasted little time making an impact, recording his first major league hit, an RBI single, the very next day, and then delivering a walk-off, two-run single off Wade Davis on June 17. His first season was cut short when he underwent season-ending surgery on his left shoulder on July 20, 2018.
In 2019, Trevino split time between the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, the AZL Rangers, and the majors, finishing the year with Texas hitting .258 with 2 home runs and 13 RBIs over 40 games. During the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he played in 24 games and slashed .250/.280/.434 with 2 home runs and 9 RBIs. Over 89 games in 2021, Trevino hit .239 with 5 home runs and 30 RBIs, establishing himself as a reliable big league catcher.
New York Yankees (2022–2024)
On April 2, 2022, the Rangers traded Trevino to the New York Yankees in exchange for Albert Abreu and Robert Ahlstrom. He quickly supplanted Kyle Higashioka as the Yankees’ starting catcher and was named an American League All-Star reserve that season. In 2022, Trevino batted .248 with 11 home runs and 43 RBIs, but it was his defense that stood out, as he won a Fielding Bible Award, a Gold Glove Award, and became the first Yankee and the first American League catcher to win the Platinum Glove Award as the best defensive player in his league.
Eligible for salary arbitration, Trevino and the Yankees agreed to a $2.36 million salary for the 2023 season. He played in 55 games that year and batted .210 with 4 home runs and 15 RBIs before undergoing season-ending wrist surgery in July 2023 to repair a ligament tear in his right wrist. He and the Yankees agreed on a $2.73 million salary for the 2024 season, and he appeared in 74 games, hitting .215 with 8 home runs and 28 RBIs.
Cincinnati Reds (2025–Present)
On December 20, 2024, the Yankees traded Trevino to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Fernando Cruz and Alex Jackson. On March 20, 2025, Trevino agreed to a three-year contract extension worth $14.925 million with the Reds, locking him in through the 2028 season. In a memorable moment on June 30, 2025, Trevino appeared as a pitcher in a game against the Boston Red Sox and recorded his first career pitching strikeout against Marcelo Mayer.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the signature moments of Trevino’s career came in his very first week in the majors, when he delivered a walk-off single against the Royals’ Wade Davis. He later became the first Yankee and the first American League catcher to win the Platinum Glove Award, joining his 2022 Gold Glove and Fielding Bible Awards. His two MiLB Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, earned in 2016 and 2017, round out one of the most decorated defensive resumes among active catchers.
Jose Trevino Career Wins and Honors
Jose Trevino has built his reputation largely on defense rather than raw offensive numbers. He is a two-time MiLB Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner, a 2022 MLB Gold Glove Award winner, a 2022 Fielding Bible Award winner, and a 2022 Platinum Glove Award winner. He was also selected to the 2022 American League All-Star team, capping a breakthrough season in pinstripes.
Jose Trevino Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Trevino’s father, Joe “Bugé” Trevino, passed away during Jose’s junior year at Oral Roberts University. The loss was a deeply personal moment that occurred while Trevino was still developing as a player. Trevino also has one son, who was born five days before he made his MLB debut in June 2018, marking the start of his big league career with a major life milestone in the same week.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marks a fresh chapter for Jose Trevino with the Cincinnati Reds after being traded from the Yankees in December 2024. He agreed to a three-year, $14.925 million contract extension in March, signaling the organization’s confidence in him as a veteran presence behind the plate. He has already provided memorable moments, including an appearance as a pitcher in late June in which he recorded his first career strikeout.
As an established big league catcher with Gold Glove credentials, Trevino is expected to anchor the Reds’ pitching staff and provide leadership in the clubhouse. His combination of defensive reputation, postseason experience, and familiarity with a contending environment makes him a steadying figure for Cincinnati. The 2025 campaign represents an opportunity for him to extend a career that began with the Rangers in 2018 and has since taken him through two more organizations.