Riley Adams Bio
Riley Keaton Adams is an American professional baseball catcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Toronto Blue Jays, making his major league debut in 2021. Adams is widely recognized for his standout college career with the University of San Diego, where he earned West Coast Conference Player of the Year honors.
Born and raised in Southern California, Adams has built his career as a versatile catcher who can also fill in at first base. Since debuting in the majors, he has contributed at both the catching position and as a right-handed bat off the bench for the Blue Jays and Nationals.
Early Life and Background
Riley Keaton Adams was born on June 26, 1996, in Encinitas, California. He grew up in the San Diego area and attended Canyon Crest Academy, where he distinguished himself as a two-sport athlete in both basketball and baseball. In basketball, Adams once recorded 31 rebounds in a single high school game, and he earned All League honors as a sophomore, junior, and senior.
Adams began practicing karate at the age of three and earned a second-degree black belt by the time he was 13. Beyond athletics, he was an accomplished science fair competitor, participating in the California State Science Fair with research on pampas grass. His elder brother, Cameron, also played college baseball at Washington University in St. Louis, giving the family a strong athletic foundation.
On the baseball field, Adams made Canyon Crest Academy’s varsity team as a freshman shortstop. As a sophomore, his coach asked him to move behind the plate to fill an open catching role, a transition that ultimately shaped his professional future. The Chicago Cubs selected him in the 37th round of the 2014 MLB draft, but Adams chose not to sign so he could attend the University of San Diego.
Path to Professional Baseball
Adams played college baseball for the San Diego Toreros, where he developed into one of the top catching prospects in the country. During the summer of 2016, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League and was named a league all-star. Adams was twice recognized as a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award, given annually to the top collegiate catcher in the nation.
As a junior in 2017, Adams won the West Coast Conference Player of the Year Award after a dominant season. He finished his collegiate career with a .305 batting average, 24 home runs, and 110 runs batted in across 159 games played. His performance drew the attention of MLB scouts and led to his selection in the 2017 MLB draft.
Riley Adams Career
Minor League Development (2017–2020)
The Toronto Blue Jays selected Adams in the third round of the 2017 MLB draft with the 99th overall pick and signed him to a contract with a $542,000 signing bonus. He made his professional debut with the Vancouver Canadians of the Low-A Northwest League, playing 52 games and hitting .305 with three home runs and 35 RBI. He also started in the Northwest/Pioneer League All-Star Game.
In 2018, Adams advanced to the High-A Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League, where he posted a .246/.352/.361 slash line with four home runs and 43 RBI in 99 games. The following year, he played 81 games for the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, hitting .258 with 11 home runs. Adams did not appear in any games in 2020 after Minor League Baseball was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though he was added to the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster in November 2020.
Toronto Blue Jays Era (2021)
Adams was promoted to the major leagues for the first time on May 2, 2021, when backup catcher Alejandro Kirk was placed on the 10-day injured list. He was optioned to Triple-A on May 5 without making a major league appearance, then recalled again on June 8. That same day, Adams made his MLB debut as the starting catcher against the Chicago White Sox, notching his first career hit, a double off White Sox starter Carlos Rodón.
Washington Nationals Era (2021–Present)
The Washington Nationals acquired Adams in a trade for reliever Brad Hand on July 29, 2021. Less than two weeks later, on August 7, he notched his first hit as a National, his first career home run, and his first career RBI, all off Atlanta Braves reliever Will Smith in the ninth inning, giving his team the late lead. Across 35 games down the stretch in 2021, Adams hit .268 with two home runs and 10 RBI.
In 2022, Adams made 48 appearances for the Nationals, slashing .176/.245/.310 while setting a career high with five home runs and 10 RBI. The 2023 season saw him appear in 44 games, batting .273/.331/.476 with four home runs and 21 RBI before a fractured hamate bone in his left wrist, sustained on September 8, 2023, required surgery and ended his year early.
Adams opened 2024 on the major league roster but was optioned to the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings on June 2 to gain more playing time at catcher and first base. He played in 41 major league games that year, batting .224/.292/.336 with two home runs and 8 RBI. In 2025, Adams saw significantly more playing time after a series of concussions kept starting catcher Keibert Ruiz out of the lineup, appearing in 83 games while slashing .186/.252/.308 with eight home runs and 24 RBI.
Driving Style and Strengths
Adams has shown the ability to play both catcher and first base, giving managers flexibility in how they deploy him. His offensive profile features right-handed power, and his experience as a two-sport athlete in basketball has helped him develop strong body control behind the plate. Defensively, his college pedigree as a two-time Johnny Bench Award semifinalist has carried into his professional catching.
Notable Events and Milestones
Adams’ first major league hit, a double off Carlos Rodón on June 8, 2021, marked the start of his MLB career. His first career home run came as a National on August 7, 2021, a clutch late-inning shot off Will Smith. His 2017 West Coast Conference Player of the Year Award and his 2025 expanded role with Washington also stand out as signature moments in his professional journey.
Riley Adams Career Wins
Adams has not yet recorded an MLB pitching win as a position player, with his value coming primarily from his bat and defensive work behind the plate. The sections below summarize his verified hitting milestones and on-field accomplishments across his professional career.
MLB Highlights
Across his time with the Toronto Blue Jays and Washington Nationals, Adams has accumulated notable offensive production, including eight home runs and 24 RBI in an 83-game 2025 campaign that marked his most extensive major league action. His career-best season at the plate came in 2023, when he slashed .273/.331/.476 with four home runs and 21 RBI before a hand injury cut his year short.
Other Performances
In the minor leagues, Adams hit .305 with three home runs and 35 RBI in 52 games for the Vancouver Canadians in 2017, earned a Northwest/Pioneer League All-Star selection, and was named a Cape Cod League all-star during his 2016 summer with the Orleans Firebirds. He also finished his University of San Diego career with a .305 batting average, 24 home runs, and 110 RBI in 159 games.
Riley Adams Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Adams grew up in a family with a strong athletic tradition. His elder brother, Cameron Adams, played college baseball at Washington University in St. Louis, giving Riley a built-in competitor and role model from an early age. The Encinitas, California native also trained in karate from age three and earned a second-degree black belt at 13, a testament to the discipline instilled by his family.
Personal Life
Beyond baseball, Adams has been involved in martial arts and academics. He was an accomplished science fair competitor whose research on pampas grass earned him a spot in the California State Science Fair. Publicly available information about his marital status, spouse, and children is limited.
2025 Season Performance
Riley Adams stepped into an expanded role for the Washington Nationals in 2025, stepping up as a primary catcher after a series of concussions sidelined Keibert Ruiz. He appeared in 83 games and slashed .186/.252/.308 while adding eight home runs and 24 RBI, providing Washington with a steady right-handed bat in the lineup. The workload represented a major step up from his 41 games in 2024.
Defensively, Adams offered the Nationals a versatile option behind the plate and at first base, helping the team manage injuries at the catching position. His ability to handle a larger share of the catching duties demonstrated the trust the organization placed in him after his steady 2023 performance and his willingness to play through a 2024 demotion to Triple-A Rochester.
Looking ahead, Adams is expected to remain a key depth piece for Washington as the organization evaluates its long-term catching plans. His blend of power, defensive flexibility, and clubhouse leadership positions him as a valuable contributor as the Nationals continue building toward sustained competitiveness in the coming seasons.