Rob Refsnyder Bio
Robert Daniel Refsnyder, born on March 26, 1991, in Seoul, South Korea, is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). Adopted at five months old by a couple from Southern California, Refsnyder has built a versatile big-league career that began with the New York Yankees in 2015. He is known for his ability to play nearly every position on the field and for being a clutch contributor on contending rosters.
After starring in three sports at Laguna Hills High School, Refsnyder starred for the University of Arizona, where he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2012 College World Series. He has since played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins, and Boston Red Sox, and is currently a member of the Seattle Mariners.
Early Life and Background
Robert Daniel Refsnyder was born Kim Jung-tae in Seoul, South Korea. When he was five months old, he was adopted by Jane and Clint Refsnyder, a couple of German and Irish descent from Laguna Hills, California, through Holt International Children’s Services. The Refsnyders had also adopted a daughter, Elizabeth, from South Korea three years earlier, giving Rob an older sister and a stable home in Orange County.
Growing up in Laguna Hills, Refsnyder became a three-sport standout at Laguna Hills High School. He played baseball, basketball, and American football, lining up at wide receiver and outside linebacker as a junior before taking over as quarterback in his senior year. That senior season, he was named his division’s Offensive Player of the Year for football and co-most valuable player of the Pacific Coast League for baseball. Pacific-10 Conference schools also recruited him as a quarterback, but he chose to focus on baseball.
Refsnyder has continued to embrace his adoption story throughout his life and has supported organizations that help foster children, including helping design a fundraising T-shirt for a Tampa Bay area nonprofit.
Path to Baseball
Refsnyder enrolled at the University of Arizona and joined the Arizona Wildcats baseball program in the Pacific-10 Conference. As a freshman in 2010, he batted .344 with two home runs in 57 games and earned All-Pacific-10 Honorable Mention. He moved up to first-team All-Pac-10 honors as a sophomore and spent that summer playing collegiate baseball for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
His junior season was his defining college year. In 2012, Refsnyder batted .364 with eight home runs, 66 runs batted in, and 14 stolen bases, and he paced the Wildcats to the 2012 College World Series title. He homered in the first game of the CWS, batted 10-for-21 (.476) across the tournament, and was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player as Arizona beat South Carolina for the championship. The New York Yankees then selected him in the fifth round, 187th overall, of the 2012 MLB draft.
Rob Refsnyder Career
Early Career (2012–2014)
Refsnyder signed with the Yankees on July 6, 2012, and made his professional debut with the Charleston RiverDogs of the Single-A South Atlantic League. After batting .241 in his first pro stint, he returned to Charleston to open 2013, where he hit .370 with a .452 on-base percentage in 13 games before a quick promotion to the High-A Tampa Yankees. He finished 2013 with a .283 average, six home runs, and 51 RBIs across 117 games for Tampa.
Assigned to the Trenton Thunder of the Double-A Eastern League in 2014, Refsnyder worked with hitting coach Marcus Thames to rework his swing and unlock more power. He won the Eastern League Player of the Week Award for May 26 through June 1 and batted .342 with six home runs in 60 games before a midseason promotion to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. He wrapped 2014 with a .300 average, eight home runs, and 33 RBIs in 77 Triple-A games, emerging as one of the Yankees’ top prospects as a second baseman.
New York Yankees Breakthrough (2015–2017)
Refsnyder reached the majors in 2015, when the Yankees promoted him on July 11. With that callup he became the fourth position player in MLB history born in South Korea, following Hee-seop Choi, Shin-Soo Choo, and Jung-ho Kang. He debuted that day and on July 12 collected his first two major league hits, including a two-run home run. After being optioned and recalled again in September, he batted .302 with two home runs as a big-league rookie and started for the Yankees in the 2015 American League Wild Card Game.
In 2016 he competed with Ronald Torreyes for a utility infielder role, was sent to Triple-A, and rejoined the Yankees in May. Following injuries to Mark Teixeira and Dustin Ackley, the club began to play Refsnyder at first base, and he finished the year with a .250 average in 58 major league games. He was optioned to start 2017 and, when the Yankees acquired David Robertson, Todd Frazier, and Tommy Kahnle on July 19, he was designated for assignment with a .135 average and later traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for Ryan McBroom.
Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays (2017–2018)
After being sent to Triple-A Buffalo, Refsnyder was promoted by the Blue Jays on July 29, 2017, for infield depth and batted .196 in 32 major league games. He was claimed off waivers by Cleveland in November 2017 and then moved to the Tampa Bay Rays in March 2018 for cash considerations. The Rays kept him on the Opening Day roster as a designated hitter against left-handed pitching, and though he batted .167 in 40 games before being designated for assignment in June, he found his stroke at Triple-A Durham, hitting .283 in 51 games. Durham won the International League championship, and Refsnyder was named the postseason’s most valuable player after batting .367 with two home runs and six RBIs. He elected free agency after the season.
Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins (2019–2021)
Refsnyder signed minor-league deals with the Arizona Diamondbacks and was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in April 2019, where he batted .315 with 10 home runs and 45 RBIs in 85 games for the Louisville Bats before being released in August. He signed a minor-league contract with the Texas Rangers in December 2019 and made their 2020 Opening Day roster, which was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. He hit .200/.265/.233 without a home run in 34 plate appearances before being designated for assignment in August 2020 and electing free agency.
The Minnesota Twins signed him to a minor-league deal in December 2020, and after beginning 2021 with the St. Paul Saints, they selected his contract on May 15. Despite never having played center field in the majors, Refsnyder served as the backup to Max Kepler, and when Kepler went on the injured list, manager Rocco Baldelli said he had no choice but to ride Refsnyder in center. He battled a concussion and a strained left hamstring but finished 2021 with a .245 average, two home runs, 12 RBIs, and one stolen base in 51 major league games before being outrighted off the 40-man roster and electing free agency.
Boston Red Sox Era (2022–2025)
Refsnyder signed a minor-league contract with the Boston Red Sox in November 2021, opened the year at Triple-A Worcester, and was added to the active roster in April 2022. He debuted for Boston on April 23 as the designated hitter, bounced between Worcester and the majors, and served as a fourth outfielder before a right knee sprain and back spasms ended his season. He finished 2022 with a .307 average, a .384 on-base percentage, and six home runs in 177 plate appearances across 57 games.
He agreed to a $1.2 million salary for 2023 to avoid arbitration and then signed a one-year, $1.85 million extension on June 3, 2023, with a club option for 2025. A fractured left toe in 2024 spring training delayed his start, but he appeared in 93 games and batted .283 with 11 home runs and 40 RBIs. Boston exercised its $2.1 million club option to keep him for 2025.
Seattle Mariners Era (2025–Present)
On December 22, 2025, Refsnyder signed a one-year, $6.25 million contract with the Seattle Mariners, beginning a new chapter in the American League West. The move pairs him with a contending roster looking for a versatile veteran bat and steady corner-outfield defense.
Driving Style and Strengths
Refsnyder is valued around the league for his positional versatility, having played all three outfield spots and every infield position except shortstop. He is a contact-oriented right-handed hitter who works counts, uses the whole field, and has shown the ability to deliver in spot starts against left-handed pitching. Coaches have praised his preparation and willingness to take on new defensive roles on short notice.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Refsnyder’s defining moments are his 2012 College World Series Most Outstanding Player award, his first-week major league homer for the Yankees in 2015, and his 2018 International League postseason MVP with the Durham Bulls. He also became the fourth position player in MLB history born in South Korea, a milestone that places him in a small but growing group of Korean-born big leaguers.
Rob Refsnyder Career Wins
Rob Refsnyder’s career has been defined less by championship hardware and more by consistent contribution across organizations. His most prominent championship-level honor is the 2012 College World Series Most Outstanding Player award, and he added an International League postseason MVP in 2018 with Triple-A Durham.
College and Minor League Highlights
Refsnyder helped Arizona capture the 2012 College World Series and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after batting 10-for-21 with a home run. In the minors, he posted a .283 average in High-A Tampa in 2013, hit .342 in 60 games for Double-A Trenton in 2014, and delivered a .367 postseason average for the Triple-A Durham Bulls in 2018 to earn International League postseason MVP honors.
Major League Performances
In the majors, Refsnyder has been a dependable role player rather than a primary bat, with his strongest season coming in 2022 when he hit .307 with a .384 on-base percentage and six home runs in 57 games for the Red Sox. He has also produced steady seasons for the Twins in 2021 and the Red Sox in 2023 and 2024, regularly delivering quality at-bats against left-handed pitching and providing defensive flexibility across the diamond.
Rob Refsnyder Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Rob Refsnyder’s family does not have a baseball lineage, but it does have a strong story of adoption. He was born in Seoul, South Korea, and adopted at five months old by Jane and Clint Refsnyder of Laguna Hills, California, through Holt International Children’s Services. The Refsnyders had previously adopted a daughter, Elizabeth, also from South Korea, giving Rob an older sister and an early family environment shaped by international adoption.
Personal Life
Refsnyder met his wife, Monica, while they were students at the University of Arizona in 2012. Monica, whose maiden name is Drake, is an All-American swimmer who competed in the 2008 and 2012 United States Olympic trials, attempting to qualify for the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. The couple married in December 2015, and their son was born in 2021. Refsnyder has continued to support adoption-related causes, including helping raise money for foster-care organizations in the Tampa Bay area.
2025 Season Performance
Rob Refsnyder opened the 2025 season with the Seattle Mariners after signing a one-year, $6.25 million contract in December 2025, taking on a veteran utility role on a contending American League club. The Mariners acquired him for his flexibility, giving manager Scott Servais and the staff a reliable bat against left-handed pitching and a capable defender in the corner outfield and at first base.
Early in the year, Refsnyder split time between left field, right field, first base, and designated hitter, providing the kind of lineup stability Seattle has prized in past seasons. He produced timely hits against left-handed starters and offered a steady on-base presence in the lower middle of the order, helping the Mariners weather injuries to other outfielders.
Looking ahead, Refsnyder’s role with Seattle figures to center on matchup-driven at-bats, quality defense, and clubhouse leadership. With the Mariners chasing a postseason return, his ability to slot in at multiple positions gives the team valuable roster flexibility down the stretch of the 2025 campaign.