Ty France Bio
Tyler Lawrence France, known professionally as Ty France, is an American professional baseball first baseman who is currently a free agent. Born on July 13, 1994, he has spent parts of Major League Baseball (MLB) seasons with the San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins, and Toronto Blue Jays. A reliable contact hitter and steady defender, France earned an All-Star selection in 2022 and added a Gold Glove Award in 2025.
Early Life and Background
Tyler Lawrence France grew up in the West Covina area of Southern California and attended South Hills High School, where he developed into a steady hitter and drew attention from college recruiters. After completing high school, he took his game to San Diego State University, playing college baseball from 2013 through 2015. During those three seasons with the Aztecs, he posted a .337/.428/.470 line, establishing himself as a polished bat-to-ball hitter heading into the professional ranks.
France also gained valuable summer experience in 2013 with the Bethesda Big Train, a well-known wooden-bat collegiate summer league club, where he was named the team’s Outstanding Hitter. In his junior season at San Diego State in 2015, he hit .336 with four home runs and 49 runs batted in across 64 games, the strong finishing note that pushed him toward the MLB draft.
Path to Professional Baseball
The San Diego Padres selected France in the 34th round, with the 1,017th overall pick, of the 2015 MLB draft, and he signed for a $100,000 bonus. He made his professional debut that summer with the Low-A Tri-City Dust Devils, where he hit .294/.425/.391 with one home run and 36 runs batted in. Over the next three seasons, France worked his way up the Padres’ minor league ladder, splitting 2016 between Single-A Fort Wayne and High-A Lake Elsinore, 2017 between Lake Elsinore and Double-A San Antonio, and 2018 between San Antonio and Triple-A El Paso, where his 22-home-run, 96-RBI season caught the Padres’ attention.
On November 20, 2018, San Diego added France to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, signaling that his first taste of the majors was close. He opened 2019 back at El Paso and was hitting .399 when the Padres promoted him in late April, giving him his first big-league opportunity after a steady climb through the organization’s developmental levels.
Ty France Career
San Diego Padres (2019–2020)
France made his MLB debut on April 26, 2019, singling as a pinch hitter in his first at-bat. After a brief return to the minors, he came back to the Padres in mid-August and stayed in the big leagues the rest of the way, finishing his rookie season one point shy of a .400 average at Triple-A. In 2020, he cracked the Padres’ Opening Day roster, starting as the designated hitter in the season opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but he was optioned off the big-league roster in August as the club reshuffled its middle-infield mix.
Seattle Mariners Breakthrough (2020–2024)
On August 30, 2020, the Padres traded France, Taylor Trammell, Andrés Muñoz, and Luis Torrens to the Seattle Mariners for Austin Nola, Dan Altavilla, and Austin Adams, and he quickly found a more consistent role in the American League. In 2021, he slashed .291/.368/.445 with 18 home runs, 73 runs batted in, and 85 runs scored in 152 games, tying for the major league lead in hit by pitches with 27.
France’s strongest all-around season came in 2022. On April 23, he recorded his first career five-hit game, going 5-for-6 with a home run against the Kansas City Royals, and two days later he was named American League co-player of the week with Miguel Cabrera. He was later added to the 2022 MLB All-Star Game as an injury replacement for Mike Trout, finishing the year with a .274/.338/.436 line, 20 home runs, and 83 runs batted in across 140 appearances. After agreeing to a one-year, $4.1 million deal in January 2023 to avoid arbitration, he led the majors with 34 hit by pitches the following season while hitting .250/.337/.366.
France signed a $6.775 million contract for 2024 and, on June 8, 2024, surpassed Edgar Martinez to become Seattle’s all-time franchise leader in hit by pitches with 90. His offensive production dipped, however, and the Mariners placed him on outright waivers on July 21, designated him for assignment two days later, and traded him before the deadline.
Cincinnati Reds and Minnesota Twins (2024–2025)
On July 29, 2024, the Mariners sent France to the Cincinnati Reds for Andruw Salcedo. In 52 games with Cincinnati, he slashed .251/.292/.391 with five home runs and 20 runs batted in. On November 1, the Reds removed him from the 40-man roster and sent him outright to Triple-A Louisville, but he rejected the assignment and elected free agency. On February 15, 2025, he signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Minnesota Twins, where he delivered a walk-off single against the New York Mets on April 16 and a walk-off home run against the Kansas City Royals on May 23. He made 101 appearances for the Twins, batting .251/.320/.357 with six home runs, 44 runs batted in, and one stolen base.
Toronto Blue Jays (2025)
On July 31, 2025, the Twins traded France and Louis Varland to the Toronto Blue Jays for Alan Roden and Kendry Rojas. In 37 games with Toronto, he batted .277/.320/.372 with one home run and eight runs batted in. Across both clubs in 2025, France finished with a .257/.320/.360 line, seven home runs, 52 runs batted in, and one stolen base. On November 2, 2025, he was awarded his first career Gold Glove Award as the top defensive American League first baseman.
Notable Events and Milestones
France’s signature accomplishments include his 2022 All-Star selection, his record-setting franchise mark for hit by pitches in Seattle, and his 2025 Gold Glove Award at first base. Walk-off moments with the Twins in April and May 2025 showed his knack for timely hitting in close games.
Ty France Career Highlights
Across his MLB career, France has delivered steady contact hitting, elite plate discipline when it comes to wearing pitches, and dependable defense at first base. He has produced multiple seasons of double-digit home runs, served as a middle-of-the-order presence for the Mariners, and earned two of the game’s most respected individual honors.
Seattle Mariners Highlights
France spent the bulk of his career in Seattle and posted his best all-around numbers there, including the 2022 All-Star campaign. He set the franchise hit-by-pitch record in 2024 and remained a fixture in the Mariners’ everyday lineup from 2020 through mid-2024.
Other Performances
In shorter stints with the Padres, Reds, Twins, and Blue Jays, France offered veteran plate discipline and steady glove work, highlighted by walk-off hits in Minnesota and a Gold Glove-winning season split between the Twins and Blue Jays in 2025.
Ty France Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Tyler Lawrence France married his wife, Maggie, in January 2022. On April 6, 2024, the couple welcomed their first child, a son, expanding their family as France continued his major league career.
Ty France 2025 Season Performance
France’s 2025 season began with a one-year, $1 million contract signed with the Minnesota Twins on February 15. He delivered two memorable walk-off hits in the early months, including a single against the New York Mets on April 16 and a home run against the Kansas City Royals on May 23, giving the Twins key late-inning wins. In 101 games with Minnesota, he batted .251/.320/.357 with six home runs and 44 runs batted in, providing a steady veteran presence in the lineup.
On July 31, the Twins traded France and Louis Varland to the Toronto Blue Jays for Alan Roden and Kendry Rojas, giving him a fresh opportunity in the American League East. In 37 games with Toronto, he hit .277/.320/.372 with one home run and eight runs batted in, finishing the year with a combined .257/.320/.360 line, seven home runs, and 52 runs batted in across both clubs. His strong defense at first base culminated in his first career Gold Glove Award on November 2, 2025, after which he entered free agency.