Derek Fisher (baseball)

2.1. High School Career

Fisher attended Cedar Crest High School in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. During his junior year, he maintained an impressive batting average of .440 and hit nine home runs, earning him a spot on the all-state first team. He also actively participated in national showcases, which drew significant attention. Baseball America recognized Fisher as the ninth-best high school prospect and the top prospect from Pennsylvania for the 2011 Major League Baseball draft. In his senior year, Fisher continued his strong performance, batting .484 with 11 home runs and 28 runs batted in (RBIs), which led to him being named the Gatorade Player of the Year for Pennsylvania. Despite being selected by the Texas Rangers in the sixth round of the 2011 MLB draft (204th overall pick), Fisher chose not to sign a professional contract and instead enrolled at the University of Virginia to play college baseball.

2.2. College Career

Fisher played college baseball for the Virginia Cavaliers baseball team at the University of Virginia. As a freshman, he posted a .288 batting average, along with seven home runs and 50 RBIs. His performance earned him recognition as a Freshman All-American by Louisville Slugger, and he was invited to participate in the College Home Run Derby. In 2013, he further honed his skills in collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he was named a league all-star. Entering the 2014 season, Fisher was named a preseason All-American, and in February 2014, he received the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week honor. However, his 2014 season was interrupted on March 17, when he underwent surgery to remove a hamate bone from his right wrist. This injury caused him to miss 25 games during the 2014 season.

3.1. Houston Astros

The Houston Astros selected Fisher with the 37th overall pick in the first round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft, as part of the Compensation Round A. He officially signed with the Astros, receiving a signing bonus of 1.53 M USD. Fisher began his professional career in 2014 with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Class A-Short Season New York-Penn League, where he batted .303 in 41 games. His 2014 combined minor league statistics (including a brief stint with the Gulf Coast League Astros) were a .310 batting average, two home run, 18 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases in 42 games.

In 2015, Fisher started the season with the Quad Cities River Bandits of the Class A Midwest League. He continued to impress, hitting .305 with six home runs and 24 RBIs in 39 games. This strong performance led to his promotion to the Lancaster JetHawks of the Class A-Advanced California League. In a memorable debut game for Lancaster, Fisher hit three home runs, including two grand slams, and set a California League record with 12 RBIs in a single game. Across both Class A and Class A-Advanced levels in 2015, he recorded a combined .275 batting average, 22 home run, 87 RBIs, and 31 stolen bases in 123 games. Following the season, he participated in the Arizona Fall League with the Glendale Desert Dogs.

For the 2016 season, Fisher played with the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Class AA Texas League. He batted .245 with 16 home run, 23 stolen bases, and 59 RBIs in 371 at-bats for the Hooks. In August, the Astros promoted him to the Fresno Grizzlies of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. Overall in 2016, he achieved a .255 batting average, 21 home run, 76 RBIs, and 28 stolen bases in 129 games across his Double-A and Triple-A stints. In 2017, Fisher was invited to spring training as a non-roster player and began the season with Fresno.

Fisher received his first major league call-up on June 14, 2017. In his MLB debut against the Texas Rangers, he made history by collecting his first two hits in the same inning: a solo home run off Jeremy Jeffress in the sixth inning, followed by an RBI single in his second plate appearance in the same inning. This made him the first player since Adam LaRoche in 2004 to record two hits in a single inning during his MLB debut. He finished the game 2-for-3 with two walks. The following game, he recorded his first career stolen base at home against the Boston Red Sox. Fisher was later optioned to the minor leagues but was selected to represent the United States in the All-Star Futures Game.

Fisher was included on the Astros' playoff roster during the 2017 postseason, primarily serving as a pinch runner. On October 30, in Game 5 of the 2017 World Series (a game that had begun on October 29), he scored the game-winning run. The Astros ultimately defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games to win the World Series championship.

In 2018, Fisher made the Astros' Opening Day roster. However, he struggled offensively, hitting .165 with four home run, 11 RBIs, and a .602 OPS in 42 MLB games, which led to his demotion back to the AAA Fresno Grizzlies. In 2019, he played in only 17 games for the Astros, batting .226 with a .675 OPS, before being traded at the July 31 trade deadline.

3.2. Toronto Blue Jays

On July 31, 2019, the Astros traded Fisher to the Toronto Blue Jays as part of a package deal. In exchange, the Astros received Aaron Sanchez, Joe Biagini, and Cal Stevenson, along with cash considerations. For the remainder of the 2019 season with the Blue Jays, Fisher hit .161 with six home run in 40 games. His combined statistics for the 2019 season across both the Astros and Blue Jays organizations were a .185 batting average, a .287 OBP, a .370 SLG, and a .657 OPS in 57 games.

During the 2020 Blue Jays campaign, Fisher appeared in 16 games, batting .226 with one home run and seven RBIs. On February 11, 2021, the Blue Jays designated him for assignment following the official signing of David Phelps, effectively removing him from the team's 40-man roster.

3.3. Milwaukee Brewers

On February 15, 2021, the Blue Jays traded Fisher to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for a player to be named later and cash. Fisher had a brief tenure with the Brewers, going 2-for-8 in four games. On June 22, he was again designated for assignment. He was subsequently outrighted to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds on June 28. Fisher became a free agent on November 7, 2021.

3.4. Minnesota Twins

On December 16, 2021, Fisher signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins. He was assigned to their Triple-A affiliate, the St. Paul Saints. Fisher participated in the Twins' spring training camp in 2022 but did not make the major league roster, starting the season in the minor leagues. On June 11, 2022, he was released by the Twins organization. Following his release, Fisher did not sign with any other professional baseball team, effectively ending his active playing career.

5.1. Batting Statistics

• Statistics accurate through the 2021 MLB season. The total for 2019 combines statistics from both the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays.

5.2. Fielding Statistics

• Statistics accurate through the 2020 MLB season for fielding.
• G = Games Played; PO = Putouts; A = Assists; E = Errors; DP = Double Plays; FPCT = Fielding Percentage.