Julio Borbón

1.1. Birth and Background

Julio Alberto Borbón was born on February 20, 1986, in Starkville, Mississippi, United States. He is of Dominican descent. His birth in Mississippi occurred while his father was attending Mississippi State University. Borbón attended high school at De La Salle in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, graduating in 2004. His brother, Edwin Borbón, also played college baseball, first at Chattanooga State, a junior college in Tennessee, and later at Trevecca Nazarene University.

1.2. College Career

After high school, Borbón attended the University of Tennessee on a baseball scholarship. During his time with the Volunteers, he made significant contributions to the team. In 2005, he helped the Volunteers reach the College World Series and finished the season with a .350 batting average, ranking third on the team. Notable teammates during that year included future major leaguers Chase Headley and Luke Hochevar. Following the 2005 season, he participated in collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers in the Cape Cod Baseball League. In 2006, Borbón led the Volunteers with a .366 batting average and 19 stolen bases. In his final collegiate season in 2007, he maintained a .345 batting average. He left the University of Tennessee after his junior year.

2.1. Draft and Signing

Entering the 2007 Major League Baseball draft, Borbón was recognized as a top prospect, ranked 19th overall by Baseball America. He was selected by the Texas Rangers in the supplemental round as the 35th overall pick. On August 16, 2007, Borbón officially signed with the Rangers. His contract was a four-year major league deal worth 1.30 M USD, which included an 800.00 K USD signing bonus. Due to being signed to a major league contract, Borbón was immediately placed on the Rangers' 40-man roster. He was then optioned to the Single-A Spokane Indians, where he played in 7 games and recorded a .172 batting average. Subsequently, he was sent to play rookie ball for the Surprise Rangers, appearing in two games for them.

2.2. Texas Rangers

On June 29, 2009, Borbón made his major league debut with the Texas Rangers against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He started as the sixth-place designated hitter, going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. He hit his first major league home run on August 20 of that same year. On September 8, 2009, he achieved his first multi-homer game in an 11-9 victory against the Cleveland Indians.

He remained with the Rangers through the 2011 season. On April 9, 2013, Borbón was designated for assignment (DFA) by the Rangers.

2.3. Chicago Cubs

Following his designation for assignment by the Rangers, the Chicago Cubs claimed Borbón off waivers on April 19, 2013. His tenure with the Cubs was brief, as he was again designated for assignment on August 2, 2013.

2.4. Baltimore Orioles

Borbón was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 Draft on December 12, 2013, and signed a minor league contract. He was assigned to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides to start the 2014 season. In 2014, he played in 124 games for the Tides, batting .288 with a .342 on-base percentage and a .356 slugging percentage, hitting five home runs, driving in 44 runs batted in (RBI), and stealing 34 bases. He returned to Triple-A Norfolk in 2015, making 114 appearances and batting .269/.300/.321 with one home run, 28 RBI, and 23 stolen bases. He elected free agency after the 2015 season on November 6, 2015.

On March 12, 2016, Borbón re-signed with the Orioles on a minor league contract. His contract was selected from the Double-A Bowie Baysox when the Orioles placed Hyun-soo Kim on the 15-day disabled list on July 19, 2016, bringing him back to the 25-man roster. On July 26, he was designated for assignment, and on July 29, he was outrighted to Double-A Bowie. Borbón made his first MLB appearance in three years on August 20, 2016, entering as an eighth-inning defensive substitute for center fielder Adam Jones in a game against the New York Yankees. The following day, he made his first start with the Orioles in center field, recording a single in three at-bats and scoring a run in a 4-1 victory over the Yankees. On August 27, 2016, he was briefly re-signed to a major league contract, but was again designated for assignment the next day, August 28, and assigned back to Double-A Bowie on August 30. On August 31, Borbón was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to Triple-A Norfolk.

2.5. International and Independent Leagues

After his time with the Baltimore Orioles, Borbón continued his playing career in various leagues outside of Major League Baseball.

On April 11, 2017, Borbón signed with the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League. In 55 games for Monclova, he batted .351/.408/.449 with two home runs, 22 RBI, and eight stolen bases. On July 1, 2017, he was traded to the Pericos de Puebla, also of the Mexican League. In 35 appearances for Puebla, he slashed .390/.457/.504 with three home runs, 15 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. Borbón became a free agent following the season.

On April 2, 2018, Borbón signed with the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent league. In 56 games with Somerset, he batted .301/.363/.454 with five home runs, 33 RBI, and 19 stolen bases. On July 17, 2018, he returned to the Mexican League, signing with the Sultanes de Monterrey. In 42 games for Monterrey, he hit .301/.386/.399 with four home runs, 20 RBI, and 16 stolen bases. Borbón officially announced his retirement from professional baseball on March 1, 2019.

2.6. Career Statistics

The following table presents Julio Borbón's Major League Baseball batting statistics:

2.7. Jersey Numbers

During his professional playing career, Julio Borbón wore the following jersey numbers:

• 29 (2009-2010, 2016)
• 20 (2011-2013)
• 41 (2025-present, as coach)

3.1. Coaching Career

On March 1, 2019, the same day he announced his retirement from playing, Borbón revealed that he had joined the New York Yankees organization as a coach. This marked the beginning of his post-playing career, where he leveraged his experience to develop new talent.

3.2. New York Yankees

In his first year as a coach with the New York Yankees organization in 2019, Borbón served as a defensive coach for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate. His responsibilities included providing instruction on baserunning, outfield play, and bunting. In 2020, he moved to a new position as a defensive coach for the Gulf Coast League Yankees, though the season was subsequently canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Borbón remained with the team, which was renamed the Florida Complex League Yankees, and was promoted to manager.

3.3. Minnesota Twins

On January 30, 2022, Borbón announced his departure from the Yankees organization. He accepted a position with the Minnesota Twins in their player development department, continuing his work in nurturing baseball talent.

3.4. Milwaukee Brewers

On December 17, 2024, the Milwaukee Brewers announced that they had hired Julio Borbón to serve as their first base coach, a role he is expected to begin in the 2025 season.