L13-year Major League Baseball veteran and five-time All-Star, Troy Tulowitzki returns to the Texas Baseball program as Director of Player Development for the 2024 season. Following his retirement from professional baseball in 2019, Tulowitzki joined the Longhorns' staff and served as an assistant coach for three seasons from 2020-22.
In 2022, the Longhorns returned to the College World Series for the second-consecutive season and third time in the last four completed seasons with a 47-22 overall. Texas smashed the program record with 128 home runs, surpassing the 2010 squad that hit 81. The best power hitting team in program history slugged .550 to smash the previous program record of .508 set in 1974. Leading the way offensively, Ivan Melendez became the first Texas player to win the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award and swept the national player of the year awards. Melendez hit a Longhorns record 32 home runs, surpassing Kyle Russell’s Texas record 28 homers in 2007 and Kris Bryant’s BBCOR era record of 31 homers in 2013. Melendez batted .387 and led the country with 94 RBI and an .863 slugging percentage. Along with Melendez’s great season, Murphy Stehly had a breakout year batting .367 with 19 homers and 61 RBI and was named a second team All-American. Pete Hansen led the pitching staff and landed second team All-America honors with a 3.76 ERA, an 11-3 record and 120 strikeouts in 107.2 innings pitched. Melendez, Stehly and Hansen led a total of nine players named to the All-Big 12 teams and were joined by catcher Silas Ardoin on the first team. Infielders Trey Faltine and Skyler Messinger and starting pitcher Lucas Gordon landed on the second team. Outfielder Douglas Hodo III and designated hitter Austin Todd were named Honorable Mention. The Longhorns also produced the best defensive season in program history, fielding .985 for the first time ever and finishing with a program low 37 errors.Â
His first complete season in 2021 saw Texas return to the College World Series and come just one game shy of the CWS Finals. Under the guidance of Tulowitzki and Philip Miller, the Longhorns offense put together its best season in at least a decade. Texas had its highest team batting average (.275) and number of home runs (68) since the 2010 season. The team’s 126 doubles were the most since 2008 and the 92 stolen bases were the most since 2005. Texas also boasted one of the best defenses in the nation, finishing with a .980 fielding percentage to rank 10th in the NCAA. The defense was anchored by shortstop Trey Faltine, who led the Big 12 with 203 assists and 40 double plays turned. Ivan Melendez led the Longhorns offensively in 2021 with a .319 batting average and a .603 slugging percentage. He mashed 13 doubles, three triples and a team-high 13 homers. He finished the season with 51 RBI and 38 runs scored and was named the First Team All-Big 12 designated hitter. Â
Tulowitzki also joined USA Baseball in the Summer of 2021, working with both the Collegiate National Team and the 13U/14U Athlete Development Program. He was named the 2021 USA Baseball Volunteer Coach of the Year for his work with both programs.
During his first season on the Forty Acres he worked with a young group of infielders, including freshman shortstop Trey Faltine who made a strong impression and started all 17 games before the season was cut short. Tulowitzki also helped Austin Todd produce big numbers at the plate, batting .375 with four doubles, a triple and one homer as well as 15 RBI and 14 runs scored.
In addition to his five All-Star selections, Tulowitzki was a two-time Gold Glove Award winner and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner. He spent 10 seasons with the Colorado Rockies, before joining the Toronto Blue Jays from 2015-17 and finishing his career with the New York Yankees in 2019.
A career .290 hitter, Tulowitzki finished his MLB career with 1,391 hits, 264 doubles, 225 home runs and 780 RBI. His 225 homers are the 12th-most ever by an MLB shortstop. Tulowitzki is one of just four shortstops in MLB history to compile a .984 career fielding percentage or better.
After making his Major League debut in 2006, Tulowitzki helped lead the Rockies to the 2007 National League Championship and the franchise's first World Series appearance. In 2007, he led all MLB shortstops in fielding percentage (.987), putouts (262), total chances (834), assists (561), and double plays turned (114).
In 2010, Tulowitzki was named to his first All-Star team, finished fifth in voting for National League MVP and won the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award. He raked in the honors again in 2011, being named an All-Star, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger and finishing eighth in MVP voting.
Tulowitzki was named an All-Star for the final time in 2015 and finished the season in Toronto after being traded to the Blue Jays in July. He helped lead Toronto to the American League Championship Series, falling just shy of the World Series.
A two-time All-American and three-time All-Conference player, Tulowitzki was selected with the seventh overall pick of the 2005 MLB Draft out of Long Beach State. In 2004, Tulowitzki was named the Most Valuable Player of the Palo Alto Regional. Following the season, Tulowitzki was a 2004 selection to the USA Collegiate National Team and helped win the Gold Medal at the FISU World University Championships. He was inducted into the Long Beach State Hall of Fame in 2013.
Tulowitzki married his wife Danyll in 2009 and the couple have a son, Taz, and a daughter Taylee.Â
