T. J. Rivera

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T. J. Rivera is a former American professional baseball infielder and current coach in the Cleveland Guardians organization. He played in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets in 2016 and 2017. Rivera batted and threw right-handed and made his MLB debut on August 15, 2016; his last appearance came on July 26, 2017. In his MLB career, he hit .304 with eight home runs and 43 RBIs.

Rivera grew up in the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx and is of Puerto Rican descent. He attended Herbert H. Lehman High School, played Little League, and later studied at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Wallace Community College, and Troy University, where he finished in 2011 with a criminal justice degree. He went undrafted, but Mets scout Mackey Sasser helped him sign as a free agent.

In the minor leagues, Rivera showed strong hitting, winning the Pacific Coast League batting title in 2016 with Las Vegas and earning May Player of the Month that year. He earned his first major league call-up in 2016, debuting with a two-run double that night and later hitting a go-ahead home run in September off Mark Melancon.

In 2017 Rivera made the Mets’ Opening Day roster but later went on the disabled list with a right elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. Rehab setbacks slowed his return, and he was released by the Mets in March 2019. He then played for the Long Island Ducks in 2019 and spent time in the Nationals and Phillies organizations. Rivera retired from playing in 2022 and joined the Guardians as a coach, later managing the Arizona Complex League Guardians in 2023.

Rivera also played for Puerto Rico in the 2017 World Baseball Classic as their first baseman. Known as a contact hitter with a compact swing, he posted strong batting averages, especially in the minors. He played mostly second base in the majors, with experience at third and first, and even shortstop in college.