Western Oklahoma State College

Andrelton Simmons

Andrelton Simmons was recruited from his home country of Curacao by Western Oklahoma State College baseball Coach Kurt Russell in 2009. Andrelton attended WOSC during 2009-2010 and helped lead the Pioneers to the 2010 NJCAA Division II College World Series.  As a freshman at Western, Simmons hit .472 with seven home runs and 40 RBI’s.  He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the second round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft.  On June 2, 2012, Andrelton made his major league debut with the Braves and finished his first season garnering 14th overall voting for the National League Most Valuable Player, an astounding feat for a rookie.  He represented the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the 2013 World Baseball Classic and in 2014 signed his first major league contract, a seven-year deal with the Atlanta Braves.  During his time with the Braves, Andrelton received the following honors: Wilson Defensive Player of the Year (2013, 2014, 2015), Wilson Overall MLB Defensive Player (2015), Rawlings Gold Glove (2013, 2014), and Rawlings Platinum Glove (2013).  According to Baseball Reference, in 2013 Andrelton had the best defensive season of any shortstop in the history of baseball which is why he is regarded by many as the best defensive player in the game.  In November 2015, Simmons was traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  Andrelton is married to Gabriella Simmons and is the son of Elston and Myrella Simmons.