| Kerry Carpenter | |
| Team: | Detroit Tigers |
| Number: | 30 |
| Position: | Outfielder |
| Birth Date: | 2 September 1997 |
| Birth Place: | Eustis, Florida, U.S. |
| Bats: | Left |
| Throws: | Right |
| Debutleague: | MLB |
| Debutdate: | August 10 |
| Debutyear: | 2022 |
| Debutteam: | Detroit Tigers |
| Statyear: | August 21, 2024 |
| Statleague: | MLB |
| Stat1label: | Batting average |
| Stat1value: | .274 |
| Stat2label: | Home runs |
| Stat2value: | 38 |
| Stat3label: | Runs batted in |
| Stat3value: | 111 |
| Teams: |
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Kerry William Carpenter (born September 2, 1997) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022.
Carpenter attended Eustis High School in Eustis, Florida, where he batted .463 with three home runs as a senior in 2016.[1] After graduating, he enrolled at St. Johns River State College where he played two years of college baseball, before transferring to Virginia Tech to play for the Virginia Tech Hokies for the 2019 season. In his year with Virginia Tech, he started 53 games, and hit .272 with ten home runs and 45 RBI.[2]
Carpenter was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 19th round, with the 562nd overall selection, of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.[3] Carpenter signed with the Tigers and split his first professional season between the rookie–level Gulf Coast League Tigers and Low–A Connecticut Tigers, batting .303 with nine home runs and 35 RBI over 47 games. He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] Carpenter spent 2021 with the Double–A Erie SeaWolves and hit .262 with 15 home runs, 74 RBI, and 24 doubles over 112 games.[5] He returned to Erie to open the 2022 season.[6] He was named Eastern League Player of the Month for May.[7] After batting .304 with 22 home runs and 48 RBI over 63 games with Erie, he was promoted to the Triple–A Toledo Mud Hens in late June.[8]
On August 10, 2022, the Tigers selected Carpenter's contract and added him to the Major League roster.[9] He made his MLB debut the same day as Detroit's starting designated hitter, going hitless over four at-bats.[10] He collected his first MLB hit on August 14, a single versus the Chicago White Sox.[11] Carpenter hit his first MLB home run on August 15 off of Eli Morgan of the Cleveland Guardians.[12] For the 2023 season, Carpenter played in 118 games, batting .278 with 20 home runs and 64 RBI.
Carpenter began the 2024 campaign with Detroit, hitting .283 with eight home runs and 29 RBI across 50 games. He was placed on the injured list with lumbar spine inflammation on May 29, 2024.[13] Carpenter was transferred to the 60–day injured list on July 21.[14] He was activated on August 13.[15] In his return Carpenter hit two home runs against the Seattle Mariners.
Carpenter is a Christian. He has said, “My goal, basically, is to just be as great as I possibly can be, to reach my full potential. And I personally believe the only way to do that is through Jesus Christ. That’s the foundation. That’s the rock. He’ll guide me and lead me wherever, but that’s kind of the way I think I can honor Him through this sport that I play.”.[16] Carpenter got engaged to girlfriend, softball player Lauren Burke, in December 2023.