A Thousand Times Across

New Britain

George Springer was born in New Britain, Connecticut, on September 19, 1989. As a child he stuttered badly enough that he withdrew socially and was bullied. He later became a spokesman for the Stuttering Association for the Young and hosts charity events supporting Camp SAY.

His father, George Springer Jr., played in the 1976 Little League World Series and became a lawyer. His mother, Laura, coached sports. Both of his sisters, Nicole and Lena, played Division I college softball.

Springer stood 5-foot-2 and weighed 100 pounds as a freshman at New Britain High School and still made the varsity, playing both JV and varsity games. He transferred to Avon Old Farms School, where the smaller environment forced him to engage more socially. The Minnesota Twins drafted him in the 48th round in 2008; he did not sign. He went to the University of Connecticut, won Big East Player of the Year in 2011, and Houston selected him 11th overall with a $2.52 million signing bonus.

A Thousand Runs

On June 10, 2026, Springer scored his 1,000th career run. Thirteen seasons built it — seven in Houston from his 2014 debut through 2020, six in Toronto from 2021 to now. He has played 1,539 games, hit 305 home runs, and posted a .350 on-base percentage.

He was a four-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger, and the Willie Mays World Series MVP in 2017, the year Houston won the championship. His third Silver Slugger came in 2025, when he was also named Blue Jays MVP. A.J. Hinch, his manager in Houston, described Springer as highly likable and relatable, a player teammates revere whose energy and personality set the tone, per MLB.com.

The DH

He is 36 now, a designated hitter for the club he has played for since 2021. Through 94 games this season he has 80 hits and 12 home runs. His career runs total stands at 1,026.

Reporting: Sports Illustrated, Little League, AS USA, University of Connecticut Athletics, Wikipedia, MLB.com. Career and biographical data: MLB StatsAPI, via the Fever engine.