David Bote

Bote attended Erie High School in Erie, Colorado as a freshman and later transferred to Faith Christian Academy in Arvada, Colorado.[1] As a senior in 2011, Bote led Faith Christian to the 3A Colorado state title in baseball. Bote enrolled at Liberty University to play college baseball as a walk-on, but after a semester, transferred to Neosho County Community College in Kansas.[1][2] During his lone collegiate season, he hit .419.[3] He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 18th round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft.

After Bote signed with the Cubs for $100,000 plus college tuition, he was assigned to the Arizona League Cubs where he batted .232 with one home run, 14 RBIs and seven doubles in 38 games.[4] He spent 2013 with the Daytona Cubs, Kane County Cougars, and Boise Hawks, posting a combined .227 batting average with seven home runs and 38 RBIs in 90 total games between the three teams, and 2014 with Kane County, Boise, and the Iowa Cubs, compiling a combined .235 batting average with four home runs and 40 RBIs in 99 games. In 2015, he played for the South Bend Cubs where he slashed .251/.328/384 with six home runs and 41 RBIs, and in 2016, he spent time with Iowa, the Tennessee Smokies, and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, batting a combined .328 with seven home runs and 45 RBIs with an .892 OPS.

In 2017, Bote played for the Tennessee Smokies where he was named a Southern League All-Star.[2] After the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League and was selected to play in the Fall Stars Game.[5][6] The Cubs added him to their 40-man roster after the season.[7] In the minor leagues, Bote had played at every position except catcher.[2]

Bote made his major league debut on April 21, 2018, taking the place of Ben Zobrist who was placed on the disabled list.[8] Bote filled in for a week at third for an injured Kris Bryant. He had 19 at bats with five hits, five RBIs, one stolen base and a batting average of .263 before being sent back to the Iowa Cubs. On July 26, 2018, Bote hit a game-tying, two-run home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning against Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brad Boxberger, which was immediately followed by a walk-off solo home run by teammate Anthony Rizzo.[9] On August 12, 2018, Bote hit a pinch hit, two-out, two-strike 9th inning walk-off grand slam off Washington Nationals pitcher Ryan Madson to give his team a one-run victory, which had not been done since Roger Freed in 1979, giving the Cubs a 4–3 victory and a two-out-of-three series win,[10] marking the second time in Major League Baseball history that a player hit a walk-off grand slam to win by a score of 4–3.[11] On August 24, 2018, Bote hit his 2nd career walk-off home run off Cincinnati Reds pitcher Raisel Iglesias.[12] The Cubs won that game 3–2.

On April 3, 2019, Bote signed a 5-year, $15 million extension with the Cubs.[13] He recorded his third walk-off hit, a single off of Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Archie Bradley on April 21, 2019.[14] On June 5, Bote had a four-hit, seven RBI game in a 9–8 win against the Colorado Rockies.[15] He finished the 2019 season slashing .257/.362/.422 with 11 home runs and 41 RBIs over 127 games.[16]

In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Bote slashed .200/.303/.408 with 7 home runs and 29 RBIs in 45 games. In 2021, Bote limped to a .199/.276/.330 batting line with 8 home runs and 35 RBI in 97 games. In November 2021, following the season, Bote underwent left shoulder surgery, with an expected recovery time of six months.[17][18]

Bote is married to Rachel Bote, his high school sweetheart.[19] The married couple have three children.[20] Bote is a Born-again Christian. Bote initially wanted to become a pastor after high school.[19] He grew up a Colorado Rockies fan.[21]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)