| Dairon Blanco | |
| Team: | Kansas City Royals |
| Number: | 44 |
| Birth Date: | 26 April 1993 |
| Birth Place: | Florida, Cuba |
| Position: | Outfielder |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Debutleague: | MLB |
| Debutdate: | May 20 |
| Debutyear: | 2022 |
| Debutteam: | Kansas City Royals |
| Statleague: | MLB |
| Statyear: | 2024 season |
| Stat1label: | Batting average |
| Stat1value: | .259 |
| Stat2label: | Home runs |
| Stat2value: | 7 |
| Stat3label: | Runs batted in |
| Stat3value: | 33 |
| Stat4label: | Stolen bases |
| Stat4value: | 56 |
| Teams: |
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Dairon Blanco LaMadrid (born April 26, 1993) is a Cuban professional baseball outfielder for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022.
Blanco began his professional career in the Cuban National Series, playing for the Ganaderos de Camaguey,Industriales de La Habana, and the Alazanes de Granma from 2012 through 2016.[1] He defected from Cuba to the United States in May 2016.[2]
Blanco signed with the Oakland Athletics on April 2, 2018.[3] [4] He spent the 2018 season with the High–A Stockton Ports, hitting .291/.342/.406 with one home run, 37 RBI, and 22 stolen bases. He opened the 2019 season with the Double–A Midland RockHounds, hitting .276/.342/.468 with seven home runs, 44 RBI, and 27 stolen bases.[5]
On July 27, 2019, Blanco and Ismael Aquino were traded to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Jake Diekman.[6] He finished the 2019 season with the Double–A Northwest Arkansas Naturals, hitting .230/.282/.302 with five RBI and six stolen bases. Blanco did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] Blanco split the 2021 season between Northwest Arkansas and the Triple–A Omaha Storm Chasers, hitting a combined .277/.350/.441 with 14 home runs, 53 RBI, and 41 stolen bases.
On May 19, 2022, Kansas City selected Blanco's contract to the active roster as a COVID-19 replacement. He made his MLB debut on May 20, recording his first career hit.[8] He appeared in five games for Kansas City, going 2–for–7 in seven plate appearances. On June 3, Blanco was designated for assignment by the Royals.[9] He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple–A Omaha on June 7.[10] He spent the remainder of the year in Omaha, hitting .301/.367/.486 with 14 home runs, 61 RBI, and 45 stolen bases across 107 games.
Blanco was assigned to Triple–A Omaha to begin the 2023 season. In 49 games, he batted a stellar .347/.444/.451 with three home runs, 19 RBI, and a career–high 47 stolen bases.[11] On June 12, 2023, Blanco was selected to the major league roster.[12] In 69 games for the Royals in 2023, he slashed .258/.324/.452 with three home runs, 18 RBI, and 24 stolen bases.[13]
On August 17, 2024, Blanco had a career night, hitting two home runs, including his first career grand slam, and driving seven runs in against the Cincinnati Reds.[14]