Brandon Durell Allen (born February 12, 1986) is an American professional baseball coach and former first baseman who is the assistant hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, and Tampa Bay Rays, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
Early Life and Amateur Career
Allen was born in Conroe, Texas, and attended Montgomery High School in Montgomery, Texas, where he was named First Team All-District as a senior and was a four-time selection to the Houston-area All-Star team. He also played football in high school.
Professional Playing Career
Chicago White Sox Organization
Allen was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the fifth round of the 2004 Major League Baseball draft.
Arizona Diamondbacks (2009–2011)
On July 7, 2009, Allen was traded from the White Sox to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for pitcher Tony Peña. He was called up to the majors for the first time on August 22, 2009, and made his MLB debut that day, finishing 1-for-4 with a single. He played in 32 games that season, finishing with a .202 batting average, four home runs, and 14 RBI. In 2010, after spending most of the season with Triple-A Reno, he was called up on September 1 and hit his first career grand slam against the San Diego Padres.
Oakland Athletics (2011–2012)
On July 31, 2011, Allen was traded to the Oakland Athletics with Jordan Norberto for Brad Ziegler. On August 23, 2011, he became only the second player in history (after Russell Branyan) to hit a home run into the upper deck at the new Yankee Stadium. He made 41 appearances for Oakland in 2011, slashing .205/.259/.356 with three home runs, 11 RBI, and two stolen bases. He was designated for assignment on April 9, 2012.
Tampa Bay Rays (2012)
Allen was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Rays on April 19, 2012. His first hit as a Ray was a two-run walk-off home run against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In seven games for Tampa Bay, he went 2-for-13 (.154) with one home run and three RBI. He was designated for assignment on June 6 and outrighted to Triple-A Durham.
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2012)
On July 27, 2012, Allen's contractual rights were sold to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball. He played in 12 games for Fukuoka, batting .171/.194/.200 with one RBI.
Later Minor League Career
Allen subsequently signed minor league contracts with the Texas Rangers (2013), San Diego Padres (2013), New York Mets (2014–2015), and Cincinnati Reds (2016). He last appeared in affiliated baseball with the Reds' Triple-A affiliate, the Louisville Bats, in 2016.
MLB Career Statistics
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Batting average | .203 |
| Home runs | 12 |
| Runs batted in | 41 |
| Games played | 133 |
Coaching Career
On June 22, 2017, Allen became the hitting coach for the Johnson City Cardinals, the Rookie-league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. He was promoted to hitting coach for the Single-A Palm Beach Cardinals in 2018, the Double-A Springfield Cardinals in 2019, and the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds in 2020. On November 6, 2022, he was named assistant hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals, earning his first major league coaching position.
