Ben Zobrist Net Worth: 4 Interesting Facts You Should Know

Ben Zobrist is an American professional baseball second baseman and outfielder who currently plays for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball.

Early Life

Ben was born on May 26, 1981, in Eureka, Illinois to Cynthia and Tom Zobrist. He started playing baseball when he was eight years old. He graduated from Eureka High School in 2001 and after that, he was offered to play college baseball at Olivet Nazarene University.

During his time at Olivet Nazarene University, he was named to both all-CCAC and All-Region VII First Teams. He also received NAIA Honorable Mention All-American status and was named the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference player of the year. For his senior year, he transferred to Dallas Baptist University where he shortstop and batted .378 with a .590 sluggish percentage.

Professional Career

Ben Zobrist was drafted by the Houston Astros in the sixth round of the 2004 MLB draft. On July 12, 2006, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays. He made his MLB debut with the Tampa Bay Rays on August 1, 2006. Ben struggled for most part of his first two seasons with the Rays until he was used as a right fielder for the 2008 season.

2009 was a big year for him as he hit three grand slams and was among the league leaders in sluggish percentage. The Tampa Bay Chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America named him MVP of the Rays for 2009. In 2010, he signed a three-year contract extension with the Rays, with a team option for 2014 and 2015, a deal worth more than $30 million.

Zobrist played eight seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays before he was traded to the Oakland Athletics in 2015. The same year he was traded to the Kansas City Royals where he played 59 games in that season with a batting average of .284 with 7 home runs, 37 runs scored, and 23 RBIs.

On December 8, 2015, Zobrist agreed to a five-year, $56 million contract with the Chicago Cubs. So far, Zobrist has played in three World Series, winning the last two and becoming a two-time World Series champion in 2015 with the Royals and in 2016 with the Cubs. He was also named the 2016 World Series MVP.

Ben Zobrist Net Worth

As of 2019, Ben Zobrist net worth is estimated to be $35 million. He signed a 4-year, $56 million contract with the Chicago Cubs, including a $2,000,000 signing bonus and an annual average salary of $14,000,000. In 2019, he will earn a base salary of $12,000,000. According to Spotrac, Ben Zobrist has earned a total of $87,260,100 during his time at MLB.

On the other side, his ex-wife Julianna Zobrist net worth is estimated to be around $1.5 million. She is a musician who has given hit singles like “The Dawn” and “Alive”.

Personal life

image: CBSsports

Ben married singer Julianna Zobrist in 2005. Together they have three children named Blaise Royal Zobrist, Kruse Allegra Zobrist, and Zion Benjamin Zobrist.

Ben is now filing a complaint for legal separation from his wife. The couple owned a home in Williamson County, outside of Nashville for 12 years. It’s unclear how Ben Zobrist’s net worth will be affected by their divorce.