Bourjos attended
Desert Mountain High School for his freshman year and later transferred to
Notre Dame Preparatory High School in
Scottsdale, Arizona. He also played
football at Notre Dame High as
wide receiver and
kickoff returner.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim selected Bourjos in the 10th round of the
2005 Major League Baseball draft, signing him on August 18, 2005. In 2008, Bourjos registered 50
stolen bases (SB) and a .295
batting average (AVG) with the
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Bourjos spent 2009 with the
Arkansas Travelers. In 110 games, he batted .281, scored 72
runs, hit 16
doubles, 14
triples, six
home runs (HR) and
drove in 51 runners (RBI). In 109 games in the outfield, he recorded 294
putouts, five
double plays and seven
assists in 302
total chances with only one
error for a .997
fielding percentage. He led the
Texas League (TL) in triples and led the Travelers in runs. In May, he was selected as the Angels' Defensive Player of the Month and as a TL All-Star. He was also recognized as the Angels minor league system's Defensive Player of the Year in 2009. In the offseason after 2009, the Angels bought his contract and added him to their 40-man roster to prevent him from being selected by another team in the
Rule 5 draft. Going into the 2010 season,
Baseball America named him the second-best prospect in the Angels system, the "fastest baserunner", and "best defensive outfielder." Through the first three months of the 2010 season, he batted .314 with 12 triples and 27 stolen bases with the
Salt Lake Bees. In
2011, he, along with
Austin Jackson, led the AL with 11 triples. It was an overall breakout season for Bourjos with a .271 batting average, 26 doubles, 12 homers, 49
extra base hits and 22 stolen bases in 147 games. He also registered seven assists, fifth among AL center fielders. In September, Bourjos suffered wrist soreness in the aftermath of being hit by a pitch. He appeared in 101 games and totaled just 195 plate appearances. In innings on defense, he made just one error for a .994 fielding percentage. The Halos won 64 of his 95 appearances (.674
winning percentage) in center field. His final batting line included a .220 batting average, .291 on-base percentage and .315 slugging percentage, three HR, seven doubles, and three stolen bases. After the season, Hunter signed with the
Detroit Tigers as a
free agent, clearing an opportunity for Bourjos regain regular playing time. To increase his production at the plate, Bourjos began taking batting practice off a
tee before the
2013 season. His strategy was to change his approach by hitting more ground balls and line drives, and fewer fly balls. In 2011, he had posted a ground ball rate of 46.8 percent. In 2013, he had raised that total to 58.7 percent, which was top-ten for hitters with at least 170 plate appearances. The extra practice and change in approach showed improved results. As of June 29, he had carried a .333 batting average, .392 on-base percentage and .457 slugging percentage and started to recoup a regular role. However, in August, Bourjos took another pitch off his wrist from
Jordan Lyles of the
Houston Astros. With the
previous season's starting center fielder
Jon Jay producing a decline in offensive performance and below average defense, acquiring Bourjos allowed the Cardinals to offset some defensive inconsistency. On January 17, 2014, Bourjos and the Cardinals avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1.2 million contract, with a
plate appearance-based performance incentive worth $150,000. Bourjos' first three-hit game for the Cardinals occurred on May 7,
2014, against the
Atlanta Braves. He also hit his second home run of the season as the Cardinals prevailed, 7–1. During a May 29 game against the
San Francisco Giants, he advanced from first base to third on
pitcher Jaime García's
sacrifice bunt. The Giants had optioned for an
infield shift, leaving third base without a stationed fielder. The play also occurred without the benefit of an error. Bourjos' first home run at
Busch Stadium gave the Cardinals the go-ahead run against the
Kansas City Royals on June 4. Bourjos' fourth home run of the season came in the ninth inning against the
Baltimore Orioles'
Zach Britton on August 10, to opposite field over the right field scoreboard in
Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Playing in 119 games, Bourjos batted .231 with a .294 on base percentage in 2014. A slow start to the season caused him to lose playing time to Jay. Bourjos made his first career playoff appearance against the
Los Angeles Dodgers in the
National League Division Series (NLDS) and the Giants in the
National League Championship Series (NLCS), playing in five games and batting twice. The Giants eliminated the Cardinals from postseason play. On October 21, 2014, Bourjos had surgery to repair
hip impingement. He stated that it had affected his swing, contributing to lower offensive production, including his batting average. Bourjos and the Cardinals avoided arbitration for the second consecutive season by agreeing to a one-year, $1.65 million contract, on January 15, 2015. He began the season as the fourth outfielder, with most of the playing time in center field going to Jay.
Philadelphia Phillies On December 2, 2015, the
Philadelphia Phillies claimed Bourjos off of
waivers. Bourjos spent the entire season with the Phillies, hitting .251/.292/.389 with 5 home runs and 23 RBIs.
Tampa Bay Rays On January 27, 2017, Bourjos signed a minor league deal with the
Chicago White Sox. On March 28, 2017, he was traded to the
Tampa Bay Rays for cash considerations or a player to be named later. He played in 100 games for the Rays, hitting .223/.272/.383 with 5 home runs.
Chicago Cubs On February 1, 2018, Bourjos signed a minor league contract with the
Chicago Cubs. He was released on March 23.
Atlanta Braves On March 26, 2018, the
Atlanta Braves signed Bourjos to a one-year contract worth $1 million. He was designated for assignment on April 25, and later released on April 29. He resigned a minor league deal on May 1, 2018. He had his contract purchased for the second time on May 31, 2018. In 2018 with Atlanta he batted .205/.239/.364. On July 2, 2018, Bourjos elected
free agency after being designated for assignment and subsequently clearing waivers.
San Francisco Giants On July 13, 2018, the
San Francisco Giants signed Bourjos to a minor league deal. In 44 games for the Triple–A
Sacramento River Cats, he batted .296/.335/.426 with two home runs and 14 RBI. Bourjos elected free agency following the season on November 2.
Second stint with Angels On November 14, 2018, Bourjos signed a minor league deal with the
Los Angeles Angels. Bourjos made the team in Spring Training and was selected to the Opening Day roster on March 27, 2019. Bourjos hit .091/.109/.114 in 26 games with the team before being designated for assignment on May 7. On May 10, 2019, Bourjos was released by the Angels. ==Post-playing career==