Graduated from Gulliver Prep High School in Miami, Fla., the same high school which produced current Diamondbacks' catcher Adrian Del Castillo...Named 2019 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year during his junior season at Florida Atlantic University, throwing out 40.0% (17 CS/43 SB ATT) of attempted base stealers and added three pick-offs, making him one of 14 finalists for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award (formerly known as the Johnny Bench Award)...Batted .295 with 14 HR, 98 RBI over 143 career games in a three-year career at FAU. Had a broken hamate injury that ended his 2018 season early...Joins LHP Carmel Cali (2004-05) and LHP Austin Gomber (2018-20) as St. Louis Cardinals who played college ball at Florida Atlantic University...Played one season for Hyannis in the 2018 Cape Cod League, batting .260 with three HR and 17 RBI in 36 games...Venezuelan-born catcher is bilingual in English and Spanish...Signed by Mike Dibiase...Resides in Miami, Fla.
2025
Set career highs during his second MLB season in games played (112), hits (83), doubles (15), home runs (11), RBI (45) and runs scored (38), and his 102 starts at catcher were the most by a St. Louis backstop since Yadier Molina had 118 in 2021. Also ranked fourth among NL catchers with 901.2 innings caught that were the most by a Cardinals catcher since Molina caught 1,001.1 innings in 2021...Threw out 24 attempted base stealers, which ranked tied for fourth in the National League (tied for seventh in MLB) and were the most by a Cardinals catcher since Yadier Molina gunned down 24 runners in 2017. His caught stealing percentage of 27.9% (24 CS/161 SB ATT) was also the highest rate by a Cardinals catcher (min. 20 attempts) since Molina had a 39.4% mark in his final season of 2022. Increased his caught stealing percentage from 18.2% (14 CS/61 SB ATT) in 2024 to 27.9% with an additional 10 runners caught to go with his first three career pickoffs, which were the most by a St. Louis catcher since Molina had three in 2021...Ranked among National League catchers in assists (49, second), double plays (six, tied for fourth) and games caught (110, secoth). His 49 assists were the most by a St. Louis catcher since Molina also had 49 in 2021. Also finished third among National League catchers (sixth in MLB) with a 1.5 defensive bWAR...Made the first and only appearance of his professional career at second base on April 11 vs. Philadelphia. Moved from catcher to second base to begin the second inning after starting SS Masyn Winn exited the game with a back injury and 2B Thomas Saggese moved to SS. Cleanly fielded a ground ball in the second and fifth inning, respectively, while using teammate Brendan Donovan's glove before Donovan replaced him defensively to begin the sixth inning. Became the first Cardinals player to play catcher and second base in the same game since Tony Cruz on April 17, 2011 at Cincinnati (started behind the plate before being moved to 2B in the eighth inning)...Caught nine shutouts, which were tied for fourth in the National League (tied for sixth in MLB) and the most by a Cardinals catcher since Yadier Molina had nine in 2022. His 13 career shutouts caught are the fifth most among NL catchers since the start of the 2024 season...Hit a team-high .351 (20-for-57) in August that ranked fifth in the National League (eighth in MLB), a .684 slugging percentage that ranked fourth in the NL (sixth in MLB). Also posted a 1.097 OPS that was third in the NL (fifth in MLB) and the highest by a Cardinals player in August since Albert Pujols (1.224), Nolan Arenado (1.139) and Paul Goldschmidt (1.115) in 2022. Additionally, batted a team-high .299 (32-for-107) from Aug. 1 through the end of the season (min. 100 plate appearances), ranking second among National League primary catchers (third in MLB). Also paced the club with a .486 slugging percentage in that stretch...Produced a +5 framing value that ranked in the 85th percentile among MLB catchers and finished in the 84th percentile among all MLB players with a +6 fielding run value, which is a metric that captures a player’s measurable defensive performance onto a run-based scale. Also had a +2 caught stealing above average rate that ranked in the 73rd percentile among MLB catchers...Joined Yadier Molina (16) and Mike Matheny (four) as the only Cardinals players since 2000 to make at least 100 starts at catcher in a single season.
2024
Entered the season as the No. 19 prospect in the Cardinals organization by Baseball America...Recorded 166 days on the Major League roster, but played in seven games at Memphis (AAA) from March 29-April 2 and four games in April and May after an option on April 11...Was recalled from Memphis (AAA) on April 4, for the Cardinals home Opening Day when C Willson Contreras was hurt at San Diego (4/3) but did not go on the injured list...Made his Major League debut vs. Miami (4/7/24), as a pinch-hitter for Paul Goldschmidt...Did not start his first game until May 9 at Milwaukee...Recorded his first Major League hit at LAA (5/14/24), a bases-clearing double off Reid Detmers...Became the first Cardinals player with a three-RBI double for his first Major League hit since 1920...His three-RBI double on his first Major League hit was the first Cardinals player since RHP Mark Worrell hit a three-run home run at WSH (RFK Stadium) on June 5, 2008...Recorded his first RBI on a sacrifice fly at DET (4/30-Game 1), scoring Paul Goldschmidt with the go-ahead RBI as the Cardinals scored twice in the ninth inning for a 2-1 win...Hit his first Major League home run at CHI (6/14) off Hayden Wesneski to break a scoreless tie in the eighth inning...The home run landed in the left field basket and was belted into a headwind coming in from centerfield...Tallied the game-winning RBI in both of the Cardinals wins over the Cubs on June 14 and 16 at Wrigley Field...Would homer again on Father's Day with his father in attendance on 6/16, a two-run shot in the second inning that held for a 2-1 Cardinals win...Joined Glenn Brummer (1984), Mike Mahoney (2005), Eli Marrero (1997) and Jimmie Schaffer (1961) as Cardinals catchers to hit their first MLB home run at Wrigley Field...Hit game-winning/go-ahead two-run home run to break a scoreless tie off Logan Gilbert in the bottom of the eighth inning vs. SEA (9/7)...Was his third home run of the season to break a scoreless tie for the game-winning RBI...Led all National League rookie catchers with six game-winning RBI and trailed only Austin Wells (NYY) with eight for the MLB lead...Ran off a 13-game hit streak (6/27-7/28), longest by a rookie catcher in MLB in 2024, and third-longest by a Cardinal behind Masyn Winn (18) and Willson Contreras (14)...Longest by a Cardinals rookie catcher since Erik Pappas set the franchise record with a 16 gamer in 1993...Blasted the longest homer of the season by a Cardinal and at Busch Stadium with a 462-foot blast vs. LAD (8/16) off Justin Wrobleski...Was the third-longest hit by a Cardinal at Busch Stadium in the StatCast Era (2015-present)...Tallied his first multi-home run game at MIL (9/2)...Became the first Cardinals rookie catcher with a multi-home run game since Gus Mancuso in 1930...Recorded career-high three hits vs. CIN (6/30) while catching his first career shutout at Busch Stadium (second overall)...Homered at Coors Field at COL (9/26), joining Iván Herrera, marking the first time two Cardinals primary catchers homered in the same game since Jason LaRue and Yadier Molina at BOS (6/20/2008)...Caught four shutouts during the season (6/14 at CHI; 6/30 vs. CIN; 9/7 vs. SEA; 9/16 vs. PIT)...Tied with Willson Contreras for the Cardinals team lead and T-15th among National League catchers...After starting the season 1-for-20 (.050) through June 5, batted .258 (47-182) the rest of the season...Hit two triples, most by a Cardinals catcher in a single season since Yadier Molina in 2015...Batted .310 (13-42) during the month of July, tied with Michael Siani for the Cardinals team lead...Ranked T-11th among National League rookies with seven home runs...Led all N.L. rookies with seven home runs as catcher, trailing only Austin Wells (NYY, 13) in MLB...His four homers in September were tied with Lars Nootbaar and trailed only Jordan Walker (five) for the team lead...Posted a 3.81 catcher ERA to lead the squad and rank seventh among National League catchers...Was the lowest catcher ERA by a Cardinals rookie since Eli Marrero (3.76) in 1998.
2023
Received Texas League (AA) Post-Season All-Star honors...Finished the season ranked as the No. 27 prospect in the Cardinals Minor League system according to Baseball America...Set career highs in games played (117), hits (113), doubles (23), triples (two), home runs (16), RBI (72), runs scored (63), walks (59), stolen bases (three) and slugging pct. (.443)...Ranked among Cardinals Minor Leaguers in sacrifice flies (six, T-second), RBI (72, seventh), home runs (16, ninth) and hits (113, 10th)...Tied for the team lead in doubles (23), was T-second in RBI (72) and third in hits (113), walks (59), extra-base hits (41), total bases (188) and OPS (.805)...Had a season-high, 10-game hitting streak from 6/3-14, batting .395 (15-38) with three home runs, 13 RBI and nine runs scored in that span...Reached base safely in 18 consecutive games from 7/15- 8/8, posting a .410 on-base pct. and 1.007 OPS in that stretch...Homered in three straight games form 6/3[1]-6/6 as part of a four-game streak of two hits and at least two RBI, going 8-for-16 (.500) with 10 RBI during that span...Drove in a career-high five runs on 4/18 vs. Midland, going 3-for-3 with a three-run home run while serving as the designated hitter...Had a career-high-tying four hits both on 5/16 at Northwest Arkansas and 9/14 at San Antonio, hitting each of his two triples on the season in those two contests...Threw out a career-high 47 base stealers in 123 attempts (38.2%).
2022
Split the season between Springfield (AA) and Memphis (AAA), playing 42 games at Double-A before a promotion to Triple-A on June 16 and remained there the rest of the season playing in 44 games...Posted career-highs in games played (86), innings caught (578.2), home runs (10), RBI (44), runs (38), walks (38) and sacrifice flies (seven)...Threw out 30.4% (21 CS/69 SB ATT) of attempted base stealers on the season...Reached base safely in 61-of-84 games (73%) in which he recorded a plate appearance...Hit two solo home run vs. Amarillo (5/13) in a 12-8 win...Posted a season-high four RBI twice; vs. Tulsa (4/24) and vs. NW Arkansas (5/3)...Played 13 games, starting 12 at catcher, for Salt River in the Arizona Fall League, posting a .279 BA with one home run and seven RBI.
2021
Played 80 games at Peoria (High-A), starting 63 games at catcher, 16 as designated hitter and one at first base... Reached base safely by hit, walk or hit by pitch in 65-of-80 (81.3%) games... Tied for 3rd on the Peoria squad with nine home runs, 2nd with 39 RBI and 4th with 34 walks... Batted .304 (24-79) against left-handed pitchers with four home runs. Hit five home runs against right-handers.
2020
Reported to the Alternate Training Site in Springfield but was not recalled to St. Louis or travel on the Taxi Squad.
