Matt Koperniak #89

Played four seasons at Division III Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. Was set to transfer to Kansas State University in 2021 as a graduate student, but instead signed with the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent following the 2020 MLB Draft...Earned a Biology degree from Trinity...Named to the All-NESCAC First Team and led the league in hits and slugging pct. during his junior season in 2019...Was a teammate with fellow Cardinals farmhand RHP Gordon Graceffo on the North Adams SteepleCats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League in 2019, earning NECBL All-Star Team and All-NECBL First Team honors...Went 5-for-5 with two home runs in a win over Salve Regina in the regional round of the 2019 NCAA D-III Championship Tournament...Graduated from Hoosac Valley High School in Cheshire, Mass...His older brother, Mike, played baseball at Wheaton College (Mass.) and his father, Chris, played baseball at UMass...Born in London, United Kingdom...Signed by Jim Negrych...Resides in Adams, Mass.

2025

Played the entire season in Memphis (AAA), his fourth straight since making his Triple-A debut in 2022. Appeared in 119 games across all three outfield positions, playing 53 games in right field, 47 games in left field and 11 in center field...Led the Cardinals organization in plate appearances (536) and at-bats (479), co-led in games played (121), ranked fourth in hits (118), total bases (183), and runs scored (71) and T-fifth in homers (14)...Slashed .315/.384/.539 (28-for-89) with .923 OPS when leading off an inning...In final 55 games after July 10, batted .291/.367/.465 (62-for-213) with nine home runs and an .832 OPS, after opening the campaign hitting .211/.275.316 (56-266) in initial 66 games...Hit 12 of 14 home runs off right-handed pitchers. Both homers off a lefty came on July 24 off Gwinnett southpaw Austin Cox.

2024

Played the entire season with Memphis (AAA), appearing in 122 games playing all three outfield positions...Started 64 games in left field, 31 in right field and 23 in centerfield...Led the International League in hits (143), while ranking among league leaders in batting (.309, third), slugging (.512, fifth), OPS (.882, third), extra base hits (51) and total bases (237)...His 143 hits matched his career high from 2023...Ranked second on the club in home runs (20), RBI (73), doubles (28) and slugging (.512)...Ranked third among Cardinals Minor Leaguers in home runs and RBI...International League Player of the Week (June 29-July 4)...Blasted a career-high 20 home runs...Of players who spent the entire Minor League Baseball season with one team, ranked seventh in hits...Posted a .956 OPS vs. left-handed pitchers and a .857 vs. right-handed pitchers...Batted .330 (38-for-115) with runners in scoring position and .327 w/RISP and two outs (17-for-52) totaling 24 RBI in the latter situations...They ran off a 24-game on-base streak (7/27-8/23), the 12th-longest in the International League...Batted .356 (32-90) with a .449 OBP over the stretch with a 1.082 OPS.

2023

Split the season between Double-A Springfield (33 games) and Triple-A Memphis (96 games), ranking third among Cardinals Minor Leaguers with a combined 85 RBI and 143 hits, while ranking fifth with 218 total bases, all career highs...Played at all three outfield positions (LF-76 games, RF-34, CF-15) and designated hitter (six)...Launched a career-high 18 home runs between Springfield (four) and Memphis (14)...Opened the season hitting safely in 18 of his first 21 games, including nine multi-hit performances, with Springfield to compile a .330 (29-for-88) batting average that led the team and ranked fifth in the Texas League through May 2...Promoted to Memphis on 5/17 and went 3-for-6 with two RBI in his first start for the Redbirds on 5/18 vs. Gwinnett...Notched a career-high five RBI and four runs scored on 6/8 vs. Durham, going 3-for-5 with his first career grand slam in the eighth inning of a 15-5 Redbirds victory...Began September with at least one hit in 13 of his first 15 games, batting a team-high .345 (19-for-55) while also pacing the club with four home runs, eight extra-base hits, 35 total bases and a 1.074 OPS during that stretch from Sept. 1-22...Was 9-for-10 in stolen base attempts with Memphis after going 2-for-7 to begin the season with Springfield.