David Bañuelos #91

David Clemente Bañuelos (proununced bahn-way-los)...Twitter: @DBANUELOS_6...Instagram: @dbanuelos18...wife, Jessica...son, Ezekiel David, was born in May 2021...was a three-time All-Sierra League selection at Damien High School in Ontario, CA...was also selected to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune’s All-Area First Team...hit .395 as a senior with four home runs and 24 RBI...attended Long Beach State and was named First Team All-Big West as a junior in 2017...one of three finalists for Johnny Bench Award (best collegiate catcher) in 2017 (winner was Oral Roberts’ Matt Whatley, who was a third round pick by the Rangers that year)...committed just one error behind the plate in his sophomore season, resulting in a .997 fielding percentage...opposing base stealers were just 12-for-31 (38.7%) running against him in 2016...appeared in 18 games, making nine starts, as a true freshman behind the plate in 2015...favorite TV show is Narcos...named Triple-A St. Paul winner of the 2022 Harmon Killebrew Award for outstanding Minor League community service - second time in career (also, 2018 with Cedar Rapids)...very active in volunteer projects involving youth in 2022; he was recognized by the Saints as one of a handful of players who participated in each of the team's kids baseball camps during the season...demonstrated strong leadership during the camps, through playful and fun interactions with the campers and by helping them hone their on-field skills...also took part in the club's annual ACES bowling event, making everyone he came in contact with feel important.

2022

Spent entire season with Triple-A St. Paul and was club's Opening Day catcher...Homered in his first game of season on April 5 at Louisville - also first homer for a Saints player on season...the homer was a ninth-inning solo shot, breaking a 2-2 tie, leading the Saints to a 3-2 Opening Day victory...Pitched 0.1 perfect innings of relief on April 19 at Toledo, in the eighth inning of an 11-0 loss to the Mud Hens....Recorded career-high three walks on May 13 at Columbus....Appeared in first career game defensively at second base on May 31 at Iowa, playing 6.0 innings in the field...Saints lost their designated hitter, where he was starting, and were forced to shuffle several positions....Placed on 7-day Injured List on June 17 with a fractured right thumb; reinstated on July 14...Tied a career-high with two home runs (second in career) and three runs scored on July 27 vs. Iowa....Placed on 7-day Injured List again on Sept. 14 with a concussion; reinstated on Sept. 21 and played two more games to finish season with the Saints....Threw out 28% of runners attempting to steal (14 caught stealings in 50 attempts)...caught 51 games (49 starts) for the Saints, leading the club....Named Saints' winner of 2022 Harmon Killebrew Award for outstanding community service....Played 27 games for Toros in the Dominican Winter League after season.

2021

Was an invite to Twins spring training, the first of career...reassigned to minor league camp on March 25 and began season at Double-A Wichita... Played in 10 games for the Wind Surge and was promoted to Triple-A St. Paul on June 2 when the Twins recalled Ryan Jeffers from the Saints... Set a season-high with three hits on June 10 vs. Omaha while playing for St. Paul... Played in seven games for the Saints and was transferred back to Wichita when the Twins optioned Willians Astudillo to St. Paul... Played in five games for the Wind Surge and on July 1 was promoted back to St. Paul where he spent the rest of the season... Matched season-high with three hits again on Sept. 8 vs. Omaha, including his first career two-homer game and a minor league single-game career-high six RBI... Combined to hit .201 (29-for-144) with seven doubles, two triples, three home runs. 18 RBI and 20 runs scored in 45 games between Wichita and St. Paul... Combined to post a caught stealing percentage at both levels of 34% (23 steals/12 caught stealing)...caught a total of 348.2 innings overall.

2020

Did not play anywhere professionally...was not in Twins Player Pool or at alternate site in St. Paul, MN.

2019

Split the season between Single-A Cedar Rapids and Single-A Ft. Myers, playing in 63 games and hitting .177 (37-for-209) with eight doubles, two triples, two home runs and 20 RBI...on the 7-day Injured List from April 10-April 18 (concussion)…caught 508.1 innings and threw out 42% of base stealers.

2018

Spent two stints on the 7-day Injured List from May 28-June 6 (lower back strain) and August 1-14 (concussion)...named the Single-A Cedar Rapids recipient of the Harmon Killebrew award for minor league community service...became the sixth-ever winner of the award a the Low-A level...threw out 47% of basestealers.

2017

Began first professional season with Single-A Everett in the Seattle organization...hit first professional home run July 3 at Hillsboro, a three-run shot...named the Northwest League Player of the Week July 23, and named to NWL Midseason All-Star team after hitting .295 (23-for-78) prior to the All-Star break...traded to Minnesota December 6 in exchange for international bonus pool money.