Richie Palacios #1

Selected by Cleveland in the third round (103rd overall) of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft after three seasons at Towson (Md.) University...Named Coastal Athletic Association Rookie of Year in 2016…his 74 hits and 32 stolen bases set the Towson single-season freshman record… the 32 steals ranked second among all NCAA freshmen...Richie comes from a baseball family…his older brother, Josh, is currently on the Pirates 40-man roster following stints with the Blue Jays and Nationals…his father, Richard, is a former Tigers minor leaguer while his uncle, Rey, was a backup catcher and utilityman for the Royals (1988-90)… the two men made baseball about “having fun” for Richie and Josh, prioritizing the brothers’ love for the game above all else…by age three, they were already throwing wiffleballs and damaging walls around their childhood home...Richie and Josh, former youth league teammates, played together with Team Netherlands at the 2023 World Baseball Classic…they were eligible because their mother hails from Curacao and has a Dutch passport...The Palacios brothers founded their own clothing brand in 2018 called “Built Different Athletes”…the brand aims to promote displays of passion, personality and cultural pride in sports…this past offseason, they hosted a youth skills clinic in their hometown of Brooklyn… special guests included Akil Baddoo, Drey Jameson and Justyn-Henry Malloy...Richie’s interests include fashion, sneakers and cars…he often features his outfits, new sneakers and customized Mercedes AMG nicknamed “Poison Ivy” on his Instagram (@richiemillie)...He enjoys bowling in his free time and is a self-proclaimed “elite bowler.”...Riche is motivated by the phrase “Rent is due every day”…as he explains, “Whatever I did yesterday is cool and all, but what am I going to do today?”…he credits that mindset for helping him achieve his dream of playing for a Major League club.

2024

Appeared in a career-high 92 games in his first season with the Rays, making 72 starts (2B-28, RF-25, LF-16, DH-2, 3B-1)…was the only Ray to start at five different positions...Suffered a right knee sprain while stealing a base on July 31 vs. MIA, spending Aug. 3 (retro Aug. 1)–Sept. 23 on the 10-day IL…appeared in four games to close the season...Min. 300 PA, his 14.2 percent walk rate ranked sixth in the Majors and fourth among AL hitters behind NYY Aaron Judge (18.9%), NYY Juan Soto (18.1%) and HOU Kyle Tucker (16.5%)...Min. 20 attempts, his 95 percent stolen base success rate (19-for-20) ranked fourth in MLB behind teammate Josh Lowe (96.2%), PIT Oneil Cruz (95.7%) and MIL Christian Yelich (95.5%)…has swiped 23 bags in 24 career attempts, with the lone caught stealing coming on June 29, 2024 vs. WSH (Keibert Ruiz)...Went 8-for-20 (.400) with RISP/two outs…hit a club-best .310 (13-for-42) with RISP before the All-Star break...Made his first career Opening Day roster, starting in right field...Hit .317 (20-for-63) with two 2B, three HR and six RBI over 21 games in April, the highest average in any calendar month of his career (min. 15AB)… from May 1 on, batted .199 (39-for-196) across his final 68 games...On April 26 at CWS, reached base safely in all six plate appearances (2 1B, HR, 2RBI, 3BB, 2R, 2SB)… became the fifth player in franchise history to reach base via hit, walk or hit-by-pitch six times, joining Daniel Robertson (July 3, 2018 at MIA), Ben Zobrist (July 20, 2012 vs. SEA) and José Cruz (June 24, 2004 at TOR)…Brandon Lowe joined the group on July 25, 2024 at TOR...On April 27 at CWS, recorded his first career multi-steal game, swiping second base in the first and sixth innings...On May 30 vs. OAK, tallied his first career walk-off plate appearance with a 12th-inning RBI-single off T.J. McFarland in a 6-5 win...On July 13 vs. CLE, registered his first career triple off Gavin Williams...On July 21 at NYY, the Brooklyn product hit his first career leadoff home run off fellow New York native Marcus Stroman...On July 28 vs. CIN, drew a five-pitch, bases-loaded walk against Lucas Sims to plate the winning run in a 2-1 victory…marked the 19th go-ahead walk in the 8th inning or later in Rays history and first against an NL opponent since B.J. Upton on June 19, 2010 at FLA...Ended the year on a 1-for-28 (.036) skid over his final 11 games, dropping his season-long average from .246 to .223…however, turned in a 25.6 percent walk rate in that span, drawing 10 free passes.

2023

Began the year in Cleveland’s organization with Triple-A Columbus and hit .217 (47-for-217) with 13 doubles, three home runs and 30 RBI...Acquired by St. Louis on June 16 in exchange for cash considerations…following the trade, hit .299/.418/.459 (47-for-157) with 10 2B, 5 HR, 29 RBI and 32 BB against 20 SO in 40 games for Triple-A Memphis...Recalled by the Cardinals on Aug. 17 and spent the remainder of the season on the active roster...In 32 games for the Cardinals, including 25 starts (LF-17G, CF-7G, 2B-1G), hit .258/.307/.516 (24-for-93) with 6 2B, 6 HR and 16 RBI…had 0 HR and 10 RBI in 54 career Major League games prior to being acquired by St. Louis...From the time of his Cardinals debut through the end of the season, his .516 slugging pct. ranked second on the club (min. 100PA) behind Willson Contreras (.552)...Hit .481 (8-for-19) vs. left-handed pitchers compared to .216 (16-for-74) against righties...On Aug. 21 at PIT, faced off against his brother, Josh, for the first time in a major league game…entered as a pinch hitter and laced an opposite field single to Josh in his lone at-bat...On Aug. 22 at PIT, hit his first career home run, a solo shot off Johan Oviedo, on the same day he exchanged pregame lineup cards with his brother…the following day, tallied a career-high three hits, going 3-for-4 with one double, two RBI and one walk...On Sept. 12 at BAL, recorded his first career multi-homer game, hitting solo shots off John Means and Jorge López…homered the following day at BAL off Kyle Gibson, marking his first time homering in back-to-back games...Ended the season on a seven game on-base streak (Sept. 24–Oct. 1), slashing .280/.333/.560 (7-for-25) with four 2B, one HR and four RBI.

2022

Spent four stints at the Major League level, his first taste of MLB action after entering the season with just 618 professional plate appearances (spent 110 days w/CLE)… Last stint with Cleveland came, Aug. 23-Sept. 20…Made ML debut on Apr. 25 at LA Angels (single off Mike Lorenzen for first hit)...24th-best prospect in the system according to Baseball America...Overall with Cleveland he made 20 starts in LF, 10 starts at DH and appeared in two games as a defensive replacement at second base…Was adept at pinch-hitting for Terry Francona, going 5-for-19 (.263) with three 2B and six RBI (T2nd most in AL; Harold Ramirez led league with 7)…Had only six PA against LHP at the ML level...Batted .279 (50-for-179) at AAA Columbus (10 2B, 5 3B, 4HR, 36RBI) in 45 G…Over his last 11 Triple-A games batted .333 (15/45) with three XBH and six RBI…Enjoyed a 21-game on-base streak from 4/21-7/28 between ML stints and had a 12-game hitting streak in that span…Stole 32 straight bases w/o a CS from 6/9/21-8/17/22 (22 @AAA; 1ML)…Hit .344 in Huntington Park…At Triple-A made three starts at 2B, 40 GS in LF and two GS in CF.

2021

Split the season between AA Akron and AAA Columbus, just his second professional season and his first since debuting in 2018...Was a member of the Depth Camp squad in February and was 2-for-4 w/a 2B in 6 spring exhibition games...Led the system in average (.297) and doubles (33) and was T-2nd in runs (72), 3rd in steals (20) and fourth in walks (58) and extra-base hits (44)... His 33 doubles were T-12th in all of Minor League Baseball...Began the year in Akron, hitting .333 (30-for-90) in 24 July games (21 runs, 7 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 22 RBI) before being elevated to Columbus on July 30, spending the rest of the season with the Clippers... Was on the Injured List at AAA, Aug. 19-Sept. 2, with a left hamstring strain...Over his final 11 games at Triple-A (9/16-on), Richie batted .361 (13-for-36) with 6 runs, 10 walks, 3 2B, 1 3B and 4 RBI (.989 OPS)...Enjoyed a five-hit game on July 14 at Harrisburg and a four-hit, three-double game, June 9 at Altoona...Combined on the year he appeared in 68 games at second base, 16 in CF, 6 in LF and 3 in RF...On the year he batted .350 (35-for-100) with RISP... Continued his breakout year in the Arizona Fall League, batting .269 (21-for-78) with 8 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR and 11 RBI in 20 games for the Scottsdale Scorpions (.900 OPS, 17 RS, 4 SB)...Was named to the Rising Stars Fall Stars Game and finished T-2nd in doubles (8) and T-5th in extra-base hits (12)...Enters 2022 the 13th-best prospect in the system and best strike-zone discipline (Baseball America).