Sammy Hernandez #8

Graduated from Lakeland (Fla.) High School, the same school that produced LHP Chris Sale, OF Keon Broxton and former Cardinals RHP Josh Lucas...Selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 14th round of the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft...His family moved from Puerto Rico to Florida when he was 14 years old, prior to entering high school to give him better opportunities...2022 Lakeland Ledger Player of the Year, batting .411 with five HR, 27 RBI, 10 doubles and two triples...Batted .667 (18-for-27) his sophomore season before it was canceled by COVID-19 outbreak...Sustained a dislocated thumb injury his senior season, but played left field to stay in the lineup...Signed his college letter of intent to the University of Houston...Idolized Iván Rodríguez while growing up...Resides in Lakeland, Fla.

2024

Batted .255/.373/.365 (81-for-318) with four home runs, 19 doubles and 46 RBI in 86 games between Palm Beach (A) and Peoria (A+), his first full season in the Cardinals organization...Threw out 30.9% (21 CS/68 SB ATT) of attempted base stealers...His 64 games caught between affiliates ranked third among Cardinals minor leaguers behind Leonardo Bernal (88) and Jimmy Crooks (81)...Reached base safely in 72 of 86 games...Batted .271 (23-for-85) in 22 games at designated hitter...Ranked among Florida State League leaders in doubles (19, T-12th) and hit by pitches (14, fourth)...Led Palm Beach in games caught (56) and innings caught (489.2) while logging a .989 fielding percentage...Began the season hitting .317/.423/.401 (45-for-142) with a .824 OPS in his first 37 games from April 5-June 4...Hit a grand slam in Palm Beach's 13-11 win at Tampa on June 23...Promoted to Peoria on Aug. 27 and played in eight games...Joined Springfield (AA) to finish the season once the Midwest League season had ended, but did not play.

2023

Played in 58 games beginning his season with Dunedin (A) and also appeared in games for the FCL Blue Jays (R), FCL Cardinals (R) and Palm Beach (A)...Threw out 32.5% (27 CS/83 SB ATT) of attempted base stealers...Recorded a career-high three attempted base stealers caught vs. Tampa (4/15)...Hit his first professional home run vs. Tampa (4/15), a solo shot of Sean Hermann...Posted a career day vs. FCL Tigers (6/16) going 5-for-6 with two doubles, a triple and three RBI and three runs scored.