Notable

Drafted in the 12th round by the Yankees in 2021 as a catcher; completed psychology A.B. between minor league seasons; growing up, starred in hockey as well as baseball

After 13 days in Triple-A, got a hit in first major-league game June 18, 2024, filling in for an injured first baseman; July 6 became first Yankee rookie to hit three home runs in a game, playing against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium; returned to Triple-A August 31; recalled for postseason games but did not play; made 2025 roster as a designated hitter

“My earliest baseball memory is hitting the ball off a tee with my dad at our local Little League field when I was about 3. I still have videos of me setting up the tee in the outfield, trying to hit the ball over the fence to feel like I was hitting a home run.” 

“Growing up, I always rooted for my favorite players. In baseball that was Derek Jeter, so I was a Yankees fan even though I lived near Boston. In hockey, I liked Steve Yzerman, then Pavel Datsyuk. I had Red Wings-themed bedsheets when I was a little kid.” 

“I didn’t have the traditional Dartmouth experience, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t get a lot out of it. Covid taking away two of my college seasons was hard, but organizing workouts and practices with teammates away from school strengthened our friendships.”

“I was ecstatic when I was drafted, but there wasn’t a lot of time to let that sink in. I was on a flight to Tampa the next morning at 7 a.m. It was a wake-up call: ‘I’m with the Yankees I grew up watching, but now it’s time to get to work.’ ” 

“Players understand we can get moved around a lot. I’ve built some strong friendships coming up through the minors. Sometimes they’re ahead of you, sometimes they’re behind. That can be tough to deal with.” 

“Having our bench coach Brad Ausmus ’91 serving as manager for my first game at Yankee Stadium was fun. To have that viral moment of my first hit, my second at bat, where I’m smiling, running to first, and having all my family and friends there made it really special. The day I had three home runs was the craziest in my life. Everyone in the dugout was yelling at me to take a curtain call, but it took me a while to figure that out.”

“I’ve always gotten a lot of nicknames that are puns on my last name. My favorite right now is ‘El Arroz,’ Spanish for rice.”

“I’d have trouble growing a beard, so I didn’t mind the Yankees’ old policy prohibiting them. I thought it was a cool tradition.”

“When you’re young, you’re not worried about stats, you’re not worried about competing with other players for your position. But the joy of the game—getting a hit, hitting a homer, making a good play, the camaraderie that baseball brings—those all feel the same now, even in the pros.”

Last year, when I came up to New York, I learned what playing in the big leagues is like, how to handle myself in a big market. Back in Triple A, I learned I was as resilient as I’d always been. Now, back in New York, I want to contribute wherever I’m needed, whether as a catcher, at first base, or as designated hitter.”