Ralphy Velazquez
{{Short description|American baseball player (born 2005)}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name = Ralphy Velazquez
|image = Ralphy Velazquez (54000716490) (cropped).jpg
|caption = Velazquez with the Lake County Captains in 2024
|team = Cleveland Guardians
|number =
|position = First baseman
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|2005|05|28}}
|birth_place = San Pedro, California, U.S.
|bats = Left
|throws = Right
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|medaltemplates={{MedalSport | Men's baseball}}
{{MedalCountry | {{USA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition | U-12 Baseball World Cup}}
{{MedalGold | 2017 Tainan | Team}}
}}
Raffaele Javier "Ralphy" Velazquez (born May 28, 2005) is an American professional baseball first baseman in the Cleveland Guardians organization.
Amateur career
Velazquez played for the 12U United States national baseball team in 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/ralphy-velazquez-impresses-national-high-school-invitational|title=Scorching hot Velazquez out to prove himself at NHSI|website=MLB.com}} He attended Huntington Beach High School. As a junior in 2022, he hit .316 with nine home runs and 25 RBIs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.maxpreps.com/news/g-HZCvfxG0KvWx5otvib3Q/high-school-baseball-2023-preseason-maxpreps-all-america-team.htm|title=High school baseball: 2023 Preseason MaxPreps All-America Team|date=January 17, 2023|website=MaxPreps.com}} As a senior in 2023, he batted .402 with six home runs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/highschool/story/2023-06-11/los-angeles-times-all-star-baseball-team-2023|title=The Times' All-Star baseball team|date=June 11, 2023|website=Los Angeles Times}} He committed to play college baseball at Arizona State University.
Professional career
Velazquez was selected by the Cleveland Guardians in the first round with the 23rd overall pick in the 2023 Major League Baseball draft.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/guardians/2023/07/guardians-select-1bc-ralphy-velazquez-with-23rd-pick-in-mlb-draft.html|title=Guardians select catcher Ralphy Velazquez with 23rd pick in MLB Draft|date=July 10, 2023|website=cleveland}} On July 22, 2023, Velazquez signed with Cleveland for a below slot deal worth $2.5 million.{{cite web | title=Guardians 2023 draft signings tracker | website=MLB.com | date=2023-07-25 | url=https://www.mlb.com/news/guardians-2023-draft-signings-tracker | access-date=2025-03-17}} He made his professional debut with the Arizona Complex League Guardians, hitting .348 over six games. He opened the 2024 season with the Lynchburg Hillcats.{{cite web | last=Cano | first=Jesús | title=Guardians Ralphy Velazquez slugs first two career home runs | website=MLB.com | date=2024-04-11 | url=https://www.mlb.com/news/guardians-ralphy-velazquez-slugs-first-two-career-home-runs | access-date=2024-08-08}} Velazquez was selected to represent the Guardians (alongside Jaison Chourio) in the All-Star Futures Game at Globe Life Field.{{cite web | last=Lada | first=Justin | title=Guardians prospects Ralphy Velazquez, Jaison Chourio to play in Futures Game | website=News-Herald | date=2024-07-04 | url=https://www.news-herald.com/2024/07/04/guardians-prospects-ralphy-velazquez-jaison-chourio-to-play-in-futures-game/ | access-date=2024-08-08}} Velazquez was promoted to the High-A Lake County Captains on August 12, 2024.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Baseballstats|mlb=|espn=|br=|fangraphs=|brm=velazq000ral}}
{{2023 MLB Draft}}
{{Cleveland Guardians first-round draft picks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Velazquez, Ralphy}}
Category:American baseball players
Category:Huntington Beach High School alumni
Category:Arizona Complex League Guardians players
Category:Lynchburg Hillcats players
Category:Lake County Captains players
Category:21st-century American sportsmen
{{US-baseball-first-baseman-stub}}