Carlos Paulino

Carlos Angenis Paulino Díaz

• Bats Right, Throes Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 175 lb.

• Born September 24, 1989 in Puerto Plata, Puerto Plata D.R.

BR register page

Biographical Information

Carlos Paulino played in AAA in five seasons and for the Dominican national team.

Paulino was signed by the Florida Marlins originally. He debuted professionally in the Gulf Coast League, bypassing the Dominican Summer League. He hit .152/.204/.261 in 17 games for the GCL Marlins in 2008, backing up Kyle Skipworth behind the dish. In 2009, he batted .291/.340/.404 for the Jamestown Jammers and was 3-for-9 for the GCL Marlins. He split 2010 between the Greensboro Grasshoppers (.184/.214/.234 in The M64 G) and Jupiter Hammerheads (1 for 8, 2B), throwing out 41% of those who tried to steal with Greensboro.

The Marlins then dealt him to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Jim Negrych. He hit .299/.351/.439 for the Bradenton Marauders in '11. He was 0 for 1 for the Gigantes del Cibao. In 2012, he batted .251/.311/.370 in a return stint with Bradenton - he had 18 doubles and 4 homers, the same totals as in 2011, but had fewer singles and more at-bats. His caught stealing percentage also dropped to 22%. He split 2013 between the Altoona Curve (.220/.290/.272 in 99 G; 36% CS) and the Indianapolis Indians (3 for 11, BB in his AAA debut). In the winter, he hit .206/.280/.221 for the Gigantes, backing up Omir Santos.

In 2014, he played for Altoona (.296/.316/.394 in 22 G), Indianapolis (.207/.226/.207 in 10 G) and the GCL Pirates (4 for 12; his four hits were a single, double, triple and homer!) He hit .250/.310/.375 for the Gigantes in the winter of 2014-2015. In the 2015 Caribbean Series, he went 5 for 13 with two runs, two walks and a RBI for Cibao. Against the Tomateros de Culiacán, he started a winning rally in the bottom of the 9th, singling off Oscar Villarreal and driven in by Leury García to tie the game at 2. He was named the Series's All-Star catcher.

A free agent, he signed with the Minnesota Twins. In 2015, he played for the Chattanooga Lookouts (.270/.343/.365 in 20 G) and Rochester Red Wings (.257/.319/.321 in 34 G). He was still only 25 years old. In winter ball, he produced at a .241/.302/.431 with 5 homers for the Gigantes. He tied Matt Joyce for 4th in the Dominican Winter League in dingers. In the 2016 Caribbean Series, he was again excellent, 4 for 7 with a walk, run and two RBI, a bright spot for the winless Leones del Escogido while starting ahead of Wilkin Castillo. He did not repeat as All-Star catcher as the honor went to Sebastián Valle.

He spent the summer of 2016 back with Chattanooga (2 for 10, BB) and Rochester (.232/.310/.283, 36% CS in 34 G; he was the primary backup to John Ryan Murphy). In the winter, he hit .263/.294/.333 for the Gigantes, again gunning down 36%. In 2017, he began in the Marlins chain, batting .217/.260/.348 in 21 games for the New Orleans Baby Cakes. When they let him go, he was picked up by the Twins and played once more for the Lookouts (.350/.438/.413 in 26 G) and Red Wings (1 for 16, BB). That winter, he batted .189/.242/.262 for Cibao but threw out 53%. He hit .231/.412/.308 with four walks in four games for the Águilas Cibaeñas‎ in the 2018 Caribbean Series and threw out two of three who tried to steal. He was 6th in the Series in walks, one behind the co-leaders.

The Puerto Plata native went to the Mexican League in 2018, posting a .276/.341/.422 batting line in 33 games for the Guerreros de Oaxaca, throwing out 59% and serving as their most-used backstop in the spring season. He did not return for the league's fall season. In the winter, he struggled with the Gigantes at .167/.258/.293 but rebounded a bit to .240/.240/.320 the next winter. In his fourth Caribbean Series, the 2020 Caribbean Series, he was 0 for 3, backing up Castillo. He hit .233/.283/.326 for the 2020-2021 Gigantes and was 1 for 4 with two RBI for the Águilas Cibaeñas‎ in the 2021 Caribbean Series, backing up Francisco Peña. His hit was huge, though. In the semifinals, down 3-2, he came up with two outs and the bases loaded against the Federales de Chiriquí. He singled in Yefri Pérez and Johan Camargo to give the Dominicans a crucial win on their road to a title.

Playing summer ball for the first time in three years, he was signed by the Generales de Durango and hit .320/.378/.552 with ten homers in 203 at-bats, his only double-digit homer season. In the winter, he hit .237/.309/.356 and threw out 44%. In the 2022 Caribbean Series, his sixth Series, he was 2 for 9 with two doubles, two walks, two runs and two RBI, splitting the catching with Webster Rivas. He batted .238/.322/.394 for the 2022 Piratas de Campeche and .212/.307/.273 for the 2022-2023 Gigantes. He was 0 for 1 with a walk in the 2023 Caribbean Series, as the veteran backed up Rivas.

He was the oldest player on the Dominican team in the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games. Starting at catcher in their opener against Nicaragua, he drew a walk from Osman Gutiérrez and came around to score, then hit a sac fly off Junior Téllez to score Wildert Pujols. He doubled against Ernesto Glasgon then left for pinch-runner Irving Ortega in a fine day. For the tournament, he hit .333/.421/.400 with four runs in six games, driving in two. He had 18 putouts, 4 assists and no errors while throwing out 2 of 3 who tried to steal. He tied Andrys Pérez and Stephan Vidal for the lead in caught-stealing. Only Carlos Jimenez scored more runs for the Dominicans but they fell just shy of a medal.