Daniel Palka

Daniel Bennett Palka

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 2", Weight 220 lb.
• School Georgia Institute of Technology
• High School Greer High School
• Debut April 25, 2018
• Final Game September 29, 2019
• Born October 28, 1991 in Greenville, SC USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Slugger Daniel Palka was drafted twice. Initially, the Philadelphia Phillies took him in the 2010 amateur draft, but he did not sign. He inked a contract after the Arizona Diamondbacks drafted him in the 3rd round of the 2013 amateur draft, one pick after outfielder JaCoby Jones.

Palka slashed .310/.392/.516 with 9 home runs and 48 RBI in 68 games his first year to earn Pioneer League Post-Season All-Star honors. He hit 22 home runs with 82 RBI in 2014, earning his second Player of the Week selection and a spot on the Midwest League Mid-Season All-Star team. 2015 was another decorated campaign — he had 29 home runs, 90 RBI, 95 runs scored, 36 doubles and 24 stolen bases to earn another Mid-Season All-Star selection and a MiLB.com Organization All-Star nod. In the Arizona Fall League that year, playing for the Salt River Rafters, he was named to the All-Prospect Team.

On November 10, 2015, he was traded to the Minnesota Twins for catcher Chris Herrmann. In his first year in the Twins system, he hit 34 home runs with 90 RBI, including 13 home runs and 25 RBI in his first taste of Triple A. Again, he was a MiLB.com Organization All-Star, a Mid- and Post-Season All-Star and a Player of the Week recipient. In June, he was named the Southern League Player of the Month.

On November 3, 2017, Palka was claimed off waivers from the Twins by the Chicago White Sox. He was optioned to the AAA Charlotte Knights during spring training in 2018, then on April 25th made his major league debut with the Sox, going 0 for 4 with an RBI while starting at designated hitter in a 4-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners. On April 28th, he collected the first four hits of his career in the same game, an 8-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals in the first game of a doubleheader. His first hit was also the first ever allowed by Royals starter Trevor Oaks, who was making his major league debut in the game. He later added his first double and homer in going 4-for-5. The homer came in the 7th against righty Burch Smith after K.C.'s manager Ned Yost botched a pitching change: acting White Sox manager Joe McEwing was ready to send Trayce Thompson to pinch-hit for Palka with lefty Eric Stout on the mound, but Yost pulled the trigger on a pitching change before Thompson had been announced into the game, giving McEwing the opportunity to leave Palka in to face Smith with the platoon advantage. He continued his solid power hitting, getting regular playing time in spit of not having a set position: he started game in right and left field and also at DH. On August 10th, he gave the White Sox a 1-0 win when he homered off Neil Ramirez of the Cleveland Indians to lead off the 9th; he had struck out in his first three at-bats of the game. On September 2nd, he homered twice in the same at-bat, although only one of them counted. Facing William Cuevas of the Boston Red Sox in the 4th inning, he apparently homered on a 1-0 pitch and circled the bases before the umpires conferred and ruled that the ball was actually foul. Then, on a 3-2 pitch, he homered again, and this time, there was no question. It was his 20th long ball of the season.

Notable Achievements

• 20-Home Run Seasons: 1 (2018)

Related Sites

• Daniel Palka on mlb.com
• BR Minors page
• Georgia Tech bio