Samuel Zavala

Samuel Elias Zavala

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 1", Weight 175 lb.

• Born July 15, 2004 in Caracas, Distrito Capital Venezuela

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Outfielder Samuel Zavala was signed by the San Diego Padres as an international amateur free agent out of Venezuela on January 15, 2021. He started his pro career a few months later with the DSL Padres hitting .297/.400/487 in 55 games to be named a postseason All-Star in the Dominican Summer League. He moved to the US in 2022 and was dominant in 10 games for the ACL Padres, hitting .345, to earn a quick promotion to the Lake Elsinore Storm of the California League. There, he hit .253 in 33 games, and altogether his batting line was .272/.366/.530 in 43 games, with 9 doubles, 3 triples and 8 homers, 30 runs and 32 RBIs.

He had a true breakout season for Lake Elsinore in 2023, before earning a late-year promotion to the Fort Wayne Wizards of the Midwest League. He was California League postseason All-Star, a Baseball America Low-A All-Star and a Padres organizational All-Star after hitting .267/.420/.451 in 101 games at Lake Elsinore, with 83 runs, 14 homers and 71 RBIs. He also stole 20 bases. He found things rougher in his 14 games at Fort Wayne, being limited to an .078 average.

On March 13, 2024, in the middle of spring training, he was traded by the Padres to the Chicago White Sox as part of the blockbuster deal that landed San Diego ace pitcher Dylan Cease. Three other players, all pitchers, joined him in making the move to Chicago, Jairo Iriarte, Drew Thorpe and Steven Wilson, with Wilson the only one with major league experience.