Loperfido is the 348th former Northwoods League player to debut in MLB
Rochester, Minn. – Former Kalamazoo Growler Joey Loperfido made his Major League debut for the Houston Astros on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Loperfido is the 348th former Northwoods League player to reach the Major League level.
Loperfido, who played collegiately at Duke University, played for the Growlers in 2018. He was drafted by the Astros in the 7th round of the 2021 MLB Draft.
In 2018 with the Growlers, Loperfido played in five games and hit .471 with three RBI, four runs scored and a stolen base.
Loperfido started his professional career in 2021 with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers of the Low-A East League. Across 19 games he hit .116 with two home runs, four doubles and 10 runs scored. He drove in six and stole a base.
In 2022 Loperfido started the year with the Woodpeckers and then was promoted, after 82 games, to the Asheville Tourists of the High-A South Atlantic League. Between the two clubs he played in 108 games and hit .316 with 12 home runs, 25 doubles, and four triples. He stole 32 bases, scored 70 times, and drove in 69.
Loperfido started the 2023 season with Asheville and then moved up to the Corpus Christi Hooks of the AA Texas League. After 84 games with the Hooks, he was sent to the Sugar Land Space Cowboys of the AAA Pacific Coast League. For the year he played in 124 games and hit .278 with 25 home runs, three triples and 79 runs scored. He drove in 78 and stole 27 bases.
The 2024 season started with Loperfido in Sugar Land where he played in 25 games and was hitting .287 with 13 home runs, five stolen bases, and 27 RBI. In his Major League debut against the Cleveland Guardians, Loperfido started the game in left field and went 1-5 at the plate with two RBI and a run scored.
###
The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Entering its’ 31st season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 26 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, over 345 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TEX), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (STL) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, 2021 and 2023 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
