Kalamazoo, Mich. – The Houston Astros have selected the contract from Triple-A Sugar Land of 2018 Kalamazoo Growler Joey Loeprfido. Set to debut in Houston’s upcoming series against the Cleveland Guardians, the Astros No. 6 prospect will become the tenth former Growler to make their major league debut.

Loperfido joined the Growlers following his dominant freshman season at Duke. A Perfect-Game All-American out of high school, the power lefty would continue to live up to high expectations in his inaugural year. Named to both the Freshman All-ACC and All-American Team, Loeprfido led the team with a .315 batting average totaling 11 doubles, three triples, and six home runs.

Loperfido carried that established bat into his stint with the Growlers. In K-Zoo for just a couple short weeks, Loperfido hit .471 (8-17), driving in three runs. Loperfido that season also showed shines of what he would later be known for at Duke: his defensive versatility. Playing three different positions, Loperfido stayed set as a part of the Growlers lineup.

That 2018 Growlers team continues to rewrite the K-Zoo record books. The first Growlers team to make the postseason finishing at 41-31, the group held the Growlers franchise wins record until this past 2023 season.

On that team, 13 total players were later picked in the MLB Draft or signed UDFA’s. With Loperfido’s upcoming debut, he joins 2018 teammates Joe Boyle and Matt Mervis in the MLB ranks, the most of any lone Growler team.

This versatility defensively helped his status on the Duke team for the next three years. Moving to second base his sophomore year before moving once again to the outfield in his junior and senior seasons, Loperfido was a true Swiss army knife for the Blue Devils.

Following his senior year in which he was named an All-ACC outfielder, Loperfido was drafted in the seventh round (208th overall) of the 2021 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros.

Loperfido has dominated at every level across parts of four seasons of minor league baseball. After slashing .316/.408/.492 in A-ball his first full season, Loperfido jumped two levels across his 2023 campaign. Hitting 25 home runs and driving in 78 RBI, Loperfido was named the 2023 Houston Astros Minor League Player of the Year.

To help earn the promotion, Loperfido was named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week on April 15 after going 11-26 with two doubles, five home runs, and 13 RBI. Overall with Sugar Land, he has slashed .287/.339/.713 while his 13 home runs currently lead all of professional baseball.

Along with teammates Matt Mervis and Joe Boyle, and 2019 Growler Zack Gelof, Loperfido becomes the fourth former Growler to make their major league debut in the last calendar year. Loperfido looks to make an immediate impact for an Astros team off to its worst start since 1969.