Yadier Molina

BIOGRAPHY

Yadier Molina was born July 13, 1982, in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. He is a catcher in the MLB.

A two-time World Series champion, he has played for the Cardinals in eleven playoff appearances and four National League pennant winners. Molina has also played for the Puerto Rican national team in four World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournaments, winning two silver medals.

Molina ranks second all-time among catchers with 130 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), and is first among active catchers with 845 assists, 40.21% of runners caught stealing, and 55 pickoffs. As a hitter, Molina has accrued more than 2,000 hits, 150 home runs, and 900 runs batted in (RBIs), while batting over .300 in five seasons. Other distinctions include selection to nine MLB All-Star Games, four Platinum Glove Awards, and one Silver Slugger Award. He is a two-time selection to the All-WBC Tournament Team and was a member of the 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series.

The product of a baseball family, Molina was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. His father was an amateur second baseman and the all-time hits leader in Puerto Rican baseball, and his two older brothers, Bengie and José, also developed into standout defensive catchers with lengthy MLB careers. Long before playing professionally, Molina's pitch-handling and throwing skills caught the attention of scouts. The Cardinals' fourth-round selection in the 2000 MLB draft, he quickly showed one of the strongest and most accurate arms in the game after starting play in the major leagues. Having earned a reputation as a team leader throughout his career, Molina formulates fielder positioning plans and complete pitching strategies to opposing hitters. At the end of the 2020 season, Molina was the longest-tenured player in Major League Baseball with one team, having been with the Cardinals since the middle of the 2004 season.

Molina has appeared on five NL Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) ballots, including finishing fourth in 2012 and third in 2013. He is considered to be a future candidate for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame. When Hurricane Maria ravaged the island of Puerto Rico in September 2017, Molina began relief efforts for victims of the catastrophe, consequently receiving the Roberto Clemente Award in 2018.

In 2021, Molina returned temporarily to Puerto Rico to play in the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente to play as a reinforcement with the Atenienses de Manatí in the semifinals. However, his participation was shadowed by the poor performance of the team, resulting in a sweeping 4-0 series with the Indios de Mayagüez.

On February 8, 2021, the Cardinals announced that they had signed Molina to a one-year deal for a reported $9 million. In regards to the signing, Molina stated "this is my home" and "I'm happy to be back." On April 14, Molina caught his 2,000th game with the Cardinals, the most by a catcher on one team. On August 24, Molina signed a one-year extension worth $10 million and announced that 2022 would be his final season.

Molina finished the 2021 season batting .252/.297/.370 over 121 games and again had the slowest sprint speed of all major league catchers, at 22.6 feet/second. He was nominated for a Gold Glove, making him one of six Cardinals to be nominated which led the major leagues.