Matt Koperniak

Matt Koperniak
St. Louis Cardinals
Outfielder
Born: (1998-02-08) February 8, 1998 (age 26)
London, United Kingdom
Bats: Left
Throws: Right

Matthew Hayden Koperniak (born February 8, 1998) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Amateur career

Koperniak grew up in Adams, Massachusetts and attended Hoosac Valley High School, where he played baseball, basketball, and football.[1]

Koperniak attended Trinity College and played college baseball for the Trinity Bantams. He batted for a .310 average as a freshman.[2] He was named first team All-New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) after batting .388 with 47 hits, five home runs, and 20 runs batted in (RBIs) in 33 games played.[3] As a junior, Koperniak batted .394 with 63 hits, 13 doubles, three triples, six home runs, and 31 RBIs.[4] In the summer of 2018, he played for the North Adams SteepleCats in the New England Collegiate Baseball League and in 2019, briefly played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League[5] before returning to play with the SteepleCats. Koperniak's senior season was canceled after three games due to the coronavirus pandemic. After graduating from Trinity in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, he initially intended to transfer to Kansas State University for his final season of collegiate eligibility.[6]

Professional career

The St. Louis Cardinals signed Koperniak as an undrafted free agent on June 16, 2020.[7] He was assigned to the Palm Beach Cardinals of Low-A Southeast at the start of the 2021 season.[8] He slashed .322 /.443 /.470 in 58 games with Palm Beach before being promoted to Peoria Chiefs of High-A Central at the beginning of August. Koperniak had six hits in 14 at-bats over four games for the Chiefs and was promoted a second time to the Double-A Springfield Cardinals.[9] Over 95 games total between the three clubs, he hit .306 with seven home runs, 41 RBI, and 25 doubles.[10]

He returned to Springfield for the 2022 season and also played in two games for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds.[11] Over 108 games between the two teams, Koperniak slashed .291/.364/.443 with 14 home runs, 59 RBI, and 12 stolen bases.[12]

Koperniak split time between Springfield and Memphis again in 2023, slashing .287/.362/.427 with 18 home runs, 85 RBI, and 11 stolen bases over 129 games.[13]

Koperniak played in 122 games for the Memphis Redbirds in 2024, slashing .309/.370/.512 with 20 home runs and 73 RBI. Following the season, the Cardinals added Koperniak to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.[14]

International career

Koperniak played for the Great Britain national baseball team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.[15]

References

  1. ^ Culverhouse, Tim (September 11, 2015). "Matt Koperniak shines on both sides of the ball as No. 6 Hoosac Valley football runs past No. 9 Chicopee Comp 28-18". MassLive.com. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  2. ^ Daniels, Tammy (November 28, 2017). "SteepleCats Reveal New Look, New Log". Williamstown.com. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  3. ^ Landes, Josh (June 8, 2018). "Adams Native On Roster As SteepleCats Kick Off North Adams Summer Baseball Season". WAMC. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  4. ^ "Former Hoosac Valley star Matt Koperniak transferring to play NCAA D-I baseball". The Berkshire Eagle. April 28, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  5. ^ "Matt Koperniak - Profile". pointstreak.com. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  6. ^ Karraker, Patrick (July 29, 2021). "Cardinals minor league report: Jordan Walker's stock continues to rise". Bally Sports Midwest. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  7. ^ "Matt Koperniak signs free agent contract with St. Louis Cardinals organization". The Berkshire Eagle. June 14, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  8. ^ "Matt Koperniak is ready to begin his minor league baseball journey". The Berkshire Eagle. May 7, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  9. ^ "Matt Koperniak is moved up to Class AA by the St. Louis Cardinals organization". The Berkshire Eagle. August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  10. ^ "Berkshire County baseball alumni hoping to make strides toward big leagues this summer". 11 April 2022.
  11. ^ Lucy, Dan (August 18, 2022). "Springfield's Cycle Cards reflect on historic games". OzarksFirst.com. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  12. ^ "Matt Koperniak Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com.
  13. ^ "Matt Koperniak". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  14. ^ "Cardinals Add Four Players To 40-Man Roster, Outright Drew Rom". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  15. ^ "Cardinals minor leaguers relish WBC opportunity, hope experiences carry into season". 10 March 2023.