Sam Hilliard

Samuel Beauman Hilliard (born February 21, 1994) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Sam Hilliard
Hilliard at Coors Field in 2019
Colorado Rockies – No. 22
Outfielder
Born: (1994-02-21) February 21, 1994
Mansfield, Texas
Bats: Left Throws: Left
MLB debut
August 27, 2019, for the Colorado Rockies
MLB statistics
(through 2020)
Batting average.236
Home runs13
Runs batted in23
Teams

Career

Hilliard attended Mansfield High School in Mansfield, Texas. He started his college baseball career at Navarro College before transferring to Crowder College. He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 31st round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft out of Crowder, but did not sign and attended Wichita State University.[1] Hilliard was both an outfielder and pitcher in college.[2] After one year at Wichita State, he was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 15th round of the 2015 MLB draft and signed.[3]

Hilliard made his professional debut with the Grand Junction Rockies and spent 2016 with the Asheville Tourists, 2017 with the Lancaster JetHawks and 2018 with the Hartford Yard Goats.[4] After the 2018 season, he played in the Arizona Fall League.[5] The Rockies added him to their 40-man roster after the 2018 season.[6] He began 2019 with the Albuquerque Isotopes.[7]

On August 27, 2019, the Rockies promoted Hilliard to the major leagues.[8] He made his debut that night versus Boston Red Sox and recorded his first major league hit, a two-run home run off Josh Smith.[9]

Personal life

Sam Hilliard is the youngest of three sons.[10] Hillard's mother, Tamara Hext,[11] was Miss Texas in 1984 and 4th runner-up in the Miss America Pageant that same year. His father, Jim Hilliard, played for the Texas Longhorns football team and was an orthopedic surgeon for 35 years.[12] In March 2018, Jim Hilliard was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.[13]

References
  1. "Toolshed: Hilliard continues Rockies road". MiLB.com. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  2. "Bob Lutz: Shockers' two-way threat Sam Hilliard didn't give up on baseball". kansas. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  3. "Sam Hilliard making waves in Rockies' system". MLB.com. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  4. Amore, Dom. "Dom Amore: Yard Goats' Sam Hilliard Stoically Carries A Burden As He Pursues Big Leagues". courant.com. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  5. "Rockies Hilliard rakes in Fall League victory". MLB.com. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  6. Daniel Kramer (November 20, 2018). "Rockies add 4 players to 40-man roster". MLB.com. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  7. Brock Sisney (April 12, 2019). "Hilliard swinging hot bat for Triple-A Albuquerque". The Neosho Daily News. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  8. Kyle Newman (August 27, 2019). "Rockies call up right-hander Rico Garcia to make major league debut; Sam Hilliard also brought up from Triple-A". The Denver Post. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  9. Kyle Newman (August 27, 2019). "Red Sox rock Rico Garcia, Rockies with 10-6 win in series opener at Coors Field". The Denver Post. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  10. "Rockies OF Sam Hilliard's father, diagnosed with ALS, attends Rangers game". ESPN.com. Associated Press. July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  11. Amore, Dom (July 9, 2018). "Yard Goats' Sam Hilliard stoically carries a burden as he pursues big leagues". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  12. Newman, Kyle (August 9, 2019). "As Rockies' prospect Sam Hilliard chases 30/30 – and a potential call-up – he carries his dad's battle with him". Denver Post. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  13. Grammer, Geoff (June 15, 2019). "Grammer: An Isotopes family grows closer as father fights ALS". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
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