Jarrod Saltalamacchia
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Jarrod Saltalamacchia is an American professional baseball catcher who most recently played for the Detroit Tigers in Major League Baseball (MLB). Over the course of his career, he played for several MLB teams, including the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Miami Marlins, Boston Red Sox, and Texas Rangers. Notably, his 14-letter surname, Saltalamacchia, became the longest in MLB history. The name is of Italian origin—derived from the words "salta," meaning "to jump," and "la macchia," meaning "thicket" or "brush" in southern Italian dialect—translating roughly to "to jump over tall brush." He was commonly known by his nickname, "Salty."
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 2 May, 1985
- Age
- 35 yrs
- Occupations
- Baseball player
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- Citizenship
- United States of America
- Birth Place
- West Palm Beach
- Gender
- Male
- Description
- American baseball player
- Net Worth 2021
- 12 million
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Early Life and Education
Jarrod Saltalamacchia was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, and attended Royal Palm Beach High School in Royal Palm Beach, Florida. He graduated in 2003 and was classmates with future MLB pitcher and Texas Rangers teammate Kason Gabbard, with whom he shared a long-standing friendship. Saltalamacchia also represented Team Florida USA and helped secure a gold medal during the 2001 Junior Olympics.
MLB Draft and Minor League Success
Saltalamacchia was selected 36th overall in the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft by the Atlanta Braves. He experienced a breakout season in 2006 with the Class A Myrtle Beach Pelicans. As a switch-hitting slugger, he posted a .314 batting average, hit 19 home runs, tallied 35 doubles, and drove in 81 RBIs over 129 games. That year, Baseball America ranked him the 18th overall prospect, and he was ranked 36th the following year in 2007.
