Sam Coonrod

Lore & Background

Samuel Timothy Coonrod was born on September 22, 1992, in St. Louis, Missouri, and raised in Carrollton, Illinois. He played high school baseball at Carrollton High School, where he helped his team win a state championship his senior season and became the first player in school history to have his jersey number retired. After high school, Coonrod spent three years playing college baseball with the Southern Illinois Salukis. He also played for two collegiate summer baseball teams: the Quincy Gems in 2012 and the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in 2013. The Giants selected Coonrod in the fifth round of the 2014 MLB draft. He made his major league debut in 2019. He struggled during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, allowing more than one run per inning pitched and recording a 9.82 ERA in 18 games. Coonrod was traded during the offseason, and began 2021 in the Phillies' bullpen.

Reader's Guide

Sam Coonrod is a right-handed pitcher. He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 5th round of the 2014 MLB draft, not by the St. Louis Cardinals. His handedness is right, not left.

Did You Know?

• Coonrod was a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals growing up and attended many of their home games at Busch Stadium.
• He became the first Carrollton baseball player to have his jersey number retired in 2015.
• Coonrod recorded his first MLB win on July 23, 2019, retiring Javier Báez, Kris Bryant, and Anthony Rizzo in the 13th inning.
• In 2020, Coonrod chose not to kneel before 'The Star Spangled Banner', citing his Christian faith—a decision made by multiple players across MLB that season.