Roc Riggio

Roc Riggio
New York Yankees
Second baseman
Born: (2002-06-11) June 11, 2002 (age 22)
Tarzana, California, U.S.
Bats: Left
Throws: Right

Roc Jack Riggio (born June 11, 2002) is an American professional baseball second baseman in the New York Yankees organization. He played college baseball for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Career

[edit]

Riggio began playing for the USA Baseball when he was 11 years old. After playing as a catcher, third baseman, and outfielder, Riggio worked with retired Major League Baseball (MLB) shortstop Jack Wilson to become a second baseman, first by taking thousands of ground balls on his own, and later training with Wilson's son, shortstop Jacob Wilson.[1] While he was in the eighth grade at Grace Brethren School, Riggio committed to attend the University of California, Los Angeles to play college baseball.[2]

Riggio attended Chaminade College Preparatory School in Los Angeles for his freshman year of high school. He transferred to Thousand Oaks High School in Thousand Oaks, California, to play for Wilson, who became the baseball team's head coach.[3][4][5] In November 2020, Riggio signed a National Letter of Intent with Oklahoma State University to play college baseball for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.[6]

The Milwaukee Brewers selected Riggio in the 21st round of the 2021 MLB draft. He chose not to sign with the Brewers and enrolled at Oklahoma State.[7] As a freshman in 2022, Riggio batted .295 with 11 home runs and 47 RBIs. He batted .555 in the 2022 NCAA Division I baseball tournament.[1] After the Cowboys' season, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[8][9] In 2023, his sophomore year, Riggio batted .333 with 18 home runs and 64 RBIs.[1]

The New York Yankees selected Riggio in the fourth round of the 2023 MLB draft.[10] He signed with the Yankees for a $693,000 signing bonus.[11] After he signed, he played for the Tampa Tarpons of the Class A Florida State League.[12] In 2024, the Yankees assigned him to the Hudson Valley Renegades of the Class A-Advanced South Atlantic League.[13]

Personal life

[edit]

Riggio's father, Jayme, played college baseball at The Master's University. He built a batting cage at their home in Simi Valley, California, to train with Roc.[14]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Allen, Daniel (July 8, 2023). "After his prolific college career, Roc Riggio awaits future ahead Sunday's MLB Draft". Tulsa World. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  2. ^ USA TODAY High School Sports (April 25, 2017). "Calif. eighth-grader Roc Riggio commits to UCLA baseball". USA TODAY High School Sports. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  3. ^ Allen, Daniel (April 28, 2023). "Wild Thing: Roc Riggio's flair launching baseball stardom". ocolly.com. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  4. ^ Fattal, Tarek (June 15, 2021). "Daily News Boys Athlete of the Week: Roc Riggio, Thousand Oaks – Daily News". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  5. ^ Ledin, Loren (March 30, 2021). "Riggio providing pop at the top of a powerful Thousand Oaks lineup". Ventura County Star. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  6. ^ "OSU baseball: Roc Riggio headlines deep Cowboys recruiting class". The Oklahoman. November 13, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  7. ^ "Riggio picks Cowboys over Brewers". Simi Valley Acorn. July 30, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  8. ^ "#57 Roc Riggio". pointstreak.com. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  9. ^ Joyal, Brad (July 20, 2022). "Athlete Of The Week: Roc Riggio". Cape Cod Chronicle. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  10. ^ Hoch, Bryan (July 11, 2023). "Fourth-round spark plug Riggio already has a NY swagger". MLB.com. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  11. ^ Scott, Marshall (July 24, 2023). "Oklahoma State Second Baseman Roc Riggio Signs with New York Yankees". Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  12. ^ NJ.com, Randy Miller | NJ Advance Media for (August 25, 2023). "Yankees prospect Roc Riggio talks wild side, tense contract talks, Hall of Fame aspirations in Q&A". nj.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ "Carr, Riggio among the heralded prospects as the Hudson Valley Renegades open season". Poughkeepsie Journal.
  14. ^ "Oklahoma State's Roc Riggio grows up after playing a baseball villain". Oklahoman.com. February 17, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
[edit]