Joey Loperfido

Mario Joseph Loperfido was born on May 11, 1999, in Philadelphia, PA. He attended Haddonfield Memorial High School in Haddonfield, N.J., where he was a three-year letterwinner and a 2017 Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American. He consistently hit over .400 in his sophomore, junior, and senior years, including .431 as a junior. He also lettered in soccer during his high school career. After graduating, Loperfido went undrafted but continued his baseball journey at Duke University, helping the team reach the NCAA postseason for three consecutive seasons (2018-19, ’21). His collegiate career culminated in a historic senior season where he was named the 2021 ACC Championship Tournament MVP, contributing to Duke’s first-ever ACC Tournament win. He concluded his Duke tenure with a .317 batting average, 18 home runs, and 41 stolen bases in 170 starts, ranking among the top in Duke history for OBP, steals, runs scored, and batting average.

Loperfido was drafted by the Houston Astros in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB Draft. He began his professional career in 2021 with the Single-A Fayetteville Woodpeckers. In 2023, he was named the Astros Minor League Player of the Year, batting a combined .278 with 27 doubles, 25 home runs, 78 RBI, and 27 stolen bases across High-A Asheville, Double-A Corpus Christi, and Triple-A Sugar Land. He was recognized as a Texas League Postseason All-Star and Baseball America Astros Minor League Player of the Year. His versatility defensively saw him play various positions, including center field, second base, right field, first base, and left field.

Joey Loperfido made his Major League Baseball debut on April 30, 2024 with the Houston Astros, recording his first MLB hit with a two-run single and his first career MLB home run on May 16. In July 2024, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays as part of a three-player package for LHP Yusei Kikuchi. After playing for the Blue Jays in 2024 and 2025, during which he was a strong offensive contributor, he was traded back to the Houston Astros in February 2026. Loperfido is also known for his passion for cooking, sharing his culinary creations on Instagram and treating teammates to his homemade paella.