Curt Casali

Baseball America ranked him as the organization's 23rd-best prospect.

Curtis Michael Casali (born November 9, 1988), is an American professional baseball catcher in the Miami Marlins organization.

Casali earned first-team All-State honors in football and baseball, and was named the second-best prospect from Connecticut/Rhode Island in the June 2007 baseball draft.

Casali played college baseball at Vanderbilt University.

During his four years at Vanderbilt, he had a .316 batting average, a .430 on-base percentage, a .502 slugging percentage, 27 home runs, and 167 runs batted in (RBIs).

In 2008, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Hyannis Mets of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and he returned to the league in 2010 to play for the Cotuit Kettleers.

Baseball America' wrote that the Tommy John surgery that he had in 2009 while in college reduced his formerly plus arm strength, but that he was still a good defensive catcher with a good approach at the plate.

He made his professional debut that season for the short season Class A- Connecticut Tigers of the New York-Pennsylvania League, batting .278/.409/.417 with one home run and two RBIs in 26 at bats.

He then played for the Class A West Michigan Whitecaps of the Midwest League, batting .227/.344/.400 with 2 home runs and 14 RBIs in 75 at bats.

Between the two teams, he had a low strikeout rate, at 10.3%.

He played college baseball at Vanderbilt University, and was selected in the 10th round of the 2011 MLB draft by the Detroit Tigers.

Casali made it to the College World Series semifinals in 2011 with Vanderbilt, but the team was eliminated by Florida.

The Detroit Tigers selected Casali in the 10th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft, 317th overall, and he signed on July 1, 2011, for a $40,000 signing bonus.

In 2012 he played for West Michigan and, starting in late June, the Class A+ Lakeland Flying Tigers.

Casali batted a combined .270/.365/.427 with 9 home runs and 43 RBIs in 330 at bats.

He helped the Flying Tigers to their first Florida State League title in 20 years.

He was a 2012 MiLB Organization All Star.

On March 25, 2013, the Tigers traded Casali to the Tampa Bay Rays for pitcher Kyle Lobstein.

The Rays assigned him to the High–A Charlotte Stone Crabs, and then promoted him to the Double–A Montgomery Biscuits.

With Charlotte, he batted .267/.342/.406 in 165 at bats and was an FSL Mid-Season All-Star.

In 35 games with Montgomery, Casali hit .383 with a .483 on-base percentage and .600 slugging percentage, with five home runs.

Overall, he hit .317/.405/.489 and 10 home runs.

He was a 2013 MiLB Organization All Star.

He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 2014 with the Tampa Bay Rays, and has also played for the San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, and Cincinnati Reds.

Casali was born in Walnut Creek, California, but raised in New Canaan, Connecticut.

He attended New Canaan High School.

He starred in baseball (batting .427 for the team) as well as basketball, and in football as a quarterback, leading the team to a state championship.

In 2014, he was invited to spring training by the Rays.

Casali returned to Montgomery to start the 2014 season, and batted .314/.500/.429 in 70 at bats.

He was promoted to the Triple–A Durham Bulls in May, and for them he batted .237/.335/.359 in 156 at bats.

On July 18, 2014, Casali played his first major league game against the Minnesota Twins.

He recorded a hit in his first at bat and a run later in the inning.

He batted .167 in 72 at bats.

On July 28, 2015, Casali hit two home runs in one game against the Detroit Tigers.

One night later, Casali repeated the feat by hitting two homers against former teammate and fellow Vanderbilt alum David Price.

In 2015 with Tampa Bay he batted .238/.304/.594 with a career-high 10 home runs and 18 RBIs in 101 at bats.

With Durham, he batted .205/.326/.348 in 112 at bats.

Casali opened the 2016 season in a platoon with Hank Conger.

For Tampa Bay, he caught 36% of attempted basestealers, giving up 25 steals and catching 14 baserunners.

Casali hit .169 before being optioned to the Durham Bulls on August 4, 2016, for whom he batted .254/.407/.365 in 63 at bats.