TUCSON, Ariz. — Former Arizona Wildcat standout baseball player César Salazar earned a spot on the Houston Astros Opening Day roster last week and subsequently made his Major League debut on Sunday afternoon.
Salazar, on the Astros roster as their third catcher, entered Sunday's game against the Chicago White Sox as a pinch hitter and drew a walk. After earning his way on base, Salazar came around to score a run in the Astros late comeback attempt.
With his debut, the Wildcats now proudly boast 93 former players in MLB history. Salazar is the first Wildcat to make his Major League debut this year after five former players made their debuts during the 2022 season.
Across three seasons with Arizona, Salazar saw time in 170 games with 153 starts. Serving as the starting catcher for most of his career, the Hermosillo, Mexico native posted a .299 batting average to go along with 80 runs scored, 30 doubles, five triples, six home runs, and 104 RBI. Salazar also provided spectacular defense behind the dish, posting a remarkable .992 fielding percentage on 1,200 chances.
Salazar was the starting catcher on Arizona's College World Series club as a freshman and helped lead the team one win shy of a national championship. Following his collegiate career he was selected by Houston in the seventh round of the 2018 MLB Draft.
