Samuel Stafura
One of the best high school baseball players ever to come out of Westchester, recently signed with the Cincinnatti Reds. Most scouts had Sammy in the top 25 prosepcts in the country, but 2023 Panas High School grad Samuel Stafura was the 43rd pick of the Reds in the MLB draft held on July 9.
Stafura was named the 2023 Gatorade Player of the Year, and the shortstop had committed to Clemson University to play college baseball. But now its onto the Big Leagues!
Stafura’s family background shows us that the American Dream is still alive and well. His parents came to America from Slovakia, where the favorite sport is Soccer. But Sammy stared playing baseball at age 5, and his older brother Steven coached him and motivated him to practice.
“My dad came here when he was 18, and my mom came here when she was like 9. My dad came here with no English and a $100 bill,” Stafura said. “He found a way to become a successful man. My motivation comes from that. If he had no excuses for becoming the man he is now, then there shouldn’t be any excuses for me. I can do anything I put my mind to,” said Stafura.
A few days after being drafted, Sammy signed with the Reds, with a $2.5 Million dollar signing bonus! Too bad the Mets or Yankees didn’t draft him.
Stafura led Panas to the first Section 1 Class A title this year and a trip to the state finals. He has had to work for everything to get to this point of success, starting on Panas’ JV team while some of his friends made the varsity.
And at at 6 feet tall, 180 pounds, he is not the biggest baseball player–but he has a ton of heart and his families work ethic will lead him to greatness.
Congratulations!.
