Before they were All-Stars: AL edition

For some fans, the All-Star Game presented by MasterCard (tonight, 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX) is their first chance to familiarize themselves with players they don't see very often. Here's our attempt to give them a head start with the origins of every All-Star.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Brad Brach, RHP
Born: Freehold, N.J.
HS: Freehold (N.J.) Township HS
College: Monmouth University
Minors: Padres (R), Fort Wayne (A), Lake Elsinore (A+), San Antonio (AA), Tucson (AAA)
• At Monmouth, Brach established school records in wins and strikeouts.
• Brach was the 1,275th player selected in the 2008 Draft, by the Padres. Nonetheless, in 2011, he became the first Monmouth product to make it to the Majors since Ed Halicki with the Giants in 1974.
• Brach's younger brother, Brett, also played at Monmouth and was selected by the Indians in the 10th round of the 2009 Draft. Brett pitched in the Minors through '14, rising as high as Triple-A.
• Before they were All-Stars: NL Edition
Zach Britton, LHP
Born: Panorama City, Calif.
HS: Weatherford (Texas) HS
Minors: Bluefield (R), Aberdeen (SS), Delmarva (A-), Frederick (A+), Bowie (AA), Norfolk (AAA)
• As a high school freshman in California before his family moved to Texas, Britton broke his collarbone, fractured his skill and separated a shoulder when he crashed headfirst into a light standard while chasing a foul ball in practice. The crash knocked him unconscious, and he spent two days in intensive care.
• Britton's younger brother, Clay, was drafted twice by the Tigers but never signed. His other brother, Buck, was drafted by the Orioles in 2008 and now is with the Twins' Triple-A affiliate. Buck and Zach played together at times in Baltimore's Minor League system.
• Britton and Clayton Kershaw both signed to play at Texas A&M, and they were planning to room together there with another player. But both signed to play pro ball instead.
:: Complete All-Star Game coverage ::
Manny Machado, 3B
Born: Hialeah, Fla.
HS: Brito Miami Private School (Fla.)
Minors: Orioles (R), Aberdeen (SS), Delmarva (A-), Frederick (A+), Bowie (AA)
• Machado helped USA Baseball's 18U team to a gold medal in the 2009 Pan American Junior Championship in Venezuela.
• When Machado was selected No. 3 overall in the 2010 Draft, he became the first shortstop taken in the first round by the Orioles since Rich Dauer in 1974.
• Machado isn't the only Major Leaguer in the family. His wife, Yainee, is the sister of A's infielder Yonder Alonso.
Mark Trumbo, OF
Born: Anaheim, Calif.
HS: Villa Park (Calif.) HS
Minors: Orem (R), Cedar Rapids (A-), Rancho Cucamonga (A+), Arkansas (AA), Salt Lake (AAA)
• When he was young, Trumbo played travel ball against fellow Major Leaguers Phil Hughes and Brandon Barnes.
• Trumbo was a high school All-American as a senior after hitting .425 and going 10-2 with a 2.20 ERA.
• Trumbo earned Angels' Minor League Player of the Year honors in 2010, batting .301 with 29 doubles, 36 homers and 122 RBIs with Triple-A Salt Lake. His 36 homers set a team record.
Matt Wieters, C
Born: Goose Creek, S.C.
HS: Stratford HS (Goose Creek, S.C.)
College: Georgia Tech
Minors: Honolulu, Surprise (R), Frederick (A+), Bowie (AA), Norfolk (AAA)
• As a kid, Weiters' closest sports rival was his sister Rebecca, who's 6-foot-2 and had a height advantage until Matt was a junior in high school. She played volleyball for four years at College of Charleston.
• Wieters' father, Richard, was drafted by the Braves in the fifth round in 1977. He pitched for the Braves and the White Sox in the Minors from '77-81, reaching Double-A.
• Wieters played with the Blue Jays' Justin Smoak for three seasons in high school. They grew up playing Little League against each other.
BOSTON RED SOX
Mookie Betts, OF
Born: Nashville, Tenn.
HS: Overton HS (Nashville, Tenn.)
Minors: Red Sox (R), Lowell (SS), Greenville (A-), Salem (A+), Portland (AA), Pawtucket (AAA)
• Betts excelled as a bowler in high school. He went on to participate in the Professional Bowlers Association's World Series of Bowling VII in 2015, and he was also part of ESPN's broadcast of last year's PBA Championship.
• Betts is nicknamed after former NBA point guard Mookie Blaylock.
• Betts and fellow first-time All-Star Jackie Bradley Jr. were roommates in the instructional league in 2011.
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Born: Oranjestad, Aruba
HS: Colegio Arubano, Aruba
Minors: Red Sox (R), Greenville (A-), Salem (A+), Portland (AA), Pawtucket (AAA)
• Bogaerts' twin brother, Jair, was also signed by the Red Sox in 2009, but he now works as an agent for Beverly Hills Sports Council.
• There was no organized baseball at the schools Bogaerts attended in Aruba. He played in tournaments outside the country in Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
• Bogaerts' favorite player growing up was Derek Jeter, and he wears the No. 2 because of it. He was also a fan of teammate David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.
Jackie Bradley Jr., OF
Born: Richmond, Va.
HS: Prince George (Va.) HS
College: South Carolina
Minors: Lowell (SS), Greenville (A-), Salem (A+), Portland (AA), Pawtucket (AAA)
• Bradley won a national championship with South Carolina in 2010 and was named the College World Series' Most Outstanding Player.
• Bradley is related to NBA legend Michael Jordan. The former Chicago Bulls star's grandfather and Bradley's great-great-grandmother are siblings.
• Bradley was named Red Sox Minor League Player of the Year by the Boston Baseball Writers after his first full year with the organization.

Craig Kimbrel, RHP
Born: Huntsville, Ala.
HS: Lee HS (Huntsville, Ala.)
College: Wallace State Community College
Minors: Danville (R), Rome (A), Myrtle Beach (A+), Mississippi (AA), Gwinnett (AAA)
• Kimbrel was a quarterback on Lee High School's football team in his junior and senior years, in addition to playing baseball.
• The Braves drafted Kimbrel in the 33rd round of the 2007 Draft, but he opted to remain at Wallace State, and Atlanta took him again a year later, this time 30 rounds higher.
• In 2010, Kimbrel became the second former Wallace State player to make it to the Majors, one year after Derek Holland became the first.
David Ortiz, DH
Born: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
HS: Estudia Espillat, Dominican Republic
Minors: Mariners (R), Wisconsin (A-), Fort Myers (A+), New Britain (AA), Salt Lake (AAA)
• Ortiz played both baseball and basketball at Estudia Espillat High School in the Dominican Republic.
• Ortiz adopted his wife Tiffany's favorite football team, the Green Bay Packers, for his own NFL rooting interests.
• Upon being traded to Minnesota, Ortiz enjoyed a fast rise through the Twins' Minor League ranks, going from Class A Advanced to the big leagues within his first year with the organization.

Steven Wright, RHP
Born: Torrance, Calif.
HS: Valley View HS (Moreno Valley, Calif.)
Minors: Lake County (A-), Kinston (A+), Kinston (A+), Akron, Portland (AA), Columbus, Pawtucket (AAA)
• Wright went to the same high school as the A's Ryan Madson. Wright was a freshman when Madson was a senior.
• Wright was named Western Athletic Pitcher of the Year after going 11-2 with a 2.30 ERA and 123 strikeouts as a junior in 2006.
• Wright is enjoying a breakout campaign in 2016. The 31-year-old had just 26 big league appearances prior to this season and wasn't even projected to be in the starting rotation entering Spring Training.
::CHICAGO WHITE SOX::
Jose Quintana, LHP
Born: Arjona, Colombia
Minors: GCL Yankees (R), Charleston (A), Tampa (A+), Birmingham (AA)
• Quintana made his Major League debut on May 7, 2012, despite having just six games of Double-A ball under his belt. He became 11th Major Leaguer, and fourth pitcher, to debut from Colombia.
• In a Spring Training game against the A's in 2014, Quintana faced nine batters and did not record a single out. He yielded seven hits and two walks, and all nine runners eventually scored. No starting pitcher has ever allowed nine runs without getting an out in an actual Major League game.
• Back in 2010, when he was in the Yankees' Minor League system, Quintana pitched for the Colombian national team in the qualifying tournament for the next year's Pan American Games. Colombia, though, did not advance to the Games.
Chris Sale, LHP
Born: Lakeland, Fla.
HS: Lakeland (Fla.) HS
College: Florida Gulf Coast
Minors: Winston-Salem (A+), Charlotte (AAA)
• Randy Johnson was Sale's favorite player growing up, and he wore No. 51 as a kid because of Johnson. "He was tall, skinny, left-handed, threw hard, struck a bunch of people out and was really intimidating," Sale said.
• Sale's No. 41 jersey is the first to be retired by Florida Gulf Coast.
• Sale soared through Chicago's Minor League ranks, reaching the big leagues just a few months after he was drafted No. 13 overall in 2010.
CLEVELAND INDIANS
Corey Kluber, P
Born: Birmingham, Ala.
HS: Coppell (Texas) HS
College: Stetson University
Minors: Eugene (A-), Fort Wayne (A), Lake Elsinore (A+), San Antonio (AA), Akron (AA), Columbus (AAA)
• At Coppell High School in North Texas, Kluber was a two-time all-district performer and helped lead the baseball team to district and area championships in 2002.
• Kluber was a starting pitcher and first baseman for the runner-up team from Dallas at the World Wood Bat Association Championships in 2003.
• During his junior season at Stetson, Kluber helped the Hatters reach the NCAA Tournament, finished the season 12-2 with a 2.05 ERA and 117 strikeouts in 17 starts, and was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Pitcher of the Year.
Francisco Lindor, SS
Born: Caguas, Puerto Rico
HS: Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
Minors: Mahoning Valley (R), Lake County (A-), Carolina (A+), Akron (AA), Columbus (AAA)
• Lindor moved to the United States at age 12 and went to boarding school at Monteverde Academy to learn the language and prepare for his future career.
• Lindor played against Major Leaguers Javier Baez and Jose Berrios growing up in Puerto Rico.
• It wasn't until his junior year of high school, when scouts started taking notice, that Lindor says realized he could play baseball professionally. He landed on the collegiate radar as a sophomore when he was ranked nationally and later committed to Florida State.
Danny Salazar, RHP
Born: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Minors: Indians (R), Lake County (A-), Carolina (A+), Akron (AA), Columbus (AAA)
• Salazar spends his offseasons back home in the Dominican Republic, where he frequently goes fishing with his father.
• Salazar initially wanted to be an engineer and had plays to go to college in the Dominican Republic before he moved to the United States to pursue a baseball career.
• Because his brother is also named Danny, Salazar goes by his middle name, Dariel, among family.
DETROIT TIGERS
Miguel Cabrera, 1B
Born: Maracay, Venezuela
HS: Maracay
Minors: Marlins (R), Utica (SS), Kane County (A-), Jupiter (A+), Carolina (AA)
• Cabrera also excelled at volleyball growing up, and he was once offered a contract to play professionally in Europe.
• Cabrera's mother, Goya, played softball for the Venezuelan team for 15 years.
• Cabrera represented his state, Aragua, in eight national games and played for Venezuela in two Pan-American Games and one South American Games.
HOUSTON ASTROS
Jose Altuve, 2B
Born: Maracay, Venezuela
Minors: Greeneville (R), Tri-City (SS), Lexington (A-), Lancaster (A+), Corpus Christi (AA)
• Altuve spent just one year playing for the Venezuelan Summer League as a 17-year-old in 2007 before the Astros brought him to the United States, which was unprecedented for his age.
• Altuve hit .408 for Class A Advanced Lancaster in 2011, earning a promotion to Double-A Corpus Christi, where he didn't miss a beat, batting .361 in his first 35 games.
• Altuve's first career hit was a memorable one: a leadoff inside-the-park home run against the Giants' Madison Bumgarner.
Will Harris, RHP
Born: Houston
HS: Slidell (La.) HS
College: LSU
Minors: Tri-City (SS), Asheville (A), Modesto (A+), Tulsa (AA), Colorado Springs (AAA), Reno (AAA)
• Harris pitched and played first base at Slidell High, earning all-state honors.
• Although the Rockies drafted him as a pitcher in the ninth round in 2006, Harris spent most of his four seasons at LSU playing first and third base, batting .264 with 19 career home runs. He only made 16 career appearances on the mound, all in relief, mostly as a senior.
• His older brother, Clay, an LSU infielder from 2002-05, was drafted in the ninth round by the Phillies and spent four seasons in their farm system. In '03, the Harrises became the first pair of brothers to start a game for LSU since Albert and Terry Belle in 1987.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Wade Davis, RHP
Born: Lake Wales, Fla.
HS: Lake Wales (Fla.) HS
Minors: Princeton (R), Hudson Valley (SS), Southwest Michigan (A-), Vero Beach (A+), Montgomery (AA), Durham (AAA)
• Davis was a designated hitter and first baseman his junior year of high school when tendinitis in his shoulder kept him off the mound. He resumed pitching as a senior and went 7-3 with a 0.79 ERA in 13 games.
• In his first full season in the Rays' organization in 2005, Davis earned both Hudson Valley Pitcher of the Year honors. He was also named the Rays' Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2007.
• Davis isn't the only All-Star in the family. Former Cubs catcher Jody Davis, his second cousin, made two All-Star appearances with the Cubs in 1984 and '86.
Kelvin Herrera, RHP
Born: Tenares, Dominican Republic
Minors: Burlington (R), Burlington (A-), Wilmington (A+), Northwest Arkansas (AA), Omaha (AAA)
• Herrera pitched for the World Team in the 2011 All-Star Futures Game, sharing a staff with Julio Teheran, James Paxton, Carlos Martinez and Henderson Alvarez, among others.
• Later in '11, Herrera was named the Paul Splittorff Pitcher of the Year, as the Royals' best Minor League pitcher, after posting a 1.64 ERA over 65 2/3 innings between three affiliates.
• Herrera represented the Dominican Republic in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
Eric Hosmer, 1B
Born: South Miami, Fla.
HS: American Heritage School (Plantation, Fla.)
Minors: Idaho Falls, Surprise (R), Burlington (A-), Wilmington (A+), Northwest Arkansas (AA), Omaha (AAA)
• Hosmer struggled in his first full professional season, batting just .241 through 106 games, but he attributes some of his troubles to his glasses, which were scratched up. After offseason Lasik surgery, he led Wilmington with a .354 average the following year.
• Hosmer's first Major League homer came at Yankee Stadium in 2011, which was particularly meaningful as his father grew up a Yankees fan in New York.
• Hosmer works out in the offseason with a group led by his brother Mike, who played baseball at Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and received a scholarship offer from Florida State.

Salvador Perez, C
Born: Valencia, Venezuela
Minors: Royals, Idaho Falls, Burlington (R), Burlington (A-), Wilmington (A+), Northwest Arkansas (AA), Omaha (AAA)
• Perez's mother, Yilda Diaz, first steered him toward baseball at age 4 when he started playing T-ball at a school called Goodyear in Valencia.
• Perez played in the same youth league in Venezuela as fellow Major Leaguers Pablo Sandoval, Altuve and Wilmer Flores.
• Perez enjoyed a very busy Major League debut on Aug. 11, 2011. He not only contributed his first Major League hit, RBI and run scored, but he also recorded two pickoffs and caught five popups, four in foul territory.
LOS ANGELES ANGELS
Mike Trout, OF
Born: Vineland, N.J.
HS: Millville (N.J.) HS
Minors: Angels, Scottsdale (R), Cedar Rapids (A-), Rancho Cucamonga (A+), Arkansas (AA), Salt Lake (AAA)
• Trout was passed on by 21 teams -- and the Nats and D-backs twice -- in the 2009 MLB Draft. His Wins Above Replacement score is triple that of anyone who was selected ahead of him.
• When not playing baseball, Trout can frequently be found engaging in outdoorsman activites. He's an avid hunter and, befitting his name, fisherman in the offseason.
• Trout played both baseball and basketball at Millville High. He also pitched in high school, and he tossed a no-hitter with 18 strikeouts against Egg Harbor Township High as a junior.

MINNESOTA TWINS
Eduardo Nunez, SS
Born: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
HS: American Military Academy (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
Minors: Staten Island (R), Charleston (A-), Tampa (A+), Trenton (AA), Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA)
• Nunez idolized Derek Jeter when he was young and was eventually signed as the future heir apparent to the former Yankees star.
• Nunez made an immediate impact after signing with the Yanks as an international free agent in 2004. He hit .313/.365/.427 through 73 games in his first professional season with the Staten Island Yankees in the New York-Penn League.
• In his seventh big league season, Nunez finally broke through as an everyday player, making his first All-Star appearance despite not even being on the ballot.
NEW YORK YANKEES
Carlos Beltran, OF
Born: Manati, Puerto Rico
HS: Fernando Celljo HS (Manati, Puerto Rico)
Minors: Royals, Spokane (R), Lansing (A-), Wilmington (A+), Wichita (AA)
• Beltran didn't just excell in baseball growing up in Puerto Rico. He was also an avid volleyball player, but he eventually left the sport behind in high school to focus on baseball.
• Beltran won the AL Rookie of the Year Award with the Royals in 1999 after becoming the ninth rookie in the modern era to total more than 100 home runs and 100 RBIs in a single season.
• Beltran established a high school for young athletes, opening the Carlos Beltran Academy in Florida, Puerto Rico, in 2011.

Dellin Betances, RHP
Born: New York
HS: Grand Street Campus HS (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Minors: Yankees, Scottsdale (R), Staten Island (SS), Charleston (A-), Tampa (A+), Trenton (AA), Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA)
• Growing up, Betances played in the Youth Services League in Brooklyn, the same league that had been home to longtime Major League star Manny Ramirez.
• Betances' favorite athlete as a kid was Kobe Bryant, and he was 6-foot-4 as a freshman in high school. However, his own basketball career ended during a high school game, when an opponent's elbow knocked out his front tooth.
• Betances was teammates with Kershaw and Tyson Ross on Team USA's 2005 Junior Olympic team, the year before the Yankees drafted him in the eighth round.
Andrew Miller, LHP
Born: Gainesville, Fla.
HS: F.W. Buchholz HS (Gainseville, Fla.)
College: North Carolina
Minors: Lakeland (A+), Erie (AA), Toledo (AAA)
• Miller was a third-round pick by the Rays out of high school after being named the Florida Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior.
• Miller pitched for the Chatham A's of the Cape Cod League in the summers of 2004 and '05. After that second season, Baseball America named him the College Summer Player of the Year and rated him as the league's top prospect.
• As a junior at North Carolina in 2006, Miller went 13-2 with a 2.48 ERA, striking 133 batters in 123 1/3 innings. He set UNC single-season and career (325) strikeout records and was named Baseball America's National Player of the year, also earning the Roger Clemens Award as the nation's top college pitcher.

OAKLAND A'S
Stephen Vogt, C
Born: Visalia, Calif.
HS: Central Valley Christian HS (Visalia, Calif.)
College: Azusa Pacific
Minors: Hudson Valley (A-), Charlotte (A+), Montgomery (AA), Durham (AAA), Sacramento (AAA)
• Vogt was very involved in the arts growing up. He was in band, choir and drama in high school. Vogt played trumpet and baritone in band, and phe layed Uncle Max in "The Sound of Music" and Professor Dreyfus in "The Pink Panther Strikes Again."
• Vogt's father, Randy, also played baseball. He pitched collegiately at Fresno State.
• Vogt's big league career got off to a slow start. He went 0-for-25 in 2012 through three stints with the Rays. Vogt joined the A's the following year and has hit .266 since.

SEATTLE MARINERS
Robinson Cano, 2B
Born: San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic
HS: San Pedro de Macoris (Dominican Republic)
Minors: Yankees, Staten Island (R), Greensboro (A-), Tampa (A+), Trenton (AA), Columbus (AAA)
• Cano was named after MLB legend Jackie Robinson.
• Cano's father, Jose, pitched in the Yankees, Braves and Astros organizations. He made six appearances (three starts) in the big leagues with Houston in 1989.
• Cano played for the Dominican Republic in the 2009 and '13 World Baseball Classic. He was the tournament MVP in 2013, leading his team to the title.
TAMPA BAY RAYS
Alex Colome, RHP
Born: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Minors: Devil Rays (R), Princeton (R), Hudson Valley (SS), Bowling Green (A), Charlotte (A+), Montgomery (AA), Durham (AAA)
• Colome is the nephew of Jesus Colome, who pitched 10 seasons in the Majors, including with Tampa Bay from 2001-06.
• Colome was the first player to come out of the Rays' Dominican Academy and reach the Majors since Juan Salas in 2006.
• In 2009, Colome led all pitchers in the Rays' farm system by posting a 1.66 ERA over 76 innings for Hudson Valley of the New York-Penn League.
TEXAS RANGERS
Ian Desmond, OF
Born: Sarasota, Fla.
HS: Sarasota (Fla.) HS
Minors: Expos, Vermont (R), Savannah (A-), Potomac (A+), Harrisburg (AA), Syracuse (AAA)
• Desmond's sister Nikki is married to Angels Minor Leaguer Josh Roenicke, nephew of former Brewers manager and current Angels third-base coach Ron Roenicke.
• Desmond was among the last players drafted by the Montreal Expos. He was selected by the club in the third round of the 2004 Draft, one season before the franchise relocated to Washington.
• Desmond earned his promotion to the big leagues in 2009 by hitting .330 with Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse.
Cole Hamels, LHP
Born: San Diego
HS: Rancho Bernardo HS (San Diego)
Minors: Lakewood (A), Clearwater (A+), Reading (AA), Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA)
• Originally, Hamels preferred soccer over baseball, but as he got bigger and threw harder, he shifted more to baseball.
• As a kid, Hamels looked up to another left-handed pitcher, Tom Glavine, because of the way the future Hall of Famer succeeded without top-level velocity.
• Hamels scored a 1,510 on his SAT but decided to forego college after the Phillies took him 17th overall in the 2002 Draft.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS
Josh Donaldson, 3B
Born: Pensacola, Fla.
HS: Faith Academy (Mobile, Ala.)
College: Auburn
Minors: Cubs (R), Boise (SS), Kinston (A-), Stockton (A+), Midland (AA), Sacramento (AAA)
• Donaldson enjoyed a very successful high school career, earning AISA Player of the Year and Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year honors as a senior. He also played football and basketball.
• Donaldson grew up playing alongside pitcher P.J. Walters, who spent parts of five seasons in the Majors with the Cardinals, Blue Jays and Twins from 2009-13. They won a state championship together at Faith Academy.
• Donaldson played on three league champions in the Minors -- Midland (2009), Stockon ('08) and Phoenix in the Arizona Fall League ('08).
Edwin Encarnacion, DH
Born: La Romana, Dominican Republic
HS: Manuela Toro HS (Caguas, Puerto Rico)
Minors: Rangers, Billings (R), Savannah, Dayton, (A-), Potomac (A+), Chattanooga (AA), Louisville (AAA)
• Encarnacion participated in MLB's All-Star Futures Game in three consecutive years from 2003-05.
• Encarnacion was primarily a third basemen coming up through the Minor League ranks and early in his Major League career with the Reds. He's played almost exclusively at first and designated hitter since 2011.
• Encarnacion helped the Dominican Republic to a World Baseball Classic title in 2013, playing alongside fellow All-Star Cano.
Marco Estrada, RHP
Born: Sonora, Mexico
HS: Sylmar (Calif.) HS
Colleges: Glendale Community College, Long Beach State
Minors: Nationals (R), Vermont (SS), Savannah (A), Hagerstown (A), Potomac (A+), Harrisburg (AA), Columbus (AAA), Syracuse (AAA), Nashville (AAA)
• Estrada was an All-Western State Conference selection at Glendale College before transferring to Long Beach State, where he was teammates with Evan Longoria and Troy Tulowitzki, among others.
• Following the 2006 season, Estrada pitched for the Waikiki Beach Boys of the Hawaiian Winter League.
• He pitched for Team Mexico in the 2013 World Baseball Classic and took a loss in his only start, against Canada.
Aaron Sanchez, RHP
Born: Barstow, Calif.
HS: Barstow (Calif.) HS
Minors: Blue Jays (R), Auburn (A-), Bluefield (R), Vancouver (A-), Lansing (A), Dunedin (A+), New Hampshire (AA), Buffalo (AAA)
• Sanchez is the first Major League player to hail from Barstow. In 2014, Barstow's city council declared October 20 as "Aaron Sanchez Day" in his honor.
• Sanchez's stepfather, Mike Shipley, was a former fourth-round Draft choice of the Angels in 1976 before a left shoulder injury prematurely ended his career.
• Sanchez was a member of "The Lansing Three," a heralded trio of Blue Jays pitching prospects at the team's Class A affiliate in Lansing, Mich., that also included the Mets' Noah Syndergaard and the Marlins' Justin Nicolino.
Michael Saunders, OF
Born: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
HS: Lambrick Park Secondary School (Canada)
Minors: Everett (A-), Wisconsin (A), High Desert (A+), West Tennessee (AA), Tacoma (AAA)
• Saunders is nicknamed "The Condor," a moniker bestowed by Mariners first base coach Lee Tinsley during Saunders' time in Seattle, due to his long stride and wingspan.
• Saunders represented Canada at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. In seven games, he hit .286 with two home runs, against the Chinese and Cuban teams, as Canada finished in sixth place.
• Saunders also started for the World Team in the 2007 All-Star Futures.