Samuel Basallo’s path to Baltimore has moved quickly, from a teenage signing in the Dominican Republic to a place behind the plate with the Orioles. Away from the clubhouse, the 22-year-old catcher is using that position to put Orioles gear into the hands of children back home.
Basallo learned that Camden Yards promotions can leave the club with extra inventory after giveaway nights. Rather than let those items stay in storage, he asked Orioles staff whether they could be shipped to the Dominican Republic, where his family could distribute them to young people in and around Santo Domingo.
His message to the club was straightforward: if there was merchandise the Orioles no longer needed, he could find people who would value it. “It’s going to make people happy,” Basallo said.
From Camden Yards to Dominican youth leagues
The shipments have included Maryland flag jerseys, Pride jerseys, Kyle Bradish jersey hoodies and bobbleheads featuring Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg. Once the boxes arrive in the Dominican Republic, Basallo’s father, Jairo, and uncle, Eudalyn, identify donation sites and deliver the items through surrounding communities.
The family’s stops have included youth baseball and sports programs in several areas:
- Sandy Sports League in Azua
- Valdez Academy Sports League in Distrito Nacional
- Jabao Sports League in Sector San José
- More Baseball Sports League in Santo Domingo
- Mirador Del Sur Joaquín Balaguer Park in Santo Domingo
For Basallo, the effort is rooted in a childhood memory as much as it is in a big league opportunity. He knows that gifts and baseball equipment are not always easy for families to provide, and he remembers what it would have meant to see a Major League player show up for kids in his own neighborhood.
“I enjoy seeing the kids happy,” Basallo said. “I understand how difficult it can be for some kids to receive gifts because I lived through that. When they smile, that makes me happy too.”
A lesson carried from home
Basallo said his parents taught him early to help people around him whenever possible. That lesson has stayed with him as his career accelerated, and it now shapes the way he approaches each offseason and each chance to return home.
“When I was young, I did not really have many chances to see baseball players giving things out in my hometown,” Basallo said. “It was always something I wanted to do for children. My mom and dad told me to help the people around me however I could, and I have carried that with me. Now that I have this opportunity, I try to support the kids and give something back to my community.”
He also spends his own money on donations during the winter, buying toys and other items for children in the communities where he grew up.
Basallo signed with Baltimore out of the Dominican Republic in January 2021 for a $1.3 million bonus. He was 16 at the time and soon developed into one of the organization’s top Minor League prospects. His Major League debut came in Houston on Aug. 17, 2025.
Five days later, Baltimore committed to him with an eight-year, $67 million extension, giving the catcher a long runway with the organization. Basallo intends to use that stability to keep extending a hand back home.
“I feel like it is the Lord’s work when I can do those small things,” Basallo said. “If I can make kids smile and help them in that way, it means a lot to me.”
