Former Stanford Cardinal Makes Baltimore Debut

Jun 10, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants pinch hitter Austin Slater (13) reacts after hitting a walk-off RBI single against the Houston Astros during the tenth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports | John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

Only a month ago, former Stanford Cardinal Austin Slater was the longest-tenured player on the San Francisco Giants, after making his Major League debut in 2017. Now, in the early days of August, Slater is in the lineup for his third MLB organization in the span of a month, making his first start with the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night.

Slater, who was first traded by the Giants to the Cincinnati Reds on July 7, played in eight games for the Redlegs and went 2-for-18 (.111) before being traded once again, this time by the Reds to the Orioles right before the deadline on July 30. He made his debut with the O’s on August 1, going 1-for-1 as a pinch hitter.

Against the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday night, Slater was in left field, batting leadoff, and went 2-for-3 with a strikeout, before being lifted for Cedric Mullins in the top of the seventh en route to a 7-4 O's win. The Orioles remain tied with the New York Yankees in the AL East at 66-46, and are basically tied with the Philadelphia Phillies (65-45) in terms of record. All three teams trail the Cleveland Guardians (67-43) for the best record in baseball.

At Stanford, Slater made his presence known during this three seasons with the Cardinal, hitting .300 with five home runs and 72 RBI while helping the team win NCAA regional titles in 2012 and 2014. Following the conclusion of his college career, he was drafted in the eighth round of the 2014 Draft by the Giants.

The Orioles are right in the thick of the hunt for October, and while Slater is slated to be a free agent after the season, he will look to be an impact player for a team expected to make a deep run in the playoffs.