Daniel Bennett Palka (born October 28, 1991) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...

for the

Algodoneros de Unión Laguna The Algodoneros de Unión Laguna (English: Laguna Union Cottoneers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League (LMB). Based in Torreón, Coahuila, they play in the North Division of LMB. History Early years The team was established ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

. He has previously played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

and in the

KBO League The KBO League () is a professional baseball league in South Korea. The league comprises ten teams. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers are the most success ...

for the

Samsung Lions The Samsung Lions () are a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 1982. They are based in the southeastern city of Daegu and are members of the KBO League. Their home stadium is Daegu Samsung Lions Park. They have won the Korean Cha ...

Career

Amateur

Palka attended

Greer High School Greer High School is a public high school in Greer, South Carolina, United States. With about 1,200 students, Greer High School is a moderately sized school in Greenville County, South Carolina. Curriculum Greer High School offers the Internatio ...

Greer, South Carolina Greer is a city in Greenville County, South Carolina, Greenville and Spartanburg County, South Carolina, Spartanburg counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 35,308, making ...

. He was drafted by the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

in the 19th round of the

2010 Major League Baseball Draft The 2010 Major League Baseball draft was held on June 7–9, 2010 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. First-round selections The draft order was determined based on the 2009 MLB standings, with the worst team picking first. ;Key ...

. He did not sign with the Phillies and attended

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the lar ...

, where he played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

. In 2011 and 2012, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

with the

Wareham Gatemen The Wareham Gatemen are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Wareham, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's West Division. The Gatemen play their home games at Clem Spillane Fie ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...

, where he was the West division MVP of the league's all-star game in 2012. Palka’s junior year finished with him being Georgia Tech’s first position player All American since

Matt Wieters Matthew Richard Wieters (; born May 21, 1986) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals, and St. Louis Cardinals. Wieters played college basebal ...

. After his junior year, he was drafted by the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

in the third round of the

2013 MLB Draft The 2013 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. Each team received one selection per round, going in reverse order of t ...

Arizona Diamondbacks

Palka made his professional debut with the

Missoula Osprey The Missoula PaddleHeads are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Missoula, Montana, and play their home games at Ogren Pa ...

and was later promoted to the

Hillsboro Hops The Hillsboro Hops are a Minor League Baseball team in the Pacific Northwest, northwest United States, located in Hillsboro, Oregon, a city in the Portland metropolitan area. The Hops are members of the Northwest League and are the High-A affilia ...

. He played for the

South Bend Silver Hawks South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...

in 2014 and the

Visalia Rawhide The Visalia Rawhide are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Visalia, California, and have played their home games at Valley Strong Ballpark since their ...

in 2015. After the 2015 season he played in the

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season baseball league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are filled ...

Minnesota Twins

On November 10, 2015, Palka was traded from the Diamondbacks to the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

for Chris Herrmann. He started 2016 with the

Chattanooga Lookouts The Chattanooga Lookouts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team plays its home g ...

and was promoted to the

Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Fie ...

in July. Palka finished 2016 with a combined .254

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

, 34 home runs and 90 RBI's between both clubs. The Twins added him to their 40-man roster after the season. In 2017, he played for Rochester, posting a .274 batting average with 11 home runs and 42 RBIs in 84 games.

Chicago White Sox

He was claimed off waivers by the

on November 3, 2017. Palka was called up to the Major Leagues on April 24, 2018, and made his major league debut the next day. Palka led the 2018 Chicago White Sox with 27 home runs and finished fifth in AL Rookie of the Year voting. He began the following season on a 0-32 slump before snapping it on April 17, 2019. He was sent down to the Triple-A

Charlotte Knights The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field ...

the following day. He was named

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...

Player of the Week from May 13-20. For the rest of the season, he led the Knights with 27 home runs. On November 21, 2019, Palka was designated for assignment by the White Sox. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Charlotte on November 25.

Samsung Lions

On July 29, 2020, Palka left the White Sox organization to sign with the

of the

. In 51 games for Samsung, Palka slashed .209/.272/.367 with 8 home runs and 23 RBI. He became a free agent following the season.

Washington Nationals

On April 16, 2021, Palka signed a minor league contract with the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

organization. Palka spent the 2021 season with the Triple-A

. He played in 106 games, hitting .256 with 18 home runs and 58 RBI. Palka became a free agent following the season.

New York Mets

On December 13, 2021, Palka signed a minor league contract with the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

. He was assigned to the Triple-A

Syracuse Mets The Syracuse Mets are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets. They are located in Syracuse, New York, and play their home games at NBT Bank Stadium, which ope ...

to begin the 2022 season. Palka appeared in 109 games for Syracuse, slashing .263/.344/.506 with 26 home runs and 79 RBI. He elected free agency following the season on November 10, 2022.

Boston Red Sox

On February 24, 2023, Palka signed a minor league contract with the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

organization. In 79 games for the Triple–A

Worcester Red Sox The Worcester Red Sox (nicknamed the WooSox) are a professional minor league baseball team based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Beginning play in 2021, the team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, succeeding the Pawtucket Red Sox. Th ...

, he batted .233/.309/.410 with 12 home runs and 48 RBI. On July 30, Palka was released by Boston.

New York Mets (second stint)

On August 26, 2023, Palka signed a minor league contract with the

organization. In 23 games for the Triple–A

, he batted .250/.320/.455 with 5 home runs and 12 RBI. Palka elected free agency following the season on November 6. On January 9, 2024, Palka signed with the

Guerreros de Oaxaca The Guerreros de Oaxaca (English: Oaxaca Warriors) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico. Their home field is Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos. History In October 1995, a group of businessmen, ...

of the

. However, he did not make the Opening Day roster after asking for his release. on April 10, 2024.

Algodoneros de Unión Laguna

On May 17, 2024, Palka signed with the

of the

. He was placed on the reserve list on July 19. In 41 games he hit .298/.372/.553 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs. Palka re-signed with Laguna for a second season for 2025.

References

External links

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Palka, Daniel 1991 births Living people Águilas Cibaeñas players American expatriate baseball players in South Korea American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Cangrejeros de Santurce (baseball) players Charlotte Knights players Chattanooga Lookouts players Chicago White Sox players Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets baseball players Gulf Coast Twins players Hillsboro Hops players Leones del Escogido players Major League Baseball outfielders Missoula Osprey players Navegantes del Magallanes players Rochester Red Wings players Salt River Rafters players Samsung Lions players South Bend Silver Hawks players Baseball players from Greenville, South Carolina Syracuse Mets players Visalia Rawhide players Wareham Gatemen players Worcester Red Sox players

Career

Amateur

Arizona Diamondbacks

Minnesota Twins

Chicago White Sox

Samsung Lions

Washington Nationals

New York Mets

Boston Red Sox

New York Mets (second stint)

Algodoneros de Unión Laguna

See also

References

External links