Alan Espinal's got a knack for turning unexpected situations into opportunities. He switched positions to catcher at 12 when his team's regular catcher moved away. He left Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria disrupted his schooling. He spent three seasons at Vanderbilt waiting for his chance to become the starting catcher. When that opportunity finally came, he made the most of it. He earned SEC Player of the Week honors, leading the team in home runs and of course catching the attention of MLB scouts.
Now 24, Espinal is behind the plate for the High-A Spokane Indians, working his way through the Colorado Rockies' farm system and getting closer to his big league dream. His path hasn't exactly been textbook, but that's part of what makes his story interesting.
From San Juan to Viera
Espinal was born January 16, 2002, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Growing up, he played shortstop like his older brother, Dilan, and spent plenty of time in the outfield. When he was 12, his coach announced that the team's catcher had moved to Texas. Espinal volunteered to fill in, and he never really took the mask off.
Catching turned out to be a natural fit, he's (self proclaimed) loud, vocal and likes making sure everyone around him is comfortable. Great qualities that would become a big part of his game as he moved up through baseball.
When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September 2017 everything changing for his family. Espinal, his mom, Sanya (the most adorable), and his younger brother Edian moved to Viera, Florida. This was right in the middle of his sophomore year. His parents made the tough decision to live apart so their sons could have more opportunities in the United States. A travel-ball coach who worked with his younger brother helped his family find a place to stay while Puerto Rico recovered.
Baseball gave Espinal something familiar during a major life change. While at Viera High School, he quickly established himself as one of the country's top catching prospects. He earned All-American honors from Perfect Game, was a two-time all-conference selection and hit .380 in his COVID-shortened senior season.
He also played travel ball along with his future Vanderbilt teammates Enrique Bradfield Jr. and Devin Futrell and that was when Vanderbilt coaches first started paying attention.
When Espinal heard Vanderbilt was interested, he wasn't even sure what to think. His first reaction was, "Is that a good school?" Once he learned more about their program, that became his goal.
Earning His Spot at Vanderbilt
Espinal's college career got off to a pretty memorable start. His first college hit was a home run in his only at-bat against Florida International in 2021. Even with that early highlight, playing time was hard to come by. He played in six games as a freshman and 18 games as a sophomore.
The transition to college baseball wasn't easy. (Is it ever?) Espinal has talked about the intense workouts at Vanderbilt. If you know, you know. Instead of getting discouraged, he worked harder. After spending the summer with the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod League, he came back stronger and more focused on his sleep, nutrition and weight training. All this extra work started to pay off in 2023, when he got more playing time and started making an impact at the plate.
As a junior, he hit a grand slam against Texas, had two home runs and five RBI against UAB, and his walk-off RBI single late in the season clinched a Vandy sweep of Kentucky. He also came up big in the SEC Tournament, going 3-for-4 with a home run against top-seeded Florida in the semifinals. Vanderbilt went on to beat Texas A&M the following day to claim the SEC Tournament championship.
After a couple years of patience, Espinal was finally becoming a key part of the lineup and his biggest season was still ahead.
The Breakout Season
Going into 2024, Espinal had never played more than 35 games in a college season. Things changed right away when he became Vanderbilt's full-time catcher. He took over behind the plate and stepped up as one of the team's biggest offensive threats, leading the Commodores in home runs while making just one error all season.
He delivered in some big moments. A go-ahead three-run homer against Louisiana, a 469-foot rocket against Mississippi State and a two-run homer that helped Vanderbilt shut out No. 1 Tennessee.
In the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Vanderbilt came in as the eighth seed and faced top-seeded Tennessee. Espinal put together one of the biggest performances of his college career, hitting two home runs and driving in five runs in a 13-4 win. His three-run homer helped turn a close game into a comfortable Vanderbilt lead. Tennessee went on to win the national championship that June, making the victory even more memorable.
Espinal finished the season with All-Region honors and an SEC Player of the Week award, wrapping up a college career that had taken plenty of patience and hard work.
He also checked another big item off his list. In May 2024, Espinal graduated from Vanderbilt with a degree in medicine, health and society. After baseball, he hopes to become a chiropractor. Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin called his development "extraordinary," a fitting description of how far he'd come since arriving on campus.
From Vanderbilt to the Rockies
The Colorado Rockies selected Espinal in the 11th round of the 2024 MLB Draft, giving him the opportunity to take the next step in his baseball career.
For two winters, he headed home to Puerto Rico to play for the Gigantes de Carolina and the Criollos de Caguas.
His first full professional season in 2025 was a learning experience. Playing for Single-A Fresno, Espinal struggled to find consistency at the plate. Adjusting to professional baseball takes time, and the Rockies continued to give him opportunities to develop.
In 2026, he earned a promotion to High-A Spokane, where his game started coming together. He showed more great patience at the plate and made noticeable improvements defensively. An encouraging step forward after a challenging first season in the pros.
Making an Impact in Spokane
Espinal had plenty of moments in 2026 that showed what he could bring to the Spokane Indians.
On May 8, he provided all of Spokane's offense with a three-run homer in a 3-0 win over Tri-City. He also threw out a runner at the plate in the same game, showing the kind of impact he can make on both sides of the ball.
A little over a month later, he hit a game-tying home run against Eugene in a contest Spokane would eventually win. In August, he helped spark a rally against Hillsboro with a leadoff double and a heads-up dash home.
Doesn't matter if it's making a big play behind the plate, coming through with a timely hit or finding a way to get on base, Espinal has continued to show that he contributes.
He's also become a familiar face around Spokane. Local station SWX featured him on its "Fair or Foul" series, where he talked about his family and what motivates him while building toy houses with the host. It was a playful nod to his work as a pitch framer and offered a glimpse of the personality behind the mask.
What's Next?
His story isn't really about one standout skill or a single big moment. It's about steady growth and making the most of the opportunities that come his way.
He went from volunteering to catch at 12 to becoming one of the country's top catching prospects. He went from limited playing time at Vanderbilt to becoming a key player and earning All-Region honors. After a tough first year in professional baseball, he was able to make some serious progress at High-A.
The next step is Double-A Hartford, where he'll have another opportunity to show how far his game has come. If he continues building on the progress he made in Spokane, he'll be one step closer to reaching his ultimate goal.
For a player who's spent his entire career adapting to new challenges, finding a way forward is nothing new.
The First to Believe in ThighPro
Alan was the first athlete ever to wear ThighPro (2023). At that time, we literally had one prototype pair of shorts and we gave it to Alan for testing. When we requested to get them back, Alan very reluctantly returned them (because he didn't want to play without them). His feedback helped shape our fit and design, making him an important part of ThighPro’s early development.
We love Alan and it's been so great building a relationship with him over the years. Whenever he’s playing in Arizona, we try and get out to see him and catch up. Alan's favorite spot in Scottsdale might be Pure Sushi - or maybe he loves it because we do. That’s just the kind of guy Alan is - humble, genuine, and grateful.
Sources
- Baseball-Reference register page
- Vanderbilt roster bio
- Vanderbilt: "From the First Day to the Last" (May 2024)
- Vanderbilt Hustler: draft coverage (July 2024)
- Baseball America player page
- Sports Illustrated: Vanderbilt 13, Tennessee 4
- AP via Yahoo: 2023 SEC semifinal
- Vanderbilt: 2023 SEC Tournament title
- Spokesman-Review: May 8, 2026, June 14, 2026, Aug. 21, 2026
- SWX "Fair or Foul" feature
