Samuel Jonathan Tuivailala
Samuel Jonathan Tuivailala (born October 19, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Tuivailala attended Aragon High School in San Mateo, California. He was a pitcher and infielder for the baseball team along with being a quarterback on the football team, as well as playing basketball.
He is of Tongan and Mexican descent. Tuivailala was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the third round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft. He made his professional debut for the Gulf Coast Cardinals. Tuivailala played in the outfield, shortstop and third base during his first two seasons in the Cardinals organization. After hitting only .220, he was converted into a relief pitcher before the 2012 season. Tuivailala made his pitching debut for the Johnson City Cardinals in 2012. He appeared in 12 games and had a 4.15 earned run average (ERA) in 13 innings with 23 strikeouts but issued 13 walks. The next season, he played for the Peoria Chiefs, appearing in 28 games and had a 5.35 ERA. Tuivailala started the 2014 season with the Palm Beach Cardinals. In July, he was promoted to the Springfield Cardinals of the AA Texas League, and shortly 
afterward was promoted to the major league roster. He made his MLB debut on September 9, and played in two games his rookie season.
The Cardinals recalled Tuivailala to the major leagues on May 15, 2015, from the AAA Memphis Redbirds. On July 1, Tuivailala was named a PCL All-Star for 2015, his first recognition as an All-Star in his minor league career. In 29 relief appearances and ?27 2/3 IP, he was 3–0 with a 1.95 ERA and 23 strikeouts. He also co-led the PCL in games finished (23) and tied for third-most with 11 saves, converting all 11 opportunities. PCL managers and coaches rated Tuivailala the league’s best reliever for 2015. He pitched in 12 games for the Cardinals in 2016, going 0-0 with a 6.00 ERA, as in 9 innings he gave up 12 hits, walked 6, and struck out 7. He was optioned to Triple-A Memphis to start the 2017 season. He spent 2017 between Memphis and St. Louis; with the Cardinals, he pitched to a 3-3 record, a 2.55 ERA, and 34 strikeouts in 42.1 innings pitched.
