BIOGRAPHY
Thomas La Stella was born in Westwood, New Jersey, on January 31, 1989. He is an infielder in the MLB.
He and his two siblings grew up in nearby Closter, New Jersey. He is of Italian descent.
La Stella attended Saint Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, New Jersey. He played baseball in high school, but quit after his junior year, citing burnout.
He enrolled at St. John's University, where he played college baseball for the St. John's Red Storm for one year, before he transferred to Coastal Carolina University to play for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. La Stella appeared in 125 games (all starts) for the Chanticleers in 2010-2011 and batted .388 with 28 home runs and 136 runs batted in (RBIs). He committed 12 errors in 509 chances for Coastal Carolina, resulting in a .976 fielding percentage. In 2010, he played collegiate summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Bourne Braves.
He previously played for the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Angels, and Oakland Athletics. He played college baseball at St. John's University and Coastal Carolina University. La Stella was selected by the Braves in the eighth round of the 2011 MLB Draft, and he made his MLB debut with the Braves in 2014. La Stella won the 2016 World Series as a member of the Cubs, and was an All-Star in 2019 with the Angels.
On February 4, 2021, La Stella signed a three-year, $18.75 million contract with the San Francisco Giants; his salary for 2021 is $2 million. On May 18, he was placed on the 60-day injured list with a hamstring strain.
In the 2021 regular season, he batted .250/.308/.405 with 26 runs, 7 home runs, and 20 RBIs in 220 at bats. He played primarily second base, with five games at third base.
In 2022 he batted .239/.282/.350 in 180 at bats, with two home runs and 14 RBIs. His sprint speed of 24.9 feet per second, the same as the prior year, was in the slowest 10% in baseball. He played 43 games at DH, 13 as a pinch hitter, six at third base, and three each at first base and second base. He was designated for assignment on December 28, 2022. He was placed on release waivers by the Giants on January 5, 2023.
On January 19, 2023, La Stella signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Mariners.
