Preston Palmeiro Forges His Own Path 

Preston Palmeiro is only trying to be himself. No more. No less. With his last name already etched in baseball history, that is the only approach that Palmeiro can take on his path to the big leagues.

His father, Rafael Palmeiro, finished a two-decade Major League career as one of only seven players in MLB history to be a member of both the 3,000 hit club and the 500 home run club, a list that features legends including Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Eddie Murray, Albert Pujols, and most recently Miguel Cabrera.

Preston most likely won’t be joining that list, and he’s perfectly fine with that.

“If I was to go have a 10-year big league career, it still would be half of what he did. It’s one of those things where I understand that he was in an elite category of baseball players,” Preston said of his dad. “I’ve always tried to do my own thing and if I have a great career, then I do, but it shouldn’t be tied to him.”

With Preston and his brother Patrick growing up playing baseball, Rafael wanted to keep the message simple for his sons.

“I told them to be themselves. Don’t try to live up to anything. Be who you are. I had a pretty good career, and not many players can reach those levels of home runs or hits,” Rafael said. “I told them they don’t have to think about any of that. Be yourself and set your own legacy. I don’t think Preston is doing anything other than trying to make his own mark.”

That attitude growing up led Preston to the professional game when he was drafted by one of his father’s teams, the Baltimore Orioles, in the seventh round of the 2016 draft. After five years in the Orioles system, Preston was signed by the Angels heading into the 2021 campaign and send most of last season at Triple-A Salta Lake, batting .243 with 14 home runs and 48 RBI in 109 games.

To begin 2022, Preston was assigned to Rocket City and has been an anchor in the heart of the Trash Pandas lineup, batting .253 with four home runs, 42 RBI, 21 doubles, and 31 runs in 76 games to help the club clinch a playoff spot for the first time. Despite the strong start, there was a moment of doubt when he realized he wasn’t going back to Salt Lake.

“I wouldn’t lie and say I wasn’t disappointed because I didn’t want to take a step backwards,” Preston said. “When I found out I was coming here this year, I gave myself a few minutes to be sorry for myself. But the goal isn’t to be in the minors, whether it’s here or in Salt Lake. It’s to be in the big leagues. If I can do that being here and helping this team win, that’s all that matters.”

Once in Rocket City, Preston got off to a rough start, going 0-for-16 over the first week of the season. But on Sunday, April 17, he broke through in a big way. In a scoreless tie against Pensacola in the bottom of the 11th inning, Preston lined a base hit to right, scoring Aaron Whitefield for a walk-off single, earning the Trash Pandas a series split in their first home set of 2022.

PRESTON PALMEIRO WALK OFF HERO AND THAT’S A TRASH PANDAS WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/gpJBcLrU77

— Rocket City Trash Pandas (@trashpandas) April 17, 2022

“The walk-off hit was huge,” Preston said. “It was my first hit of the year and it got us a big win.”

From there, he has flourished, hitting .375 in his next seven games. Most recently, Preston was named the Trash Pandas’ Blue Orbit Player of the Month for June after hitting .309.

A part of Preston’s sharp hitting may be some fatherly advice, as he has a close relationship with his father, talking baseball and more. Recently, Rafael and Preston spent time together in the indoor batting cage at Toyota Field, working on the swing that has been hot of late.

“He’s pretty much a genius. Anyone that’s played the game for as long as he has, there’s almost a different way of seeing things and different ways of doing it,” Preston said of his dad. “He gives me tips every day, whether it is something pitcher are doing or other things I need to be doing. Even when I’m hitting well, he’ll notice little things that could be corrected. He’s got an eye for it.”

“The main thing is I try to get him to simplify things and try to unclutter some of the information in his brain. A lot of times, there’s so much to process and so many things to do to try and get going,” Rafael said. “The main thing is to keep it simple, see it and hit it, focus on the ball putting a good swing on it while not worrying about anything else.”

Simplifying things has helped Preston be a catalyst in many Trash Pandas wins this season, having a blast both on and off the field.

“Once we came out of the gate and swept Birmingham, we fed off that. We know we’re a good team but not in a way that’s arrogant,” Preston said. “We know we have the talent so it helps when we play in a ballpark like this with the fan support. It’s one thing after another. It’s fun, all the guys are having fun and playing well, and it’s great to keep showing up when it’s like that.”

Preston and the Trash Pandas will look to continue that momentum after the All-Star break, with advice from one of the game’s best providing insight as only he can.