Molina was born in the Puerto Rican town of Bayamon to Benjamin Molina and Gladys Matta.
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His father was an amateur second baseman and the all-time hits leader in Puerto Rican baseball, and his two older brothers, Bengie and José, both became standout defensive catchers with MLB careers.
Scouts were drawn to Molina’s pitching and throwing abilities long before he played professionally.
After being drafted in the fourth round by the Cardinals in the 2000 MLB draft, he quickly established himself as one of the game’s strongest and most accurate pitchers.
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Yadier Molina is widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive catchers of all time for his blocking ability as well as his caught stealing percentage.
He has nine Rawlings Gold Gloves and six Fielding Bible Awards. He is a two-time World Series champion who has appeared in twelve playoff games and four National League pennants with the Cardinals.
Molina has also represented Puerto Rico in four World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournaments, winning two silver medals.
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