Keyvius Sampson Facts for Kids

Keyvius Nathaniel Sampson (born January 6, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher. A pitcher is a player who throws the baseball from the mound to the catcher. He currently plays for the Caliente de Durango in the Mexican League. Keyvius has also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds. He played in the KBO League in South Korea for the Hanwha Eagles. He also played in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) in Taiwan for the Uni-President Lions and Fubon Guardians.

Keyvius Sampson's Baseball Journey

Keyvius Sampson's Baseball Journey

Keyvius Sampson has played baseball for many teams around the world. He started his career in the minor leagues in the United States. Later, he played in the major leagues and then in leagues in South Korea, Taiwan, and Mexico.

Starting with the San Diego Padres

Keyvius Sampson was chosen by the San Diego Padres in the fourth round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft. This means they picked him to join their team. In 2010, he had a great year. He won 12 games and lost 3. His earned run average (ERA) was 2.90, which is very good. ERA measures how many runs a pitcher allows per nine innings. He also had 143 strikeouts in 118 innings pitched. A strikeout is when a pitcher throws three strikes to a batter, and the batter is out.

In 2013, he started with a higher-level minor league team, the Triple-A Tucson Padres. But he was sent to a lower-level team, the Double-A San Antonio Missions, because his ERA was high. He did very well in Double-A, winning 10 games and losing 4 with a low 2.26 ERA. Because of this, he was moved back up to Triple-A.

Playing for the Cincinnati Reds

On January 8, 2015, the Cincinnati Reds picked up Sampson. This happened after the Padres removed him from their main roster. The Reds brought Sampson to the major leagues for the first time on July 30, 2015. In his first year, he played in 13 games. He won 2 games and lost 6, with an ERA of 6.54.

In 2016, the Reds removed him from their main roster again. But they brought him back later that year. He pitched in 18 games, mostly coming in to pitch during a game, not starting it. He had a 4.35 ERA and 42 strikeouts. After the 2016 season, he became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team.

Time with Other U.S. Teams

After leaving the Reds, Sampson signed minor league contracts with a few other teams. He played for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2017. He pitched for their Triple-A team, the Reno Aces. He was later released by the Diamondbacks.

He then signed with the Miami Marlins in June 2017. He played for their Triple-A team, the New Orleans Baby Cakes. He pitched in 14 games for them. After the season, he became a free agent again.

Pitching in South Korea

On November 13, 2017, Keyvius Sampson signed with the Hanwha Eagles in the KBO League in South Korea. This was a big move for his career. He had a fantastic year in 2018. He won 13 games and lost 8. He also had an impressive 195 strikeouts in 161 innings pitched. He was the strikeout leader in the KBO League that year. After the 2018 season, he became a free agent.

Back in the U.S. and Independent Leagues

In 2019, Sampson signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants. He played in a few games for their minor league teams. After that season, he became a free agent.

In 2021, he signed with the Chicago White Sox organization. He pitched in a few games for their minor league teams before being released. Later in 2021, he joined the Kansas City Monarchs in an independent baseball league. Independent leagues are not connected to Major League Baseball teams.

In 2022, he was traded to the Lexington Legends, another independent league team.

Playing in Taiwan

On July 7, 2022, Sampson signed with the Uni-President Lions in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) in Taiwan. He pitched well for them, with a 3.54 ERA in 11 games. In 2023, he continued to play for the Lions. He had a good season, winning 8 games and striking out 115 batters.

In 2024, he signed with the Fubon Guardians, another team in the CPBL. He pitched in 5 games for them. On May 13, 2024, he was removed from their active roster.

Return to Independent Leagues and Mexico

After playing in Taiwan, Sampson joined the Charleston Dirty Birds in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball on July 24, 2024. He had a strong performance there, winning 4 games and not losing any. He also had 35 strikeouts. He re-signed with the Dirty Birds for the 2025 season. He pitched in five games for them, with a 3-1 record.

On May 29, 2025, Sampson signed with the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. He pitched in four games for them. On July 3, 2025, he was traded to the Caliente de Durango, also in the Mexican League. He continues to play for them today.

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Keyvius Sampson facts for kids

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