ANAHEIM — When Sam Aldegheri made his major league debut two weeks ago, he had all the normal nerves that a 22-year-old might feel when he finally achieved a dream.
With a little extra on top.
“I was making history,” said Aldegheri, the first player born and raised in Italy to pitch in the major leagues. “My family was coming from Italy. It was a lot on my shoulders.”
Since then, the Angels left-hander has tried to strike a balance. He has to focus on his work, while acknowledging his role as a pioneer for baseball in Italy.
“What I’m doing is not just for myself and my family,” he said. “It’s for my country and the kids that watch me. I hope something is going to change in Italy. Baseball is going to grow a little more. That’s something that I always care about.
“Since I was a kid I said if I’m going to make it, I’m going to make my country proud. Create more fans and more people playing baseball.”
That’s also the goal of Marco Landi, the head of marketing and communications for the Federation of Italian Baseball and Softball. He’s been working with the Angels over the last two weeks to help share Aldegheri’s story with the Italian media.
He wants to capitalize on Aldegheri’s story to grow baseball in a country dominated by soccer.
“I believe that we can, if I can use this expression, exploit this situation a bit,” Landi said. “And Sam likes to be exploited. He’s very available.”
Aldegheri has been doing interviews with media around Italy. He is already committed to doing a tour of public appearances and youth camps around the country once the season is over.
Although Aldegheri said he is “kind of shy,” Landi believes he’s the perfect messenger for the sport.
“Samuel is very good with the microphone,” Landi said.
Of course, if any of this is going to matter, Aldegheri is going to need to have an actual major league career. His second start was encouraging. He gave up one run in six innings in a victory over the Texas Rangers.
“I think we are going to get a lot of reward from Sam, from what I believe is going to be the start of a career, and not just a flash,” Landi said.
Landi has known Aldegheri since he first showed up on Italy’s national 12-and-under team. Even back then, Landi said Aldegheri separated himself from the other kids.
Aldegheri, who grew up in Verona, said he began playing baseball because his older brother, Mattia, played. One day a family friend offered to help out Aldegheri’s parents by bringing 4-year-old Sam along with his brother to the baseball field.
“I just fell in love” with baseball, Aldegheri said.
While most boys in the country were watching soccer, Aldegheri was watching all the baseball he could find on YouTube. He dreamed of playing in the majors.
“I told my parents, I’m going to the U.S. and I’m going to be a professional baseball player,” Aldegheri said. “They didn’t believe me. My brother was the only one that believed in me.”
The Philadelphia Phillies had a scout in Italy, and he signed Aldegheri as a 17-year-old. When Aldegheri first arrived in Florida – along with his parents – to begin his career, he had second thoughts.
“After a couple days, I told my parents, I don’t know if I really want to do this,” he said. “I was really scared. I was not even 18 years old. I was not able to speak English. It was another culture. Everything was different. It was really hard, but then I just got used to it. Everything in life, you just need some time to get used to it.”
Aside from the language and cultural barriers, Aldegheri had to learn baseball. He said everything from the arm care to the way they played catch in the U.S. was new to him.
And then, during his first bullpen session in Florida, he got to see a Trackman.
“They showed me the numbers, and I was like, what are you guys showing me?” Aldegheri said. “I don’t know what those numbers are. It’s way different. Everything is different.”
His career was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and then an injured ulnar collateral ligament. He never had surgery. His first full season in the minors was 2023, and he posted a 4.25 ERA over 83⅔ innings. This year he took another step forward, posting a 3.59 ERA with 134 strikeouts in 95⅓ innings.
The Angels acquired him from the Phillies in the Carlos Estévez trade in late July, and he started just four games at Double-A before the Angels summoned him to the majors.
And that’s when Landi’s phone started ringing.
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The last Italian to play in the majors was Alex Liddi, a utility infielder who played 61 games over three seasons with the Seattle Mariners, from 2011-13.
When Aldegheri got the call, media all around Italy picked up the story, even outlets and news programs that didn’t even cover sports.
“This is news that goes outside the borders of sports and baseball,” Landi said.
While Aldegheri understands this, he’s trying not to let it consume him.
“I don’t really feel like I have a lot of weight right now,” he said. “Just trying to enjoy it. This is a blessing for me. I’m just trying to have fun.”
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Astros (TBA) Angels (LHP Sam Aldegheri, 1-1, 2.45 ERA), Friday, 6:38 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM
Angels starting pitcher Samuel Aldegheri throws to the plate during the first inning of his major league debut against the Seattle Mariners two weeks ago at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)