Sam Long Bio
Samuel Trenton Long, known professionally as Sam Long, is an American professional baseball pitcher currently playing for the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, and Kansas City Royals. Long first came into public view as an 18th-round draft pick who later reinvented his mechanics, regained velocity, and built a career as a reliable relief pitcher.
Standing out for his resilience, Long took a year away from organized baseball in 2018, considered becoming a firefighter, and still worked his way to the major leagues by 2021. Over parts of five MLB seasons, he appeared primarily out of the bullpen and earned a reputation for strong strikeout numbers and steady contributions at the Triple-A level.
Sam Long
Early Life and Background
Samuel Trenton Long was born on July 8, 1995, in Fair Oaks, California, and grew up in the Sacramento area. He attended Rosemont High School, where he played two seasons of varsity baseball, before transferring to Del Campo High School in nearby Carmichael, California, for his junior and senior years. At Del Campo, he pitched to an 0.88 earned run average in his senior season, struck out 49 batters in 31 2/3 innings, and was named the Capital Valley Conference Most Valuable Player in 2013.
After high school, Long enrolled at California State University, Sacramento, where he played college baseball for the Sacramento State Hornets. As a freshman in 2014, he went 8-2 with a 3.03 ERA, led the Western Athletic Conference with two shutouts, and was recognized as the WAC Freshman of the Year and a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. He spent four years in the Hornets program, finishing among the school’s all-time leaders in career batting average against and wins despite pitching through two herniated disks in his final collegiate season.
Path to Professional Baseball
Long was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 18th round, 540th overall, of the 2016 MLB Draft and signed for a $75,000 bonus. He made his professional debut that summer in the Gulf Coast League and also pitched for the Princeton Rays of the rookie-level Appalachian League. In 2017, he advanced to Low-A Hudson Valley and Single-A Bowling Green, where he posted a 2.27 ERA across 31 2/3 innings.
On the final day of spring training in March 2018, Long was released by the Rays organization. He stepped away from the sport for a full year, took emergency medical technician classes, and considered becoming a firefighter before returning to Sacramento State to finish his communications degree. While working out, he reverted to his natural over-the-top arm slot, saw his fastball velocity climb into the mid-90s, and a highlight reel posted on social media drew attention from a Chicago White Sox area scout who signed him to a minor league deal in March 2019.
Sam Long Career
Early Career (2016-2019)
After his 2019 minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox, Long spent the full season with the Single-A Kannapolis Intimidators, where he went 8-5 with a 3.06 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 97 innings. He showed improved command, held opponents to a .205 batting average, and saw his fastball touch 95 mph. The 2020 minor league season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Long elected free agency that November before catching on with the San Francisco Giants.
San Francisco Giants Breakthrough (2021-2022)
Long signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants in November 2020 and began 2021 with the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels. He climbed quickly through the system, reached Triple-A Sacramento, and entered spring training hitting 97 mph on the radar gun. On June 9, 2021, he was formally selected to the Giants’ active roster, and he made his MLB debut in relief against the Texas Rangers, striking out seven of the first ten batters he faced. He picked up his first MLB win on June 20, 2021, against the Philadelphia Phillies with six innings of two-run ball.
Across 2021 and 2022 with San Francisco, Long appeared in 40 games and posted a combined 3-4 record with a 4.50 ERA, serving in both starting and relief roles. On July 6, 2022, he recorded his first major league save against the Arizona Diamondbacks before a right oblique strain ended his season in late August. Optioned back to Triple-A Sacramento to open 2023, he struggled and was designated for assignment in mid-April.
Oakland Athletics (2023)
On April 23, 2023, Long was traded to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for cash considerations. He worked almost exclusively out of the Oakland bullpen, appearing in 40 games and registering a 5.60 ERA, 32 strikeouts, and 2 saves across 45 innings. After the season, Oakland removed him from its 40-man roster, and Long elected free agency in November 2023.
Kansas City Royals Era (2024-2025)
Long signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals in December 2023 and opened the year at Triple-A Omaha, where he posted a 1.31 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings. The Royals added him to the major league roster on May 20, 2024, and he went on to appear in 43 games that season, going 3-3 with a 3.16 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings. In 2025, he made 39 appearances for Kansas City and recorded a 2-3 record and 5.36 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings before being removed from the 40-man roster in November 2025 and electing free agency.
Notable Events and Milestones
Long’s career is defined by perseverance. After being released by the Rays, he worked his way back to affiliated baseball through independent training and a viral video that caught the eye of a White Sox scout. He reached the majors in 2021, recorded his first MLB save with the Giants in 2022, and became a dependable relief option in Oakland and Kansas City before taking his game overseas to Japan.
Sam Long Career Wins and Performances
Through the 2025 MLB season, Long had compiled an 8-11 win-loss record with a 4.65 ERA and 180 strikeouts in his major league career. Across four organizations, he has served mostly as a reliever while filling in as an occasional starter. With the Chiba Lotte Marines, he has been used out of the bullpen in NPB, where through mid-May 2026 he recorded a 2.04 ERA and 10 strikeouts.
Major League Highlights
Long earned his first MLB victory against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 20, 2021, with six innings of two-run ball, and collected his first save on July 6, 2022, against the Arizona Diamondbacks. His strongest MLB season came in 2024 with the Royals, when he posted a 3.16 ERA over 43 appearances, and he recorded a 1.31 ERA at Triple-A Omaha earlier that same year.
| Team | Wins | ERA | Strikeouts |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Giants (2021-2022) | 3 | 4.50 | 72 |
| Oakland Athletics (2023) | 0 | 5.60 | 32 |
| Kansas City Royals (2024-2025) | 5 | 4.18 | 77 |
Sam Long Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Sam Long’s immediate family and any sports background in his household is limited. He grew up in the Fair Oaks area of the Sacramento region and credits his family and local community for supporting his long path through the minor leagues.
2025 Season Performance
In 2025, Long served as a middle reliever for the Kansas City Royals, appearing in 39 games and logging a 2-3 record with a 5.36 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings. His innings were spread across long relief, hold situations, and occasional spot starts as Kansas City’s bullpen dealt with injuries. On November 7, 2025, the Royals removed him from the 40-man roster and outrighted him to Triple-A Omaha, and Long rejected the assignment to elect free agency.
Two weeks later, on November 23, 2025, Long signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball, opening a new chapter in Japan. Through his first appearances in NPB in 2026, he has shown the sharp curveball and improved fastball command that once carried him back into affiliated ball, signaling that his international move is off to a productive start.