From living out of his car to playing in the MLB: Yohel Pozo’s from rags to riches story “We were homeless in 2020″

Yohel Pozo hit a home run in his first game back in Major League Baseball on Monday night. Making what he calls his “second debut” in the big leagues, the 27-year-old Venezuelan is now the St. Louis Cardinals’ catcher and first baseman.

His journey to get to this point hasn’t been easy, but fortunately, he’s had incredible support from his family (his wife Paola and two young children), who’ve been beside him through all the good times and the bad - even when they were living out of a car.

Yohel Pozo’s incredible perseverance

Pozo spent several years trying to make it in MLB, playing in minor leagues beginning i 2013. But in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic threw a wrench into his plans. The minor league season was canceled and he was unable to play.

To make matters worse, his son, Paul, who was just a few months old at the time, suffered from a stroke. Without insurance to cover the medical costs, Paul’s ongoing appointments with neurologists and pediatricians drained their finances. They eventually found themselves living out of the back of their Hyundai Sonata and often going hungry.

“We were homeless in 2020 when my kid was in the hospital, so that gave me the [drive] to never get down on myself in baseball,” Pozo said ahead of the game on Mondat. “So the whole time I’ve been in the Minor Leagues, I’ve just been working to put up good numbers so I can have a job and insurance to take care of my son and my family.”

In 2021, Pozo got his first chance at the major leagues with the Texas Rangers, making his debut against the Oakland Athletics, when he recorded his first career hit and home run. In November, he was non-tendered by the Rangers and became a free agent, but re-signed with them on a minor league contract the next day. He spent the next years playing in the minor league for the A’s and the Cardinals.

Pozo was given the opportunity to play in the major league again following an injury to Ivan Herrera (bone bruise in the left knee, expected to be out for four weeks) that saw him promoted to the active roster on Monday, April 7.

And that’s when he smashed a splitter for a 380-foot home run, holding up his index and pinky fingers in the direction of his family, sitting just a few rows behind the Cardinals dugout.

“As soon as I hit the homer, I knew where they were sitting, and I signed to them,” said Pozo. “It was a great moment.”

Pozo explained that his family sits close not just to support him, but also so that he can be close to them if anything happens with his son, Paul, who is now five years old, and still faces health challenges.

“The reason why I take my family with me on every road trip is because of [Paul],” Pozo said. “I prefer, if he has an episode, I can run to the emergency room and be with him."

Although Pozo is proud of his individual feat in the game, he emphasized that it didn’t really matter, as the goal was to win the game, and the Cardinals lost 8-4 to the Pittsburgh Pirates. But his individual performance will be what keeps him on the field and out of living out of a car, something which Pozo works hard to avoid. He’s said that his family, and especially his son, has been the primary motivater for him in his journey to Major League Baseball.

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