Assessment
Start with Premier’s Comprehensive Assessment, covering physical, biomechanics, pitch quality and strength & power testing, to identify exactly what you need to work on.
Premier Champion
Right-Handed Pitcher · Shelbyville, Tennessee · Toronto Blue Jays Organization
Player Bio
Sam Gardner is a right-handed pitcher from Shelbyville, Tennessee, whose baseball journey has been defined by persistence, development and finding a way to keep moving forward.
Gardner began his college career at Walters State Community College, where he emerged as one of the program’s top pitchers. As a sophomore, he went 9–0 with a 2.00 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 45 innings, earning First Team All-TCCAA honors.
That performance earned him an opportunity at the University of Alabama. In 2018, Gardner appeared in 18 games for the Crimson Tide, making seven starts and striking out 40 batters over 46.2 innings. He also competed in the SEC, gaining experience against some of the best college baseball talent in the country.
After Alabama, Gardner continued his college career at Murray State, where he made four starts during the shortened 2020 season and posted a 1.47 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 18.1 innings.
His professional career began in 2023 when he signed with the Milwaukee Brewers organization. Gardner worked his way through the Brewers’ minor-league system and also spent the 2023–24 offseason playing in the Australian Baseball League, where he was named the league’s Relief Pitcher of the Year after striking out 50 hitters and allowing just one earned run over 22.2 innings.
After continuing his professional career through the Brewers organization, Gardner signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in May 2026. He began the season with Double-A New Hampshire before earning a promotion to the Buffalo Bisons, Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate, in July.
From JUCO to the SEC, through multiple professional organizations and ultimately to Triple-A, Gardner’s career is a story of continually finding the next opportunity—and making the most of it.
Relationship With Premier
Sam Gardner began training with Premier in 2022, at a pivotal point in his professional baseball journey. The goal was never simply to throw harder—it was to build a more complete, durable and effective pitcher.
Through Premier’s comprehensive assessment and training process, Sam continued to develop across multiple areas of performance, with particular improvements in velocity, strength and overall pitch arsenal. His training focused on identifying the areas that would create the greatest opportunity for him to improve and translating those findings into a structured, individualized development plan.
That work helped Sam take another step in his career and ultimately earn his opportunity in affiliated professional baseball.
Since beginning with Premier, Sam has continued to evolve as a pitcher, using objective data, individualized programming and consistent training to build upon his strengths while addressing the areas that can separate good pitchers from those capable of competing at the highest levels.
His journey is a reflection of what Premier is built to do: assess the athlete, identify the opportunity, build the plan and continually develop the player.
Champion Memberships
Ready to start your own development journey? Use Sam’s Champion links below to choose the Premier membership that fits your goals.
Start with Premier’s Comprehensive Assessment, covering physical, biomechanics, pitch quality and strength & power testing, to identify exactly what you need to work on.
Train from anywhere with individualized Premier programming and ongoing support from our coaching staff.
Train in person with Premier’s coaching staff and development technology, following a plan built around your assessment.
Schedule a call with our team and we’ll help you choose the right path for your goals.
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