Rocco Baldelli was born on September 25, 1981, in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. He attended Bishop Hendricken High School before being selected in the first round, sixth overall, by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 2000 draft. Baldelli made his Major League Baseball debut with the Devil Rays on March 31, 2003. He won the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year award in 2002 and placed third in voting for American League Rookie of the Year in 2003. A rare metabolic disorder limited his playing career, leading him to sign with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent in 2009. He retired from playing in 2010 after a brief return to the Rays. Baldelli joined the Minnesota Twins as manager after the 2018 season. In 2019, he led the Twins to 101 wins and an American League Central Division title, earning the American League Manager of the Year award. He served as Twins manager through the 2025 season before being fired.