Auburn Baseball in the Pros - Sept. 9

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Auburn Baseball in the Pros - Sept. 9Auburn Baseball in the Pros - Sept. 9

MLB
Garrett Cooper (1B, Miami Marlins)
2022 (102 games): .250/.328/.389, 29 R, 88 H, 24 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 42 RBI, 35 BB

After playing in just 105 games in the last two seasons, Cooper made his first career All-Star appearance in July and is on pace to set career-best numbers in numerous offensive categories including at-bats, hits, doubles, total bases and RBI. Cooper was in-and-out of the lineup due to injury in August.

Josh Donaldson (3B, New York Yankees)
2022 (112 games): .220/.309/.375, 46 R, 88 H, 26 2B, 12 HR, 51 RBI, 47 BB, 2 SB

In his first season in New York, Donaldson has helped lead the Yankees to the second-best record in the American League as he has played in 112 of the team's 135 games, primarily at the hot corner. The 2015 AL MVP and 2019 NL Comeback Player of the Year hit .239 with seven doubles, three homers and 15 RBI in August and is 2-for-5 with three walks in the last two games. His 26 doubles are the most on the Yankees and good for top 20 in the AL.  

Casey Mize (RHP, Detroit Tigers)
2022 (2 games/2 starts): 0-1, 5.40 ERA, 10.0 IP, 13 H, 6 R/ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1.50 WHIP

After being named to MLB Pipeline's 2021 All-Rookie Second Team, Mize made just two starts in 2022 before being shut down with an elbow injury on Apr. 15. He began a rehab assignment on May 9 but was ultimately place on the 60-day IL on May 31 and underwent Tommy John surgery on June 15.

Josh Palacios (OF, Washington Nationals)
2022 MLB (18 games): .212/.212/.242, 5 R, 7 H, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 SB
2022 MiLB (82 games): .294/.379/.439, 48 R, 87 H, 12 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 48 RBI, 35 BB, 21 SB


Another former Auburn Tigers who made his MLB debut in 2021, Palacios was called back up to the big leagues following the trade deadline and made his Nationals debut on Aug. 2 before going 2-for-4 with a run the following day. He is 4-for-15 with a RBI in the last six games. Palacios started the season in Buffalo but spent the majority of the season with Triple-A Rochester prior to his call-up, leading qualified players in average (.298) and on-base percentage (.382) while ranking second in stolen bases (19) and fourth in runs (43), hits (82) and RBI (44).

Keegan Thompson (RHP, Chicago Cubs)
2022 (25 games/17 starts): 9-5, 3.97 ERA, 104.1 IP, 100 H, 52 R/46 ER, 37 BB, 91 K, 1.31 WHIP

After making his MLB debut in May 2021, Thompson has emerged as one of the Cubs arms in 2022, leading the team and ranking 20th in the National League with nine wins while ranking second in strikeouts and third in innings. Thompson earned his ninth win of the season against Washington on Aug. 8, allowing one run in 6.0 innings.  
 TRIPLE-A
Davis Daniel (RHP, Salt Lake Bees – Los Angeles Angels)
2022 (17 games/17 starts): 5-6, 5.08 ERA, 79.2 IP, 78 H, 53 R/45 ER, 27 BB, 67 K, 1.32 WHIP

Daniel made it all the way to Triple-A in his first professional season in 2021 and was called up to the Angels on June 11 but did not make an appearance before being sent back to Salt Lake on June 14. Daniel was recently named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week after throwing 7.0 scoreless innings on Aug. 30. In his last three starts, he is 2-1 with a 1.50 ERA and 16 strikeouts to three walks in 18.0 innings.

Grant Dayton (LHP, Salt Lake Bees – Los Angeles Angels)
2022 (42 games): 0-1, 4.60 ERA, 1 SV, 45.0 IP, 44 H, 27 R/23 ER, 18 BB, 53 K, 1.38 WHIP

A five-year big leaguer, Dayton currently finds himself a teammate of fellow former Auburn pitcher Davis Daniel with the Salt Lake Bees after starting the season with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. His 42 appearances are tied for the most in a professional season since 2014, and he has allowed just three earned runs in his last nine appearances and 9.1 innings pitched.  

Daniel Robert (RHP, Round Rock Express – Texas Rangers)
2022 (31 games): 2-3, 5.91 ERA, 2 SV, 32.0 IP, 28 H, 21 R/ER, 21 BB, 42 K, 1.53 WHIP

Spending the entirety of the season in Triple-A to this point, Robert has held the opponent scoreless in 20 trips to the mound, including 15 of his last 21 appearances. Outside of an outing on Aug. 13, Robert turned in a 2.35 ERA in August and earned back-to-back wins in relief on Aug. 27 and Aug. 31. He hasn't allowed a baserunner in his last three appearances.

Ryan Watson (RHP, Norfolk Tides – Baltimore Orioles)
2022 (23 games/18 starts): 7-5, 3.65 ERA, 1 SV, 101.0 IP, 89 H, 44 R/41 ER, 25 BB, 104 K, 1.13 WHIP

After dominating with Double-A Bowie for the entirety of the season, Watson was promoted to Triple-A Norfolk on Aug. 16 and has made three appearances in relief on the doorstep of the big leagues. After making 20 appearances and 18 starts for Bowie, Watson still currently ranks second on the team in innings (95.0) and third in strikeouts (100) despite being called up three weeks ago. Watson's seven wins are tied for fifth among Orioles minor leaguers, and his 104 strikeouts are seventh.  

Trey Wingenter (RHP, Louisville Bats – Cincinnati Reds)

After making his MLB debut with San Diego on Aug. 7, 2018, Wingenter has pitched in just seven games since the end of that season and is currently on the injured list.
 DOUBLE-A
Tanner Burns (RHP, Akron Rubber Ducks – Cleveland Guardians)
2022 (19 games/starts): 3-6, 3.55 ERA, 78.2 IP, 65 H, 34 R/31 ER, 37 BB, 80 K, 1.30 WHIP

Outside of making just one start in May, Burns has been in Akron's rotation since the season began and leads the Rubber Ducks in starts and innings while ranking tied for fourth in strikeouts on a team that ranks third in the league in ERA. The former Compensation Round pick earned the win in 5.2 scoreless innings with six strikeouts on Aug. 24 and has allowed two or fewer earned runs in five of his last six starts. He is rated by MLB.com as the Guardians No. 19 prospect.  

Sonny DiChiara (IF, Rocket City Trash Pandas – Los Angeles Angels)
2022 (26 games): .232/.432/.293, 6 R, 19 H, 2 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 24 BB

After being drafted in the fifth round of the 2022 MLB Draft, DiChiara made his professional debut with Double-A Rocket City on July 30 and reached base five times, going 2-for-2 with two walks, a hit-by-pitch and two RBI. His first professional homer came in a multi-hit, multi-RBI effort on Aug. 5 and he recently went 3-for-3 with a season-high three RBI including a walk-off single on Aug. 30. DiChiara has reached base in all but three of his first 26 professional games.

Will Holland (IF, Wichita Wind Surge – Minnesota Twins)
2022 (105 games): .233/.347/.386, 61 R, 79 H, 13 2B, 6 3B, 9 HR, 46 RBI, 52 BB, 29 SB

After playing 85 games in High-A, Holland was promoted to Double-A on Aug. 11 and is hitting .270 with a double, two triples, three homers and a .410 on-base percentage in 20 games with the Wind Surge. He collected three hits in his debut with the club and homered in back-to-back games on Aug. 14 and Aug. 16, driving in a season-high five in the latter of the two contests. Holland has registered career bests in nearly every offensive category including average, on-base percentage, hits, runs, RBI and stolen bases.

Bailey Horn (LHP, Tennessee Smokies – Chicago Cubs)
2022 (29 games): 1-3, 3.20 ERA, 3 SV, 45.0 IP, 33 H, 16 R/ER, 31 BB, 63 K, 1.42 WHIP

Horn started the season with five scoreless outings and 16 strikeouts in 10.0 innings for High-A South Bend before being promoted to Double-A, where he has struck out 47 batters in 35.0 innings and has recorded two holds and three saves in as many opportunities. Horn has allowed just one run in his last seven appearances and 11.1 innings. He has struck out 20 batters during the span, including a season-high six batters in 3.0 scoreless innings on Aug. 13.

Edouard Julien (IF, Wichita Wind Surge – Minnesota Twins)
2022 (102 games): .292/.438/.494, 70 R, 105 H, 16 2B, 3 3B, 17 HR, 63 RBI, 91 BB, 16 SB

According to Twins Daily, Julien turned in the second-best offensive season by a Twins minor leaguer in 2021 and continues to produce at a high leve at Double-A in 2022. Julien leads the Texas League in walks and on-base percentage while ranking fourth in OPS (.932) and seventh in slugging (.494). He went 4-for-4 with a homer and four RBI in a game on Aug. 13 and followed it up by going 3-for-5 with two doubles the following day. Julien, who has 29 multi-hit and 15th multi-RBI games this season, hit his 17th homer of the year in a three-hit, three-RBI effort on Sept. 1. He was named a 2021 MiLB.com Organizational All-Star and is currently rated by MLB.com as the Twins' No. 14 prospect.

Matt Scheffler (C, Arkansas Travelers – Seattle Mariners)
2022 (64 games): .258/.392/.332, 43 R, 56 H, 7 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 29 RBI, 43 BB, 7 SB

After working his way through two levels of A-ball last year, Scheffler has spent the entirety of the 2022 season with Double-A Arkansas. The backstop hit his first home run of the season on Aug. 17 and is 5-for-13 with four RBI in his last three games. Behind the plate, Scheffler has thrown out 19 would-be base stealers and has turned in a .991 fielding percentage.
 SINGLE-A
Ryan Bliss (IF, Hillsboro Hops – Arizona Diamondbacks)
2022 (110 games): .214/.298/.343, 68 R, 91 H, 19 2B, 3 3B, 10 HR, 37 RBI, 43 BB, 31 SB

The 42nd overall pick of the Diamondbacks a season ago, Bliss leads Hillsboro in runs and ranks second in game played and stolen bases, tied for second in hits and homers, and third in doubles and RBI. Bliss is coming off his best month of the season during which he hit slashed .265/.374/.480 in August and ended the month on a seven-game hitting streak, hitting .346 during the stretch. He is currently rated by MLB.com as the Diamondbacks' No. 26 prospect.

Calvin Coker (RHP, Lansing Lugnuts – Oakland Athletics)
2022 (23 games): 2-0, 2.16 ERA, 5 SV, 33.1 IP, 37 H, 13 R/8 ER, 8 BB, 32 K, 1.35 WHIP

Prior to this season, Coker spent the last two years recovering from elbow surgery but has worked his way back and has been productive across three levels this season. After making his first appearance since Sept. 1, 2019, on June 10, Coker has allowed more than one earned run in just two of his appearances. He went 1-0 with a 2.19 ERA and earned three saves in August, including a stretch of seven consecutive scoreless outings.  

Richard Fitts (RHP, Hudson Valley Renegades – New York Yankees)
2022 (21 games/starts): 6-8, 3.87 ERA, 107.0 IP, 92 H, 49 R/46 ER, 19 BB, 123 K, 1.02 WHIP

Fitts was promoted to High-A Hudson Valley on Aug. 9 and has been lights out since joining the Renegades. Including his final start at Low-A, the hard-throwing righty is 3-0 with a 0.56 ERA in his last five starts. He has struck out 37 batters and issued three walks in 32.1 innings during the stretch. Following an 8.0-inning, nine-strikeout performance against Hickory on Aug. 27, Fitts was named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week, marking his third weekly award this season.

Jack Owen (LHP, Lansing Lugnuts – Oakland Athletics)
2022 (33 games/10 starts): 8-5, 3.27 ERA, 3 SV, 85.1 IP, 76 H, 39 R/31 ER, 23 BB, 88 K, 1.16 WHIP

After making 23 appearances and posting a 3.41 ERA with three wins and three saves in the California League, Owen was promoted to Lansing midseason and has turned in better numbers at the higher level. The second-year lefty is 3-0 in his last five starts and has pitched at least 5.0 innings in each outing. He most recently pitched in relief on Sept. 4 and earned the win in 2.1 innings as Lansing no-hit South Bend.

Mason Barnett (RHP, Columbia Fireflies – Kansas City Royals)
2022 (2 games/1 start): 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 0.00 WHIP

A third-round selection of the Royals this summer, Barnett made his pro debut in the rookie league on Aug. 23 before being promoted to Single-A Columbia at the end of the month. He earned his first career win in 2.0 scoreless innings of relief on Sept. 2. Barnett is rated by MLB.com as the Royals No. 25 prospect.

Trace Bright (RHP, Delmarva Shorebirds – Baltimore Orioles)
2022 (3 games/1 start): 0-0, 2.35 ERA, 7.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R/2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, 0.52 WHIP

A fifth-round selection of the Orioles, Bright has made three appearances at the rookie league and Single-A levels. He struck out four batters in 2.0 perfect innings in his pro debut on Aug. 19 before being promoted to Delmarva on Aug. 27. He has since pitched in two games in relief, allowing two runs in 5.2 innings.

Blake Burkhalter (RHP, Augusta GreenJackets – Atlanta Braves)
2022 (2 games): 1-0, 10.80 ERA, 1.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R/ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 3.00 WHIP

The highest college reliever taken in the 2022 MLB Draft, Burkhalter made his professional debut with the FCL Braves on Aug. 13 before being promoted to the Augusta GreenJackets on Aug. 30. Burkhalter earned his first professional win in 1.1 scoreless innings with a strikeout against Salem on Sept. 4. He is rated by MLB.com as the Braves No. 25 prospect.

Peyton Glavine (LHP, Fredericksburg Nationals – Washington Nationals)
2022 (15 games): 1-0, 3.80 ERA, 21.1 IP, 17 H, 9 R/ER, 9 BB, 30 K, 1.22 WHIP

After spending the majority of three months on the injured list and making a pair of rehab appearances, Glavine returned to the Fredericksburg bullpen on Aug. 13 and turned in three straight scoreless, hitless outings with a win upon his return to the team. Glavine has held the opponent scoreless in 12 trips to the mound and has recorded at least one strikeout in 13 appearances.

Cody Greenhill (RHP, Fredericksburg Nationals – Washington Nationals)
2022 (34 games): 1-0, 2,.93 ERA, 2 SV, 43.0 IP, 31 H, 16 R/14 ER, 11 BB, 69 K, 0.98 WHIP

A second-year pro, Greenhill has been one of Fredericksburg's best relievers this season, leading the team among pitchers with 20 or more appearances in ERA and WHIP and ranking second in average against. Despite tallying the 11th most innings, the bullish right-hander is sixth on the team in strikeouts, fanning batters at a 14.4 K/9.0 IP rate. Greenhill posted a 0.90 ERA in nine appearances in August, striking out 15 and issuing just two walks during the span. He has allowed just two earned runs in his last 18 appearances.

Tyler Miller (3B, Salem Red Sox – Boston Red Sox)
2022 (110 games): .209/.278/.332, 60 R, 87 H, 10 2B, 1 3B, 13 HR, 58 RBI, 36 BB, 20 SB

Miller has been a cog in Salem's lineup all season, ranking second on the team in games played and RBI, tied for second in homers, third in runs and fourth in hits. Coming off arguably his best month of the season, Miller raised his average 11 points and drove in 21 runs in August. He collected his first career multi-homer game and drove in four runs at Augusta on Aug. 30.

Brody Moore (IF, Palm Beach Cardinals – St. Louis Cardinals)
2022 (29 games): .265/.328/.304, 10 R, 27 H, 4 2B, 12 RBI, 11 BB, 3 SB

After being drafted in the 17th round, Moore was assigned to Palm Beach and collected a hit in his professional debut. He is hitting .333 in September and has multiple hits in four of the last seven contests, good for a .385 clip during the span. Moore recently collected a season-high three hits and drove in a season-high three runs on Sept. 4.

Steven Williams (C, Fredericksburg Nationals – Washington Nationals)
2022 (50 games): .238/.362/.314, 24 R, 41 H, 7 2B, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 32 BB, 2 SB

In his first full season of pro ball, Williams played in 50 games for the Fredericksburg Nationals with former Auburn teammates Peyton Glavine and Cody Greenhill. He collected multiple hits on nine occasions and drove in multiple runs four times.
 ROOKIE
Blake Rambusch (IF, ACL Mariners – Seattle Mariners)
2022 (11 games): .313/.425/.344, 6 R, 10 H, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 5 BB, 6 SB

After ranking second on Auburn in average in 2022, Rambusch picked up right where he left off in pro ball, doubling in his first career at-bat and collecting 10 hits in his first 11 games. The 15th-round selection of the Mariners is reaching base at a .425 clip and has driven in a pair of runs.

Carson Skipper (LHP, ACL Rockies – Colorado Rockies)
2022 (2 games): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 0.50 WHIP

An 11th round selection of the Rockies, Skipper was assigned to the rookie league in August and has jump started his pro career with a pair of scoreless appearances. He has allowed one baserunner with two strikeouts in 2.0 innings and earned a hold.


*Stats updated through games of Sept. 6.