Gamecocks in the Pros: June 10

Major League Baseball enters its summer months and a good number of former Gamecocks are finding success on the diamond. In this feature, we take a look at some of South Carolina’s former players throughout professional baseball.

Single-A

Alex Destino was moved to the Single-A Kannapolis Intimidators on May 2. In the last 30 days, he’s hitting .276 and slugging .490, with four home runs, two triples and five doubles.

After going through spring training with the Mets, Carlos Cortes was assigned to Single-A St. Lucie, where he’s hitting .262 and slugging .431 on the season.

Also in advanced Single-A, Jonah Bride is hitting .224 in 42 games this season after hitting .280 last season. His walk and home run rates are both up this season. In his last 10 games, he’s hitting .357 and slugging .536.

LT Tolbert spent just 10 games in Single-A Kane County before moving up to the A+ Visalia Rawhides of the California League. Since then, Tolbert is hitting .380 with 11 doubles, 12 walks and just 15 strikeouts.

After getting off to a rough start to the year in AA Biloxi, Braden Webb was moved to the Single-A Carolina Mudcats. Since then, he’s allowed just 21 hits in 30.2 innings, pitching to a 3.82 ERA.

Cody Morris’ minor league debut was put on hold due to injury. When he started in Single-A Lake County though, he proved it was worth the wait. In eight starts this year, Morris has given up a total of five extra base hits. Opponents are slugging .295 off Morris in 35 innings this year as he has amassed a 3.34 ERA.

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Clarke Schmidt has battled some minor injuries this year, but has still put up impressive numbers with the Single-A Tampa Tarpons. The former Gamecock hurler has a 3.48 ERA and 36-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 33.2 innings this year.

Eddy Demurias was a swiss army knife for the Gamecock pitching staff and is operating primarily out of the bullpen in Single-A Dayton. The 21-year old has pitched 36.1 innings in 18 relief appearances, posting an ERA of 5.45. In his last nine appearances, Demurias has a 3.00 ERA in his last nine appearances.

The third member of South Carolina’s electric 2018 pitching staff, Adam Hill, has also pitched well to start the 2019 season. In 11 starts, Hill has a 5-4 record, striking out 47 in 53.2 innings. His walk rate is down, allowing for a 1.30 WHIP this year.

Double-A

Dom Thompson-Williams was traded from the Yankees organization to the Mariners as part of the James Paxton trade last November and was assigned to the Double-A Arkansas Travelers. Thompson-Williams has become the everyday center fielder, hitting .238 with 19 extra base hits, including seven homers and three triples.

Tanner English has bounced back-and-forth a few times between Triple-A Rochester and Double-A Pensacola in the Twins organization. English is hitting .170 in 41 games this year.

Two former Gamecock pitchers are enjoying excellent seasons in Double-A. Jack Wynkoop is holding opposing hitters to a .248 batting average and has a 3.30 ERA in 12 starts this year. Wil Crowe was the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year last year and is off to a torrid start in 2019. With a 1.20 WHIP and 63-19 strikeout-to-walk ratio, Crowe looks poised for another promotion in the near future.

Triple-A

After three dominant years in Single and Double-A, Taylor Widener has struggled mightily to start the year with the Triple-A Reno Aces, part of the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. After allowing just 90 earned runs in 295 innings the last three seasons, Widener’s 60 earned runs in 56 innings have been a surprise. Still, he’s considered one of the top prospects in the Diamondbacks’ organization and could see a promotion in the next year or so should he turn it around.

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Max Schrock has battled several minor injuries this year and is currently on the 7-day injured list for the second time in a month. The former Gamecock is hitting .237 with 10 doubles and seven stolen bases on the year.

Peter Mooney was signed by the Rockies in free agency last offseason and assigned to Triple-A Albuquerque. There, he is hitting .231 and slugging .346 on the year.

MLB

Whit Merifield continues to be one of the Royals’ top players, hitting .294 and slugging .480 as Kansas City’s leadoff hitter. Always a player with a solid batting average, Merrifield has continued to develop his power, leading to a career-high .824 OPS.

Christian Walker got off to a lightning-fast start to the season and though he’s cooled a bit, the 28-year old is slugging .485, with half of his hits going for extra bases. In his last 10 games, Walker has a .986 OPS, hitting three home runs and two doubles.

The start of Jackie Bradley Jr.’s season was the exact opposite from Walker’s. The Red Sox center fielder was hitting below .150 for much of the beginning of the year. Of course, his stellar defense never left him, as he made several highlight catches. Lately, the 29-year old has seen a return to form, hitting .286 and slugging .548 in his last 15 games.

Grayson Greiner worked his way into the starting lineup in Detroit as the Tigers’ primary catcher. He’s hit five home runs in 147 at-bats, hitting .170 and playing solid defense in the process.

Justin Smoak is in the 10th year of his career and is on pace for career-highs in on-base percentage and walks. Smoak still hits for power, with 12 homers on the year, including six in his last 15 games. Only hitting .237, Smoak has a team-high on-base percentage of .374.

Last year’s World Series MVP Steve Pearce has battled injuries throughout the year, playing only 29 games this year. He’s currently on the 10-day injured list with a lower back strain.

Sam Dyson is on a terrible Giants team but is quietly putting up career numbers. In 28 appearances this year, Dyson has struck out 29 batters, walking just four and allowing just 25 hits, less than one hit or walk per inning. His .227 batting average against and 2.70 ERA are also elite and make him a prime trade candidate with the deadline approaching.

Tyler Webb’s raw numbers are a bit deceiving. While a 4.22 ERA suggests an average-at-best year, opposing hitters have just a .141 batting average against him and he’s allowed only two of 10 inherited runners to score. In his last 15 games, Webb has allowed just six hits.