Diamond Dawgs in the Show Update: September 3

Another Major League Baseball season has arrived with more Diamond Dawgs making their names on the biggest stage.

Early in the season, MSU had the most MLB players of any team in the SEC as Justin Foscue’s call up made 12 former Diamond Dawgs. Injuries have plagued several former Diamond Dawgs early this year, but they’re on the road to recovery.

Kendall Graveman enters year 10 in the league as the eldest Dog still playing pro baseball but is expected to miss all of 2024 after having shoulder surgery. The same could be said for Brandon Woodruff who missed several months last year with a shoulder injury and could miss this whole season.

State had two former Bulldogs make debuts in the league last season as J.P. France was the talk of the Houston Astros after his solid season in the rotation. Jordan Westburg also made waves with the Baltimore Orioles and is primed for a big year.

Three former teammates are playing on the same team this year as Chris Stratton, Adam Frazier and Hunter Renfroe are all playing for the Kansas City Royals. It’s the first time the trio has been together on the same team since the Diamond Dawgs won the SEC Tournament in 2012 and finished the year in a Regional at Florida State. Dakota Hudson also has a new team moving to Colorado.

Brent Rooker had his breakthrough season with the Oakland A’s last year and is hopeful for a big season while Nate Lowe earned a Golden Glove for his work with the World Champions Texas Rangers at first base.

RHP J.T. Ginn became the second State player to earn the MLB call this season as he became the Bulldogs’ 70^th member to make it to the main roster. More reinforcements could be on the way this year for State as well with others champing at the bit in Triple A.

This week, Ginn started his first game as a major leaguer and went 5.0 innings in a no decision for the Oakland A’s. Lowe came through with eight hits on the week and notched his 100^th hit for the fourth year in a row.  Additionally, Rooker got a new career high in home runs at 33 and had 11 hits on the week while Foscue returned to the main roster for the Rangers.

RHP Kendall Graveman, Houston Astros  

Last Week:  N/A (Out for season with shoulder injury)

Season: N/A

Career: 10 seasons, 37-43, 3.95 ERA, 279 app., 80 starts, 24 saves, 651.2 IP, 648 H, 312 R, 286 ER, 219 BB, 494 K

RHP Chris Stratton, Kansas City Royals  

Last Week:       0-0, 2 app., 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

                             Vs. HOU, August 31 – 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

                             Vs. HOU, September 1 –  0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Season: 4-3, 5.04 ERA, 54 App., 4 SV, 55.1 IP, 46 H, 33 R, 31 ER, 32 BB, 42 K

Career: 9 seasons, 41-27, 4.48 ERA, 356 app., 42 starts, 16 SV, 600.1 IP, 599 H, 325 R, 299 ER, 248 BB, 546 K

RHP Brandon Woodruff, Milwaukee Brewers

Last Week: N/A (Placed on 60-day Injured List on February 21 with injured right shoulder)  

Season: N/A

 Career: 8 seasons, 46-26, 3.10 ERA, 130 appearances, 115 starts, 1 save, 680.1 IP, 535 H, 243 R, 234 ER, 176 BB, 788 K

RHP Dakota Hudson, Colorado Rockies  

Last Week:  N/A (Placed on 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation)

Season:  2-12, 6.17 ERA, 18 S, 89.0 IP, 99 H, 66 R, 61 ER, 50 BB, 49 K 

 Career: 7 seasons, 40-32, 4.21 ERA, 132 app., 97 starts, 1 save, 559.2 IP, 538 H, 287 R, 262 ER, 265 BB, 364 K

RHP J.T. Ginn, Oakland Athletics

Last Week:       0-0, 1 S, 5.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 4K

                             Vs. Cincinnati Reds, Aug. 29

Season:  0-0, 5.19 ERA, 3 App., 1 S, 8.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 8 K

OF Hunter Renfroe, Kansas City Royals     

Last Week: (Placed on 10-day IL with right hamstring strain)

Season: 104 G, .237 BA, 79 H, 41 R, 18 2B, 12 HR, 47 RBI, 35 BB, 68 K, .312 OBP, .398 SLG, 1-2 SB

Career: 9 seasons, 945 G, .239 BA, 781 H, 446 R, 180 2B, 4 3B, 189 HR, 501 RBI, 280 BB, 889 K, 15-20 SB, .301 OBP, .469 SLG

2B Adam Frazier, Royals

Last Week:       5 G, .100, 1 H, 1 RBI, 3 K

                             Vs. Cleveland Guardians, Aug. 27 – 0-3, 1 R, 1 K

                             Vs. CLE, Aug. 28 – 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 K

                             Vs. HOU, Aug. 29 – 0-1, 1 K

                             Vs. HOU, Aug. 31 – 0-1

                             Vs. HOU, Sept. 1 – 0-1

Season:  93 G, .206 BA, 49 H, 30 R, 10 2B, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 19 BB, 51 K, .281 OBP, .286 SLG, 2-2 SB

 Career: 9 seasons, 1,055 G, .264 BA, 899 H, 463 R, 180 2B, 27 3B, 59 HR, 336 RBI, 279 BB, 507 K, 54-86 SB, .328 OBP, .385 SLG

1B Nate Lowe, Texas Rangers

Last Week:       7 G, .348, 8 H, 4 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 8 K

                             Vs. Chicago White Sox, Aug. 27 – 1-4, 2 K

                             Vs. CWS, Aug. 28 – 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB

                             Vs. CWS, Aug. 29 – 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B

                             Vs. Oakland A’s, Aug. 30 – 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K

                             Vs. OAK, Aug. 31 – 1-3, 1 R, 2 K

                             Vs. OAK, Sept. 1 – 0-1

                             Vs. New York Yankees, Sept. 2 – 1-4, 3 K

 Season: 116 G, .255 BA, 103 H, 51 R, 13 2B, 1 3B, 11 HR, 49 RBI, 56 BB, 105 K, 2-2 SB, .348 OBP, .374 SLG

 Career: 6 seasons, 662 G, .270 BA, 647 H, 323 R, 111 2B, 10 3B, 84 HR, 309 RBI, 299 BB, 649 K, 14-16 SB, .353 OBP, .430 SLG

OF Brent Rooker, Oakland Athletics

Last Week:       7 G, .380, 11 H, 7 R, 2 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 4 BB, 6 K, 1-1 SB

                             Vs. CIN, Aug. 27 – 0-4, 1 BB, 2 K

                             Vs. CIN, Aug. 28 – 1-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K

                             Vs. CIN, Aug. 29 – 1-3, 2 R, 2 BB

                             Vs. TEX, Aug. 30 – 2-4, 3 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB

                             Vs. TEX, Aug. 31 – 2-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1-1 SB

                             Vs. TEX, Sept. 1 – 4-5, 1 RBI

                             Vs. Seattle Mariners, Sept. 2 – 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 3 K

Season:  121 G, .295 BA, 132 H, 70 R, 24 2B, 2 3B, 33 HR, 93 RBI, 52 BB, 146 K, .371 OBP, .578 SLG, 8-9 SB

 Career: 5 seasons, 339 G, .255, 294 H, 161 R, 57 2B, 3 3B, 73 HR, 185 RBI, 119 BB, 404 K, 12-13 SB, .337 OBP, .500 SLG

2B Jordan Westburg, Baltimore Orioles

Last Week:  (Placed on 10-day Injured List with a fractured right hand on August 1 )

Season: 101 G, .269 BA, 105 H, 55 R, 25 2B, 5 3B, 18 HR, 58 RBI, 21 BB, 89 K, .320 OBP, .505 SLG , 6-9 SB

Career: 2 seasons, 169 G, .266 BA, 159 H, 81 R, 42 2B, 7 3B, 21 HR, 81 RBI, 37 BB, 145 K, .317 OBP, .470 SLG, 10-14 SB

2B Justin Foscue, Rangers

Last Week: 1 G, .000, 1 R, 1 BB

Season: 8 G, .095, 2 H, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 7 K, .136 OBP, .143 SLG