Diamond Dawgs in the Show Update: September 10
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’ 70th 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, Renfroe returned from injury and had a hit in all three games with a home run. Rooker hit two more home runs and went over 300 career hits as he grows closer to .300 this season and Lowe had an eight-hit week.
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., 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Vs. Cleveland Guardians, September 3 – 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Vs. New York Yankees, September 9 – 1.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Season: 4-3, 5.34 ERA, 56 App., 4 SV, 57.1 IP, 50 H, 36 R, 34 ER, 33 BB, 44 K
Career: 9 seasons, 41-27, 4.51 ERA, 358 app., 42 starts, 16 SV, 602.1 IP, 603 H, 328 R, 302 ER, 249 BB, 548 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 60-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, 2 S, 11.0 IP, 12 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 12 K
Vs. Seattle Mariners, Sept. 3 – 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 7 K
Vs. Detroit Tigers, Sept. 8 – Loss, 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K
Season: 0-1, 4.58 ERA, 5 App., 3 S, 19.2 IP, 17 H, 10 R, 6 BB, 20 K
OF Hunter Renfroe, Kansas City Royals
Last Week: 3 G, .333, 4 H, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 K
Vs. Minnesota Twins, Sept. 6 – 2-4, 2 RBI, 1K
Vs. MIN, Sept. 8 – 1-4
Vs. NYY, Sept. 9 – 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 K
Season: 107 G, .240 BA, 83 H, 42 R, 18 2B, 13 HR, 50 RBI, 35 BB, 71 K, .313 OBP, .405 SLG, 1-2 SB
Career: 9 seasons, 948 G, .239 BA, 785 H, 447 R, 180 2B, 4 3B, 190 HR, 504 RBI, 280 BB, 892 K, 15-20 SB, .301 OBP, .470 SLG
2B Adam Frazier, Royals
Last Week: 1 G, .000, 0 H
Vs. CLE, Sept. 3
Season: 94 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, 1,056 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: 6 G, .444, 8 H, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K
Vs. NYY, Sept. 3 – 0-2, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
Vs. NYY, Sept. 4 – 3-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K
Vs. Los Angeles Angels, Sept. 5 – 2-4, 1 2B
Vs. LAA, Sept. 6 – Sept. 6 – 0-1, 3 BB
Vs. LAA, Sept. 7 – 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Vs. LAA, Sept. 8 – 2-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K
Season: 122 G, .263 BA, 111 H, 54 R, 14 2B, 1 3B, 12 HR, 53 RBI, 61 BB, 109 K, 2-2 SB, .358 OBP, .386 SLG
Career: 6 seasons, 668 G, .271 BA, 655 H, 326 R, 112 2B, 10 3B, 85 HR, 313 RBI, 304 BB, 661 K, 14-16 SB, .355 OBP, .432 SLG
OF Brent Rooker, Oakland Athletics
Last Week: 6 G, .375, 9 H, 4 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 7 K, 0-1 SB
Vs. SEA, Sept. 3 – 1-4, 2 K
Vs. SEA, Sept. 4 – 2-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 K
Vs. SEA, Sept. 5 – 2-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 K
Vs. DET, Sept. 6 – 3-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Vs. DET, Sept. 7 – 1-4
Vs. DET, Sept. 8 – 0-3,1 BB, 1 K
Season: 127 G, .299 BA, 141 H, 74 R, 25 2B, 2 3B, 35 HR, 99 RBI, 53 BB, 153 K, .373 OBP, .583 SLG, 8-10 SB
Career: 5 seasons, 345 G, .258, 303 H, 165 R, 58 2B, 3 3B, 75 HR, 191 RBI, 120 BB, 411 K, 12-14 SB, .338 OBP, .504 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: 3 G, .000, 0 H, 1 BB, 5 K
Vs. NYY, Sept. 3 – 0-3, 2 K
Vs. LAA, Sept. 6 – 0-2, 1 BB, 2 K
Vs. LAA, Sept. 7 – 0-2, 1 K
Season: 11 G, .071, 2 H, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 12 K, .133 OBP, .107 SLG
