A look at Gamecock alums on MLB Opening Day in 2025

A long offseason is over. Opening Day is finally here.

The 2025 Major League Baseball season will get rolling Thursday afternoon. The season technically began over in Japan last week with the Dodgers and Cubs playing a brief two-game series overseas. But Thursday marks the beginning of a 162-game marathon toward the World Series for all 30 teams.

There will be a couple of South Carolina baseball alums on Opening Day rosters. That number has slightly shrunk in recent years, but there is still plenty of representation across the league.

Here’s a look at where each former Gamecock is playing this season.

Jonah Bride — Miami Marlins

Bride enters his second season with the Marlins after being traded from the Athletics ahead of the 2024 campaign. In his first year with Miami, he hit .276 with 11 homers and 39 RBI in 232 at-bats. He also owned an .818 OPS (On-base Plus Slugging), which was one of the highest percentages on the team.

Bride became a regular in the Marlins’ lineup from July 4 onward last year. He figures to be a fixture at the top of the order and could play either first or third base this season. The former 23rd-round pick from 2018 will enter his age-29 season with the club.

Jordan Montgomery — Arizona Diamondbacks

Just days before the season was set to begin, Montgomery received some bad news when he learned he would need Tommy John surgery. He’ll open the year on the 60-day injured list and miss the entire season as a result of his sprained left ulnar collateral ligament injury.

This is now the second time in Montgomery’s big league career that he’ll be undergoing elbow surgery. He suffered a similar injury back in 2019 when he missed virtually the entire season during his time with the Yankees.

The 32-year-old left-handed pitcher is coming off the worst season of his career when he went 8-7 with a 6.23 ERA in 21 starts with the D-Backs. He struck out 83 batters and walked 44 as opponents hit .312 against him. With Montgomery set to hit free agency in 2026, there’s no telling what will come next for the former Gamecock.

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Carmen Mlodzinski — Pittsburgh Pirates

After pitching primarily as a reliever in his first two seasons in the bigs, Mlodzinski will get his first crack in the Pirates rotation to open 2025. The right-hander beat out Thomas Harrington for the final spot in the rotation and will be the club’s fifth starter.

A former 31st overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, Mlodzinski owns a 2.75 ERA with 80 strikeouts and 37 walks in his career with the Pirates. Though listed as TBA right now, his first start would come against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday.

Clarke Schmidt — New York Yankees

The injuries have piled up for the Yankees as the season gets underway, and Schmidt is one of the many who will begin the year on the IL. The right-hander was placed on the 15-day IL on March 26 after dealing with right rotator cuff tendonitis.

Schmidt made 16 starts with New York in 2024. He pitched to a 2.85 ERA with 93 strikeouts and 30 walks. He dealt with a right lat strain, which kept him on the shelf for nearly three months. But he returned in time to help the Yankees go on a deep postseason run to the World Series. He got the start in Game Three of the Fall Classic as he tossed 2.2 innings and gave up three runs in a loss to the Dodgers.

When he returns from injury, Schmidt should find his way back into the Yankees rotation.

Christian Walker — Houston Astros

Two days shy of Christmas, Walker signed a three-year, $60 million deal with the Astros. This came after spending the last eight seasons with the Diamondbacks. The 33-year-old first baseman hit .251 with 26 homers and 84 RBI in 130 games with Arizona last year.

Walker has been one of the better defenders in baseball, especially at his position for years now. He’s won the last three National League Gold Glove awards at first base, dating back to 2022. He’s a career .250 hitter with 147 homers, 443 RBI, 720 hits and 158 doubles.

During the middle of spring training, Walker dealt with oblique sorness in which he only played in four games. But he looks to be on track to make his Astros debut on Opening Day.

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