Gamecock alums wrap up regular season, begin MLB postseason play

The leaves are changing, football season is in full-swing and Halloween is almost here. But for baseball fans, this can only mean one thing: it’s time for the postseason.

Major League Baseball’s regular season concluded on Sunday. Three former South Carolina baseball stars will continue playing in the playoffs, while the rest will begin their offseason.

Before the postseason starts Tuesday afternoon, here’s a look at how each Gamecock alum performed this year.

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Jonah Bride — Oakland A’s

Even on a terrible team, it’s been hard for Bride to find consistent reps at the big league level. The former Gamecock slugger only had 88 at-bats, finishing with a .170/.286/.205 clip.

In his two years with the A’s, Bride has only had 250 at-bats. It’s a small sample size and not even a full seasons worth of play, but he batted .192 with a homer and 13 RBI in that stretch.

It’s going to be interesting to see if he can stick around next year. The A’s, with their ownership that refuses to spend money, shouldn’t be much better than a last place team again. But at 27 years old, Bride might be starting to become a lifelong minor leaguer.

Wil Crowe — Pittsburgh Pirates

Not much has changed for Crowe this year. He hasn’t pitched with the Pirates since April 17. He played in five games, pitching to a 4.66 ERA across 9.2 innings.

Crowe went on the injured list with right shoulder discomfort. Normally, this wouldn’t keep a pitcher out for the rest of the year — and it didn’t. Instead of returning from a rehab assignment, he stayed in the minors with the Indianapolis Indians.

It’s been a hard year for Crowe after being Pittsburgh’s best reliever in 2022. But with a full offseason and spring training to bounce back, there’s a good shot he’ll be back in the majors soon enough.

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TJ Hopkins — Cincinnati Reds

There’s nothing quite like getting the call to the big leagues. Years of hard work finally paying off. Hopkins became one of the latest Gamecocks to achieve this feat.

Hopkins made his MLB debut with the Reds on June 3 and picked up his first career hit two days later. But the feel good story slowly came to an abrupt end. He was demoted back to the minors on June 17 and wouldn’t be recalled until Aug. 5.

Hopkins only had 41 at-bats with Cincinnati, slashing .171/.227/.398. He had seven hits and one RBI.

Carmen Mlodzinski — Pittsburgh Pirates

Mlodzinski became the second Gamecock to make their big league debut this season, with his coming on June 16. But once Mlodzinski was called up, he didn’t go back down.

Mlodzinski became a staple in the Pirates’ bullpen this season, appearing in 35 games (one start). He went 3-3 with a 2.25 ERA, striking out 34 and walking 18.

The Pirates are slowly improving every year. They went from losing 100 games to winning 76. It would be hard to imagine Mlodzinski, 24, wouldn’t be a fixture in the team’s plans next year.

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Whit Merrifield — Toronto Blue Jays

What a bounce back season it was for Merrifield, the former College World Series hero for the Gamecocks. After a career-worst 2022, he slashed .272/.318/.382 with 11 homers and 67 RBI.

Even as a veteran on a youthful team, Merrifield found a way to play in 145 games and rack up 547 at-bats. He made an all-star team for the third time in his career, the first as a Blue Jay.

The Blue Jays will head to Minnesota to face the Twins in the Wild Card round starting Tuesday (4:38 p.m., ESPN). And with some playoff experience under his belt, he should be a factor in the everyday lineup.

Jordan Montgomery — Texas Rangers

Last year, Montgomery didn’t expect to be traded. He was on a contender with the Yankees but got dealt to the Cardinals. But with St. Louis playing abysmal this year, the fire sale was on and Montgomery’s name was on the list.

On July 30, the Cardinals traded Montgomery and Chris Stratton to the Rangers for two pitchers and a shortstop. It ended up being a smart move for Texas, who needed another solid pitcher with Jacob deGrom out for the year.

Montgomery went 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 67.2 innings with the Rangers. He struck out 58 and walked 13.

As a reward for pitching well, Montgomery will get the game one start in the Wild Card series against the Rays at Tropicana Field. First pitch is at 3:08 p.m. Tuesday afternoon on ABC.

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Cody Morris — Cleveland Guardians

Morris, one of the better Gamecocks pitchers to come through the program, has been up and down between the majors and minors this year. He had been rehabbing from a right teres major strain for most of the season. But he made his season debut on June 13.

He only pitched in six games, striking out nine and walking six across eight innings. Morris last pitched for the Guardians on Aug. 30.

Clarke Schmidt — New York Yankees

At the start of spring training, Schmidt was fighting just to be the fifth starter in the Yankees’ rotation. But a slew of injuries rose, and Schmidt, who had a nice spring, earned a spot as a starter. It’s a spot he held onto the entire year.

The former Gamecock right-hander finished 9-9 with a 4.64 ERA in 33 starts. He struck out 149 and walked 46.

Despite pitching better down the stretch, it wouldn’t be enough for the Yankees’ playoff hopes. The Bombers missed the postseason for the first time since 2016, finishing with their worst record since 1992.

However, Schmidt did enough to earn at least a good shot at being a starter in the rotation next year. There were definitely flashes of what he could be as an MLB pitcher.

Christian Walker — Arizona Diamondbacks

After a career year in 2022, Walker had an arguably better overall season in 2023.

The former Gamecock slugger hit .258/.333/.497 with a team-leading 33 homers and 103 RBI. Walker only continues to get better and ages like a fine wine.

In less than two years, the D-Backs and Walker have made a complete turnaround. After losing 110 games in 2021, Arizona is officially playoff bound for the first time since 2017.

Walker has never played in the postseason before, so he’ll get his first crack at it this week. The Diamondbacks will travel to face the Brewers and play Tuesday night (7:08 p.m., ESPN).

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