Gamecocks in MLB: Opening Day edition

MLB Opening Day is finally here. After spending the past few weeks watching current Gamecocks play, it’s time for some of the baseball alums to shine in the pros.

A lot has changed since the end of last season, with some players joining new teams. It’s shaping up to be a fun year of baseball. Here’s a look at where each former Gamecock is playing this season.

Jackie Bradley Jr. — Kansas City Royals

After another down season, Bradley’s future seemed uncertain. He waited all offseason for a chance to play but didn’t get it.

That was until the Kansas City Royals came calling. Bradley, who turns 33 in April, signed a minor league deal with an invite to spring training. He’d have an opportunity to compete for a spot on a youthful roster.

And he did just that. In 10 games, Bradley went 11-for-28 (.393) with a homer and four RBIs. It was good enough for the Royals to select his contract and add him to the Opening Day roster.

This will only be step one in Bradley’s “comeback” story. He’ll need to get back to producing regularly to stick around with the big league club. Drew Waters, a highly-touted minor league prospect, will be out of action for the first month of the season. So it’s going to be critical for Bradley to do well while continuing to play a good outfield.

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Wil Crowe — Pittsburgh Pirates

For the first four months of last season, Crowe was arguably the best reliever on the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Then everything slowly came crashing down in the home stretch. His ERA went from 3.16 on Aug. 2 to 4.38 by season’s end.

Still, Crowe had a fine year in his first season as a full-time reliever. He appeared in 60 games, struck out 68 and walked 38. Opponents batted .235 against him.

He figures to be called on heavily once again this season. There was more good than bad from him on a team that lost 100 games.

Whit Merrifield — Toronto Blue Jays

It’s hard to believe it but Merrifield, a former College World Series hero for the Gamecocks, is starting to get old. He turned 34 in January as he enters his eighth big league season, second with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Merrifield will be looking to rebound from what could be viewed as a disappointing 2022 campaign. In 139 games, he slashed .250/.298/.375 with 11 homers, 58 RBIs and 126 hits. Excluding the shortened COVID season, these were all career-lows.

But 2023 is a new year as well as Merrifield’s first full year in Toronto. He had a nice spring, where he batted .306 with 11 hits in 15 games. He should see plenty of time at second base and in the outfield.

More so than that, he’ll be responsible for helping mentor what could be the most dangerous lineup in baseball. Nine position players on the Blue Jays’ roster are 30 years old or younger.

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Jordan Montgomery — St. Louis Cardinals

Much like Merrifield, Montgomery was dealt at last year’s trade deadline. Only he went from the New York Yankees to the St. Louis Cardinals.

The former Gamecock left-hander was excellent in 63.2 innings with St. Louis. He went 6-3 with a 3.11 ERA while striking out 56 and walking 13.

Montgomery, now sporting a full beard, will make his first start of the year on Sunday afternoon against the Blue Jays. It’s going to be a big year for him as he’ll hit free agency after the season while also trying to help the Cardinals get back to the postseason again.

Clarke Schmidt — New York Yankees

Coming into spring training, Schmidt was nothing more than a guy fighting for a potential rotation spot. But after a few injuries to some key arms, he’ll get a spot and more.

Schmidt, who pitched for the Gamecocks from 2015-17, will start for the New York Yankees in their second game of the season against the San Francisco Giants. That’s quite a leap forward to get a start behind ace Gerrit Cole.

Whether Schmidt truly earned a spot remains to be seen. He looked great at times during the spring, while struggling at other points. There’s no doubt his stuff can be unhittable when he’s locked in.

Schmidt spent most of last year in the Bronx, appearing in 29 games and making three starts. The 27-year-old right-hander pitched to a 3.12 ERA in 57.2 innings. He struck out 56 while walking 23.

He did well enough to earn a spot in the Yankees’ bullpen during the playoffs. However, he struggled as he pitched to an 11.57 ERA in 2.1 innings.

But with 2023 bringing a clean slate, Schmidt will try to make the most of the opportunity in front of him.

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Christian Walker — Arizona Diamondbacks

Expectations will be high for Walker entering his age 32 season. The former Gamecock slugger mashed 36 long balls and drove in 94 runs last year, both career-highs.

Walker is one of the veterans on an Arizona Diamondbacks squad looking to contend for a playoff spot in the National League. He was arguably the club’s best hitter a year ago and will look to repeat that success in 2023.

Other notable players

There’s a few names missing from this list that were on it last season.

Grayson Greiner, who was a depth catcher with the Diamondbacks, hasn’t been picked up at the start of this season. Although, he did spend spring training with the Minnesota Twins and Colorado Rockies. He’s currently a free agent.

Jonah Bride was optioned to Triple-A, where he’ll start the year with the Las Vegas Aviators. He hit an underwhelming .200 with four hits in 20 at-bats during spring training to not make the Oakland A’s roster.

Max Schrock spent a majority of last year on the injured list with the Cincinnati Reds. But the San Diego Padres picked him up in December. He was slashing .308/.375/.875 in spring training. He’ll start the year in Triple-A.

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