How Gamecock alums are performing near the midway point of MLB season
It’s hard to believe but the Major League Baseball season is already at the halfway point. With a few weeks to go until the All-Star break, many teams are approaching or have already played 81 games this season.
There are a couple South Carolina baseball alums on MLB rosters. Here’s a look at how each former Gamecock has performed so far.
Jonah Bride — Miami Marlins
During the offseason, Bride was traded from the Oakland A’s to the Marlins and started out the year in Triple-A. But he got his first call-up of the year on May 4. In seven games, he hit .167 with two hits and two RBI before being sent back down.
Whit Merrifield — Philadelphia Phillies
In his first season with the Phils, the former CWS hero hasn’t been performing well. Merrifield, 35, is hitting .192 with with three homers and nine RBI in 125 at-bats. He’s definitely entering the part of his career where he’s past his prime. And on a team with the best record in the National League, how much longer can he stick around?
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Jordan Montgomery — Arizona Diamondbacks
After being signed very late in free agency, Montgomery got a delayed start to his regular season. He didn’t make his first start until April 19 and hasn’t been living up to the $25 million he’s getting paid this year.
Montgomery is 6-4 with a 5.71 ERA in 12 starts for the D-backs. He’s struck out 44 and walked 22. It also doesn’t help he’s playing on a team that’s underperformed all year. But if there’s any time to start to turn it around, it would be now as Montgomery’s contract is a one-year deal.
Carmen Mlodzinski — Pittsburgh Pirates
Mlodzinski started the season on the injured list and made his return to play on May 17. He got off to a sluggish start as he finished with a 9.39 ERA by the end of the month. But things have heated up in June for the right-hander.
In the last few weeks, his ERA has dropped from 9.39 to 4.50. In 12.1 innings this month, he’s pitching to a 1.46 ERA, striking out nine and walking three. He’s been a regular out of the bullpen for the Pirates and should continue to be as he keeps pitching well.
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Clarke Schmidt — New York Yankees
Perhaps the most successful former Gamecock this season has been Schmidt. It’s easily been the best year of his young big league career. He’s blossomed into a key piece of the Yankees’ rotation and done well in that role.
Schmidt is 5-3 with a 2.52 ERA in 11 starts. He’s struck out 67 and walked 20 over 60.2 innings. His best outing came against the Minnesota Twins back on May 16 when he tossed eight shutout innings.
However, Schmidt went on the IL with a right lat strain on May 30 and hasn’t pitched since then. New York recently transferred him to the 60-day IL on June 18. So he won’t be pitching again for at least another month or so. And that will take him out of landing a potential All-Star bid, which would’ve been the first of his career.
Christian Walker — Arizona Diamondbacks
Even at 33 years old, Walker continues to rake and play strong defense at first base for the D-backs. In 78 games, he’s hitting .252 with 17 homers and 50 RBI. Now, he’s striking out at a higher rate with 85 punch outs so far. But overall, he’s been one of the few bright spots on an otherwise underperforming team.
If Arizona continues to struggle, it wouldn’t be far fetched to think Walker would be an asset to trade. His contract expires at the end of the year, making him a potential rental piece for any team looking to go big this season. And he would definitely be a strong pickup if that were to be the case.
