Gamecocks in the Pros Season Wrap-Up

COLUMBIA – It was another solid season for University of South Carolina Gamecocks in the Pros, as Whit Merrifield led the Majors in hits for the second straight season while playing in his first career All-Star Game. Tyler Webb helped the St. Louis Cardinals to the National League Championship Series and Christian Walker set career highs in almost every category in 2019. Carolina had nine players in the Major Leagues and 40 players in professional baseball. Here’s a look at how South Carolina’s professionals did this past season.
 
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
 

• For the second straight season, Merrifield led the league in hits with 206. He also had an AL best 10 triples while his .302 batting average was 10^th best in the American League. The Royal drove in 74 runs, belted 16 home runs and had 74 RBI with an OPS of .811 while making his first All-Star Game appearance.
• Walker played in 152 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2019, hitting .259 with 86 runs scored, 26 doubles, 29 home runs and 73 RBI, smashing his previous career bests in all categories. Walker had a .476 slugging percentage with an OPS of .825.
• Webb was a key cog in the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen as he was counted on in big time situations in the NLDS against Atlanta and the NLCS vs. Washington. Webb was 2-1 with a 3.76 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched for the Cardinals and made five appearances in the postseason with five strikeouts in 3.1 innings of work.
• Jackie Bradley Jr. had another outstanding season with the glove and should be up for a Gold Glove in November. Bradley had 21 home runs and drove in 62 in 2019 for the Boston Red Sox in 147 games.
• Sam Dyson was traded from the San Francisco Giants to the Minnesota Twins at the trading deadline. Dyson made 12 appearances with the Twins, earning a save with six holds out of the bullpen. He made 49 appearances with the Giants, going 4-1 with a 2.47 ERA and three saves in 51 innings pitched. A shoulder injury ended Dyson’s season in September.
• Justin Smoak played in 121 games for the Toronto Blue Jays, belting 22 home runs with 61 RBI and an OPS of .748. Smoak added 16 doubles and 54 runs scored for the Blue Jays in 2019.
• Grayson Greiner played in 58 games for the Detroit Tigers in 2019 and had five doubles, a triple, five home runs and 19 RBI. Greiner was put on the disabled list on June 15 and came back to the Tigers in the beginning of September.
• Jordan Montgomery missed most of the season with an injury but came back for the New York Yankees in the middle of September, making a pair of appearances with a start. He struck out five batters in four innings of work.
• Steve Pearce played in 29 games for the Boston Red Sox with four doubles, a home run and seven RBI in a season that was interrupted by injury.  

 
TRIPLE-A

• Wil Crowe pitched for both the Fresno Grizzlies and the Harrisburg Senators this season, making 26 starts between the two teams with 130 strikeouts in 149.1 innings pitched. Crowe was 7-6 with a 3.87 ERA for Harrisburg in the Eastern League.
• Peter Mooney played in 102 games for the Albuquerque Isotopes and hit .258 with 24 doubles, three triples, five home runs and 35 RBI for the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate.
• Max Schrock hit .275 with 20 doubles, a triple, two home runs and 31 RBI in 85 games for the Memphis Cardinals, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cardinals. Schrock had a .747 OPS and 42 runs scored in 2019.
• Taylor Widener had six wins and 109 strikeouts in 100 innings pitched for the Reno Aces, Arizona’s Triple-A affiliate.

 
DOUBLE-A

• Jonah Bride ended his 2019 season with Midland, Oakland’s Double-A affiliate, to help in the Texas League playoffs. Bride played in 115 games for Stockton in the California League, hitting .279 with 18 doubles, 10 home runs and 58 RBI with an OPS in .789.
• Tyler Johnson pitched in 12 games for the Birmingham Barons, the White Sox’s Double-A affiliate, with 23 strikeouts and two wins in 12 appearances in 18.1 innings pitched. Johnson currently is playing in the Arizona Fall League and was named to the Premier12 team for Team USA, which will play in Mexico next month.
• Evan Marzilli played 14 games for the Jackson Generals of the Southern League after being signed by the D-Backs from the Gary-Southshore Railcats.
• John Parke made 14 starts for the Birmingham Barons, getting three wins with a 2.59 ERA and 43 strikeouts. Parke had a 4-2 record with a 3.65 ERA in 12 starts at Winston-Salem before the call-up.
• Clarke Schmidt continued his rehab from Tommy John surgery, eventually helping Trenton to an Eastern League championship, making three starts with a 2-0 record and a 2.37 ERA with 19 strikeouts. Schmidt won four times with 69 strikeouts in 63.1 innings and 12 starts for Tampa in the Florida State League.
• Dom Thompson-Williams spent his 2019 season with the Arkansas Travelers of the Texas League and had 24 doubles, four triples, 12 home runs and 41 RBI in 115 games. He also had 15 stolen bases and 46 runs scored.
• LT Tolbert played in three different levels for the Diamondbacks, ending the season with Jackson of the Southern League, helping the team to a championship. Tolbert hit .255 with Jackson but had a .331 average in Visalia in the California League with 18 doubles, two home runs and 34 RBI.
• Jack Wynkoop picked up seven wins with a 3.56 ERA in 24 starts for the Hartford Yard Goats in the Eastern League. Wynkoop had 99 strikeouts in 149 innings pitched and a pair of complete games.

 
HIGH-A

• DC Arendas played in 46 games for the Inland Empire 66ers in the California League and had six doubles, three triples, four home runs and 26 runs scored. Arendas opened the year in Burlington, where he has six home runs and 24 RBI for the Bees.
• Carlos Cortes played a full season with the St. Lucie Mets of the Florida State League. He hit .255 with 26 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs and 68 RBI for the Mets in 127 games played. He was named an FSL Post-Season All-Star at the end of the season.
• Cody Morris made 21 appearances with 20 starts between Lake County and Lynchburg in the Cleveland Indians organization. Morris was 7-4 with a 4.35 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 89 innings pitched.
• Madison Stokes played a full year for the Clearwater Threshers of the Florida State League, hitting .242 with 21 doubles, 10 home runs, 42 RBI and 38 runs scored in 110 games.
• Braden Webb played for four different teams in the Milwaukee Brewers organization in 2019 as injury caused him to miss some time during the year. Webb had 31 strikeouts in 36.2 innings pitched for Carolina and made six appearances for Biloxi in Double A.

 
LOW-A

• Eddy Demurias played a full season with the Dayton Dragons in the Midwest League, going 3-4 with four saves and a 4.50 ERA while striking out 70 in 78 innings pitched. Demurias pitched in 40 games for the Dragons in 2019.
• Alex Destino played in 112 games for Kannapolis in 2019, hitting .298 with 20 doubles, two triples, 17 home runs and 64 RBI on the year. Destino was named a South Atlantic League Post-Season All-Star after the season.
• Adam Hill made 26 appearances with 23 starts for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in 2019, going 7-9 with a 3.92 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 121.2 innings pitched. He was named to the Midwest League All-Star Game in July.
• Josh Reagan was 4-2 with a 1.90 ERA between Vermont and Beloit in the Oakland Athletics organization. Reagan had 49 strikeouts in 42.2 innings pitched and announced his retirement from baseball at the end of the season.

 
SHORT SEASON/ROOKIE

• Luke Berryhill played in eight games for the Greeneville Reds of the Appalachian League, hitting .240 with a double, a home run and five RBI.
• Ridge Chapman made three appearances for the AZL Angels, striking out four in three innings of work.
• TJ Hopkins hit .267 with 11 doubles, three triples, five home runs and 30 RBI for the Billings Mustangs of the Pioneer League. Hopkins had a .758 OPS in 54 games and helped Billings to a Pioneer League playoff berth.
• Reid Morgan pitched in three different levels of the Seattle Mariners organization, garnering one win and two saves with a 4.44 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 24.1 innings pitched. He had a 1.17 ERA in six appearances for Everett in the Northwest League.
• Jacob Olson played in 35 games for the Eugene Emeralds of the Northwest League and had 10 doubles, two triples and nine RBI in 35 games.  

 
INDEPENDENT   

• Bryan Harper pitched in 37 games for the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League. Harper struck out 32 batters in 31.1 innings pitched.
• Kyle Martin played in 82 games for the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association, hitting .275 with 19 doubles, 14 home runs and 67 RBI.
• Cody Mincey went 7-1 with a 2.53 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 67.2 innings pitched for the Atlantic League champion Long Island Ducks. Mincey had five saves on the season and had a 1.18 WHIP.
• Marcus Mooney hit .310 with 16 doubles, a pair of triples, three home runs and 41 RBI in 89 games played for the Gary SouthShore RailCats in the American Association.
• Joel Seddon played for both Winnipeg and Sioux Falls in the American Association, making 17 appearances with 12 starts and striking out 42 batters on the year.