Gamecocks In the Pros Season Wrap-Up

COLUMBIA – The end of the 2018 season was one to remember for Gamecock fans. The Boston Red Sox defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games to win the World Series and Gamecock standout Steve Pearce was named the series’ Most Valuable Player. That followed former Gamecock great Jackie Bradley Jr., being named MVP of the American League Championship series.  A total of nine former Gamecocks were on Major League rosters and Whit Merrifield led the Major Leagues in hits. Here’s a look at how South Carolina’s professionals did this past season.
 
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
 

• Bradley had a banner year for the Red Sox, playing in 144 games with 33 doubles, 13 home runs, 59 RBI and 76 runs scored. He also made many highlight-reel catches in center field and is a finalist for the Gold Glove at that position. Bradley really shined in the ALCS against the Houston Astros, driving in nine runs with three extra-base hits (one double and two home runs) on his way to series MVP honors.
• Pearce was picked up by the Red Sox following a June trade with the Toronto Blue Jays. In Boston, Pearce hit .279 with eight doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 26 RBI in 50 contests. He saved the best for last as his three home runs and eight RBI in the five World Series contests propelled him to series MVP.
• Merrifield led the Majors with 192 hits and 45 stolen bases for the Kansas City Royals in 2018. Merrifield had 43 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs and 60 RBI in 158 games. He is one of just three players in the past 20 years to lead the American League in hits and steals in a season.  
• Justin Smoak had another outstanding year for the Toronto Blue Jays, slugging .457 with 34 doubles, 25 home runs and 77 RBI. Smoak scored 67 runs on the year also was named a finalist for the Gold Glove Award in the American League at first base. 
• Grayson Greiner made his Major League debut with the Detroit Tigers on May 6 and had a hit in the game at Kansas City. Greiner ended the 2018 season by playing in 30 games for the Tigers with six doubles and 12 RBI. He also walked 17 times for a .328 on-base percentage.
• Sam Dyson made 74 appearances for the San Francisco Giants in 2018, going 4-3 with a 2.69 earned-run-average and three saves. Dyson had 56 strikeouts in 70.1 innings pitched and had 15 holds in relief. Opponents hit .228 off Dyson, and he ended the year with a 1.008 WHIP.
• Christian Walker spent most of 2018 going back-and-forth between the Arizona Diamondbacks and its Triple-A affiliate in Reno. While in Arizona, Walker played in 37 games and had a pair of doubles, three home runs and six RBI. Walker had 18 home runs and 71 RBI in 84 games in Reno.
• Tyler Webb played for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals in 2018, making 22 appearances with 15 strikeouts in 20.1 innings pitched. Webb had his most success with the Cardinals, sporting a 1.76 ERA in 15.1 innings pitched.
• Jordan Montgomery missed most of the season with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. Montgomery made six starts and was 2-0 with a 3.62 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 27.1 innings pitched.

 
TRIPLE-A

• Peter Mooney played in 75 games for the New Orleans Baby Cakes and hit .297 with eight doubles, two triples, six home runs and 35 RBI.  
• Max Schrock helped the Memphis Redbirds to a Triple-A National Championship after its win over Durham on Sept. 18. Schrock hit .249 with 41 runs scored, 22 doubles, four home runs and 42 RBI in 114 games for Memphis.

 
DOUBLE-A

• Wil Crowe was named the Washington Nationals’ Minor League Co- Pitcher of the Year after going 11-5 with a 3.40 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 116.1 innings pitched for three teams in the Nationals’ organization. He was a perfect 11-0 for the Potomac Nationals, earning Carolina League Pitcher of the Year honors, and ended his season with the Harrisburg Senators of the Eastern League.
• Taylor Widener was named the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year after striking out 176 batters in 137.1 innings pitched for the Jackson Generals of the Southern League. Widener made 25 starts and had five wins with a .197 opponent’s batting average.
• Gene Cone played most of 2018 in High-A with St. Lucie, but ended the 2018 season with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, playing in seven games for the Mets’ Double-A affiliate. Cone hit .234 with 15 doubles and 31 RBI in 110 games for St. Lucie.
• Tanner English played in 97 games for the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern League, hitting .221 with 17 doubles, six triples, four home runs and 28 RBI.
• Bryan Harper was 3-1 with a 3.69 ERA and four saves for the Harrisburg Senators. He pitched in 46.1 innings and had 38 strikeouts and a 1.53 WHIP.
• Evan Marzilli hit .244 with 31 runs scored, nine doubles, two triples, two home runs and 17 RBI between three teams in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ organization. He ended the year with the Jackson Generals, playing 10 games in Double-A after coming off the disabled list on August 28.
• Joel Seddon went 9-7 with a 4.81 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 118 innings pitched for the Midland RockHounds in the Oakland Athletics organization.
• Dom Thompson-Williams hit .299 with 17 doubles, four triples, 22 home runs and 74 RBI between Charleston, Tampa and Trenton in the New York Yankees organization. Thompson-Williams had a .546 slugging percentage and a .909 OPS.
• Braden Webb had six wins and a 3.80 ERA with 128 strikeouts in 120.2 innings pitched between Carolina and Biloxi in the Milwaukee Brewers’ organization. Opponents hit .230 off Webb as he made 24 starts and 25 appearances.
• Jack Wynkoop spent most of the second half of the season on the disabled list with the Hartford Yard Goats after making 16 starts with 37 strikeouts in 80.2 innings pitched.

 
HIGH-A

• Tyler Johnson was a perfect 9-0 with 89 strikeouts and 14 saves in 41 appearances between Kannapolis and Winston-Salem in the Chicago White Sox organization. Opponents hit .172 off Johnson, who allowed just nine earned runs in 58 innings pitched.
• Kyle Martin played in 110 games between Reading and Clearwater in the Philadelphia Phillies organization and had 25 doubles, 10 home runs and 45 RBI. Martin also scored 40 runs and had 71 hits this past season.
• Marcus Mooney played in 72 games for the Florida Fire Frogs in the Atlanta Braves organization and had six doubles and 13 RBI with 29 runs scored.
• John Parke was 12-8 with a 3.53 ERA and a pair of complete games in 27 starts between Kannapolis and Winston-Salem in the White Sox organization. Parke had 119 strikeouts in 153 innings pitched and a 1.29 WHIP.

 
LOW-A

• Madison Stokes made a fast rise in the Philadelphia Phillies’ organization after he ended his Carolina career in June. Stokes ended the season with the Lakewood BlueClaws in the South Atlantic League. Stokes hit .299 with 14 doubles, two home runs and 25 RBI over the summer.

 
SHORT SEASON/ROOKIE

• Jonah Bride hit .287 with 17 doubles, three home runs and 34 RBI for the Vermont Lake Monsters in the New York-Penn League. Bride was named to the NYPL All-Star team while scoring 29 runs in 54 games played.
• Carlos Cortes also was named to the NYPL All-Star team after hitting .264 with five doubles, two triples, four home runs and 24 RBI in 47 games for the Brooklyn Cyclones. Cortes had a .720 OPS and 26 runs scored over the summer.
• Eddy Demurias made 20 appearances for the Billings Mustangs in the Pioneer League and was named to the league’s All-Star team after his three saves and 25 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched.
• Alex Destino hit .248 with 18 doubles, five triples, five home runs and 36 RBI in 68 games between Kannapolis and Great Falls in the Chicago White Sox organization. Destino scored 32 runs and had a .705 OPS this season.
• Adam Hill had a 2.35 ERA and 26 strikeouts in nine games for the Brooklyn Cyclones this summer. Hill had a 1.50 WHIP and a 1-1 record for the Cyclones.
• Josh Reagan was 4-4 with four saves and 45 strikeouts in 58.2 innings pitched between Beloit and Vermont in the Oakland Athletics’ organization.
• Clarke Schmidt continued his recovery from Tommy John surgery in 2017, appearing in eight games with seven starts between Rookie and Short Season levels for the New York Yankees. Schmidt struck out 30 batters in 23.1 innings pitched and opponents hit .195 off of him over the summer.
• LT Tolbert hit .277 with eight doubles, a triple and 21 RBI between Rookie and Short Season play for the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Tolbert scored 15 runs and helped Hillsboro to a Pioneer League playoff berth.

 
INDEPENDENT   

• Cody Mincey was 5-2 with a 2.20 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 49 innings pitched for the River City Rascals in the Frontier League. Mincey was named to the Frontier League All-Star Game and made four appearances in the playoffs for the Rascals.