Texas Baseball: Detroit Tigers add former Longhorn Kody Clemens to 40-man roster

Tigers add former Texas standout Kody Clemens to the 40-man roster.

The Detriot Tigers added infielder Kody Clemens to their active 40-man roster on Friday. Adding Clemens to the roster keeps him from being available to other teams in the upcoming Rule Five Draft.

Clemens was selected in the third round of the 2018 MLB draft after an All-American junior season at Texas.

His 2018 season was one of the best in Texas baseball history. Clemens won Big 12 player of the year, finished as a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award and led the Longhorns to the College World Series.

The former Longhorn batted .247 with 18 home runs and 97 RBIs last season in Triple-A. Clemens primary played second base and has proved to be an adequate defender.

According to mlb.com, Clemens is the No. 18 prospect in the Tigers’ organization. Detriot adding him to the 40-man roster shows they have him in their long-term plans.

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Texas pitcher Ty Madden selected in the first round by the Detroit Tigers

Ty Madden was selected in the first round of the MLB draft by the Detroit Tigers. He becomes UT’s first opening-round pick since 2013.

Going into Sunday night, Ty Madden was considered a top prospect on the board for the 2021 MLB draft. The Texas starting pitcher was one of the best in the country, leading the Longhorns to Omaha.

In ESPN’s final mock draft, Madden was projected to go No. 11 overall to the Washington Nationals. After throwing 113.2 innings with a 2.45 ERA and 10.8 K/9, he finished as a D1Baseball All-American.

Madden slid into the competitive balance portion of the first round, the Detroit Tigers ended his long wait at pick No. 32. He becomes the first Texas player in the first round of the MLB draft since Corey Knebel in 2013.

Detroit has now taken three college starting pitchers in the first round over the past five seasons. Alex Faedo came out of Florida (2018), while Casey Mize (Auburn) was the No. 1 overall pick in 2019.

College pitchers have a history of making it to the majors quicker thanks to their progressed development. According to MLB.com, Madden is a 55 overall prospect out of 80. His fastball and slider are rated the highest at 60.

Madden will officially join the Tigers’ organization this summer.

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Texas baseball must replace three solid players on their roster

Bryce Elder, Duke Ellis and Kamron Fields will not be returning to Texas next season.

It’s been an odd year for the sport of baseball. Continue reading “Texas baseball must replace three solid players on their roster”

Former Longhorns’ pitcher Taylor Jungmann Invited To Minor League Camp

The Texas Rangers have added former Longhorns pitcher Taylor Jungmann to their minor league roster ahead of Spring Training.

The Texas Rangers have added former Longhorns hurler Taylor Jungmann on a minor league contract and will report to minor league camp according to Dallas Morning News writer Evan Grant. Jungmann last pitched for the Longhorns in 2011 when he was selected 12th overall by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Jungmann reached the Major Leagues by 2015. During his rookie year, he became the first Brewers’ pitcher to throw a complete game at Dodgers Stadium in their history. That year Jungman posted a 3.77 ERA in 21 starts. He struck out 107 batters in 119.1 innings for the brew crew. Over the next two seasons he would pitch in only nine games and would eventually head to Japan to continue his professional career.

Jungmann played the last two seasons for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan where he posted a 4.86 ERA with 53 strikeouts. His record through the 2019 season ended at 6-5. He will be looking to revive his Major League Baseball career with the Texas Rangers and regain that rookie season magic. He will have to work his way back up through their farm system.

At Texas, Jungmann was quite the pitcher for the Longhorns. He posted a 32-9 win-loss record, 1.85 ERA with 356 strikeouts. In his final year in Austin, Jungmann won the Dick Howser Trophy which is awarded to the nation’s top collegiate baseball player. He was part of the 2009 College World Series runner-up team and part of the 2011 team that qualified for the CWS.

Is It Time For Former Longhorn Roger Clemens To Get HOF Nod?

Roger Clemens missed out on the Hall of Fame class in 2020 but is it time that the former Texas Longhorn get in?

Just a week ago the newest class for the National Baseball Hall of Fame was announced. The class of 2020 includes former New York Yankee Derek Jeter and former Colorado Rockies, Montreal Expos and St Louis Cardinals first baseman and right fielder Larry Walker. One name that just missed the class was former teammate of Jeter and former Texas Longhorns great Roger Clemens.

Clemens finished fourth among the candidates receiving 60.7% of the votes, the required threshold is 75%. Each year since 2014, Clemens has been gaining votes that started with just 35.4% and continued to grow until this past year at 60.7%. Under voting rules, Clemens has until 2022 to receive the necessary number for induction or he comes off the ballot for writers. It then moves to a committee that would meet in 2024.

The controversy surrounding Roger Clemens induction stems around the BALCO investigation that stated that Clemens received performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) from trainer Brian McNamee. Baseball purist believe that Clemens doesn’t deserve to be in the Hall of Fame based on this investigation. Clemens never admitted to taking steroids and had he admitted one would think the case against him in the Hall of Fame wouldn’t be as strong.

Given the era that Clemens played in, it seemed to be common place for players using steroids. While it is no excuse, given how Clemens performed before the accusations of PEDs, he deserves his opportunity to shine and be inducted. For the former Longhorn, 2021 just might be his best chance given how voters have been delivering their votes in recent years. It is hard to deny what Clemens accomplished on the mound and for that it is time to make it right.

Roger Clemens Accomplishments

  • 11-time All-Star
  • Two-Time World Series Champion
  • Seven-time Cy Young Award Winner (Most All-Time)
  • American League Most Valuable Player (1986)
  • Two-Time Triple Crown Winner (ERA, Wins and Strikeouts)
  • Led Major League Baseball in wins (four times)
  • Led Major League Baseball in ERA (seven times)
  • Led American League in strikeouts (five times)
  • MLB All-Century Team
  • Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
  • Career Wins-354 (9th All-Time)
  • 4,672 strikeouts (3rd All-Time)

 

Former Longhorn Brandon Workman Looks To Lock Down Closer Role

Former Texas Longhorn and current Boston Red Sox pitcher Brandon Workman is looking to lockdown the closer role in 2020.

Another former Texas Longhorns pitcher is looking for a big year in 2020. For the Boston Red Sox they could have their next closer in Brandon Workman. For Workman his journey started in Bowie, Texas where he lettered all four years in high schooling. During those four years he earned All-State honors in two of the four years and Silver Slugger All-American recognition. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies but did not signed and joined the baseball team at the University of Texas in 2008.

After three seasons with the Longhorns, Workman was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the second round of the 2010 MLB Draft with the 57th overall selection. In 2013 he would be promoted from Double A Portland to Triple A Pawtucket and eventually to the Majors in July. He would be part of the bullpen that propelled the team to a World Series Championship. He didn’t surrender a single run in seven postseason appearances.

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His sophomore season in the majors wasn’t memorable as Workman went 1-10 with 5.17 ERA in 19 games. In 2015 he would require Tommy John surgery costing him the entire season. In 2016 Workman spent the year trying to get back to the big leagues. He would return to Boston in 2017 appearing in 33 games with a 3.18 ERA which was a career best at the time.

The former Longhorns pitcher would be up and down between Boston and minor league affiliate Pawtucket in 2018, although he recorded a 6-1 record and 3.27 ERA in 43 games. He was apart of the Red Sox ALDS and ALCS roster before being replaced for the World Series.

Last season saw Workman finish the season as the closer where he closed out 16 games for Boston. The team wouldn’t qualify for the postseason after finished third in the AL East division. During the season Workman posted a 10-1 record with a career best 1.81 ERA. Heading into Spring Training, Workman is looking to be the closer but he has some competition in Boston. Given how he finished out the season Brandon Workman should get the opportunity to be the man to lockdown the ninth inning in 2020.

Former Longhorns Pitchers Hope To Improve Angels in 2020

The former Texas Longhorns duo of Hoby Milner and Dillon Peters hope to turn around a Los Angeles Angels staff that struggled in 2019.

The Texas Longhorns are no strangers to producing Major League talent. For a duo of former Horns pitchers, they hope to make an impact an improve an Angels team that finished 72-90 and fourth in the AL West behind the Houston Astros, Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers. They finished with a team ERA of 5.12, that the sixth worst in the Majors in 2019.

Dillon Peters played for the Texas Longhorns from 2012-2014. The left-handed pitcher went 4-1 as a freshman with a 3.18 ERA, starting 11 games that year. The following year, Peters was named second team All-Big 12 after posting a 1.97 ERA and went 6-3. By the end of his time in Texas he was second in ERA among active players (2.26) and tied for third with 17 wins.

Peters pitched for the LA Angels in 2019 with a 4-4 record in 12 starts while appearing in five more games in relief. His 5.38 ERA was below his career average of 5.70. If Peters wants to stick around in the majors, he will need to improve his numbers. Peters is entering his second season with Los Angeles after being traded from Miami, the Marlins selected him in the 10th round of the 2014 MLB Draft.

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Hoby Milner is also looking to make the roster and help the Angels in 2020. Milner played in Texas from 2010-2012 before being drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2012 MLB Draft. The seventh-round pick made his Major League debut on June 20, 2017. Not even a week after being designated for assignment after a lengthy stay in the bigs, Milner was shipped to Tampa Bay.

In Tampa, things didn’t go much better for Milner. One day after being brought up to the Rays he was sent back down to Triple A Affiliate Durham. Following the 2018 season, Milner signed a minor league contract with the Los Angels Angels. He was invited to Angels Spring Training to attempt to earn a spot on the 25-man roster.

Milner has a career ERA of 3.40 with a record 0-0 record in 42.1 career innings pitched.

Tres Barrera Hopes of Earning Big League Opportunity

Former Longhorns catcher Tres Barrera is hoping to get his Major League Baseball opportunity with the Nationals in 2020.

Tres Barrera’s major league career has been a short one so far. After being drafted in the sixth round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals. The former Longhorns catcher was invited to the Nats’ major league camp in 2019 before being assigned to Double A Harrisburg Senators.

In the minors during the 2019 season, Barrera batted .249 with eight HRs and 46 RBIs. He was called up to the big leagues on September 8th. He went hitless in two at bats while appearing in two games. He was not a part of the postseason roster as the Nationals defeated the Houston Astros to win the World Series.

In 2020, Barrera will be looking to have more of a role with the Nationals. Following the World Series victory for Washington they declined the second-year option of catch Yan Gomes who was behind the plate for the final four games of the fall classic. That might have opened the door for Barrera, however Gomes was brought back on a new two-year deal.

The other catcher on the roster Kurt Suzuki will be in the final year of his contract. Suzuki will be 36 this season which marks his 14th in the league. Given that Gomes and Suzuki are in place for the Nat’s title defense run, it might be another year that Barrera will have to plug away in the minors in hopes of earning his shot in 2021.

 

Corey Knebel Eyeing Mid April Return To The Mound?

Former Texas Longhorns closer and current Milwaukee Brewer Corey Knebel is eyeing a mid April return to the mound.

It wasn’t quite the 2019 season that former Texas Longhorns pitcher Corey Knebel had hoped for. After a career year in 2017 for the Milwaukee Brewers, the numbers weren’t quite up to snuff in 2018. For Knebel, he was an All-Star for the Brewers in 2017.

That year he led the Majors in appearances with 76, while getting the save in 39 games. He would finished the season with a 1.78 (ERA) earned run average. His 2018 season wouldn’t be near as kind as Knebel posted a 3.58 ERA with a 4-3 record in 57 appearances while earning 16 saves. The 2019 season was hoping to see him return to his All-Star form for the Brewers.

In March of 2019 it was reported that Knebel would miss the season due to an injured elbow that would require Tommy John surgery to repair a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament. The typical recovery and best case scenario is a 13-month recovery time to begin playing baseball again.

According to CBS Sports, Knebel is eyeing a mid-April return to the mound. Barring any setbacks which the report states that there were none, fits right in with the 13-month recovery period. The former Longhorn will likely come in as a middle reliever and eventually getting an opportunity to earn his spot as the Brewers’ closer once again.

Knebel came to Texas in 2011 where he became the closer. That year he recorded 19 saves earning him First Team All-American honors and tying a school record. He played until 2013 where he was drafted by the Detroit Tigers with the 39th overall pick.

He made his Major League Debut against the Texas Rangers in 2014 before being traded from Detroit to Texas. That year Knebel sprained that same UCL before being shut down. In the offseason, Knebel was part of a package that sent him to Milwaukee. In 2017 he was named National League All-Star.