Tag: Auburn in the MLB

MLB All-Star break: A look at Josh Donaldson’s first half numbers

After an injury slowed down his first half production, the former MVP hopes to have a strong second half in the Bronx.

As the first half of the Major League Baseball season comes to a close, Auburn Wire will check in with several former Tigers who are currently on active MLB rosters.

The first up is the longest-tenured former Tiger in the show, New York Yankees’ third baseman, [autotag]Josh Donaldson[/autotag].

Donaldson had a sluggish first half, as he missed most of April, and all of May, due to a hamstring injury. Because of this, the distance between his hits and home run is minimal.

On Sunday, he set a new record by registering the fewest base hits by any player with double-digit home runs before the All-Star break in baseball history with 15 total hits and 10 home runs. Ironically, he took over that title from fellow Auburn alum, [autotag]Frank Thomas[/autotag], who had 20 hits and 11 home runs prior to the 2005 all-star break.

His home runs have been a product of great plate appearances. He hopes to turn those into more base hits and RBI opportunities in the second half.

“I feel like the at-bats have been there and the home runs have been predicated on having some pretty good at-bats,” Donaldson said Saturday. “I haven’t really had much fall other than that. I’m looking forward to that changing.”

Here’s a look at Donaldson’s first-half numbers.

Former Auburn SS Ryan Bliss to play in MLB’s 2023 Futures Game

Ryan Bliss is getting a chance to show he is among the top prospects in baseball.

[autotag]Ryan Bliss[/autotag] has had a tremendous 2023 season and will be representing the Arizona Diamondbacks in MLB’s 2023 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game.

The former Auburn shortstop is hitting .350 with 11 home runs, 19 doubles and a .977 OPS in 60 games for the Diamondback’s Double-A affiliate the Amarillo Sod Poodles. He has also stolen 21 bases and driven in 43 runs.

Bliss has started to split time at both shortstop and second base, a position that he may wind up at due to his 5-foot-6 and 165 pound frame.

He started 134 games for Auburn from 2019-21, batting .328, with 20 home runs and 99 RBI. He is just the fourth two-time All-America in program history.

Bliss is the Diamondback’s No. 29 prospect according to MLB.com and is expected to make his MLB debut during the 2024 season.

The game will take place Saturday, July 8, at 7 p.m. ET at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park. It will be seven innings and can be seen exclusively on Peacock and SiriusXM.

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Sonny D is back! DiChiara gets first start of season for Rocket City

“Sonny D” is back in the lineup for the Rocket City Trash Pandas after missing time due to an upper-body injury.

For the first time this season, former Auburn Tigers slugger [autotag]Sonny DiChiara[/autotag] has been activated by the Rocket City Trash Pandas, the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

After being sidelined due to an upper-body injury at the beginning of the season, DiChiara returned to the lineup on Thursday for Rocket City’s game on the road against the Montgomery Biscuits. In his return, DiChiara went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts but was involved in a double play while playing first base for the Trash Pandas in their 3-0 win at Riverwalk Stadium.

Last season DiChiara recorded 23 hits in 118 plate appearances for a batting average of .195. Additionally, the Homewood, Alabama native hit one home run, scored seven runs, drove in 10 runs, and stole one base.

DiChiara was selected 148th overall in the fifth round by the Los Angeles Angels in last year’s MLB Draft. He will be expected to make some noise in Double-A this summer and continue to climb the Minor League ladder.

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Former Auburn infielder Ryan Bliss earns Player of the Month honors in Texas League

He had a batting average of .410, hit eight doubles and stole eight bases throughout April.

Former Auburn Tigers infielder [autotag]Ryan Bliss[/autotag] was named Player of the Month for the month of April in the Texas League.

The 5-foot-6, 165-pounder had a batting average of .410, scored 17 runs, hit eight doubles and two home runs, drove in 14 runs and stole eight bases throughout April.

Bliss plays shortstop for the Amarillo Sod Poodles, the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks selected Bliss in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft with the 42nd overall pick.

The native of Burbank, California is the No. 30 ranked prospect and the No. 6 ranked middle infielder in the Diamondbacks organization and has an MLB eta of 2024 per MLB.com.

During his three seasons with the Tigers, Bliss had a batting average of .328, hit 56 extra-base hits including 20 home runs, drove in 45 runs, a slugging percentage of .514 and a fielding percentage of .972. Bliss started 134 games during his college career.

Aside from Bliss, Auburn had three players selected in the 2021 MLB Draft: [autotag]Richard Fitts[/autotag], [autotag]Tyler Miller[/autotag] and [autotag]Steven Williams[/autotag].

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Looking back at Edouard Julien’s first week in the Majors

Julien became the latest former Tiger to make his MLB debut last week with the Minnesota Twins.

The latest former Auburn Tiger to make his Major League Debut was [autotag]Edouard Julien[/autotag], doing so on April 12 for the Minnesota Twins.

In his debut. Julien went 0-for-2 with a walk in a 3-1 win over the Chicago White Sox. The very next day, Julien would reach two milestones in the same game.

In the Twins’ 11-2 win over the New York Yankees last Thursday, Julien recorded his first hit and his first home run as a member of the big club. According to OptaStats, Julien is the fourth batter since 1974 to record his first Major League hit, and first Major League home run in the same inning, doing so in the top of the 1st inning.

“You kind of have pressure to get the first one out of the way,” Julien said Thursday. “And then right after, just to get a homer, I couldn’t write a better script. It was an unforgettable moment.”

Julien ended his first week by going 2-for-17 at the plate with a home run and an RBI. Julien is just getting started and has a great season awaiting him in Minnesota.

Here’s a look back at some of Julien’s key moments during his first week with the Minnesota Twins:

Watch: Edouard Julien hits first big league bomb

The former Auburn slugger accomplished the feat in just his second MLB game.

Auburn baseball alumni [autotag]Edouard Julien[/autotag] accomplished the important milestone of hitting his first major league home run. Julien made his MLB debut Wednesday for the Minnesota Twins and hit his first home run against the New York Yankees in his second game at the Major League level.

Additionally, Julien’s first hit at the Major League level came earlier in the inning.

The infielder hit .266/.393/.501 and had 27 home runs and 126 RBIs during his time on the Plains. Julien is the 58th former Tiger to appear on the big league scene and the seventh Auburn alumn to be called up since 2020. The others include [autotag]Casey Mize[/autotag], [autotag]Ben Braymer[/autotag], [autotag]Josh Palacios[/autotag], [autotag]Keegan Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Gabe Klobosits[/autotag], and [autotag]Davis Daniel[/autotag].

Per OptsStats, Julien is the fourth player since 1974 to get their first big league hit and home run in the same inning.

Julien’s bat is expected to be a big part of the Twins’ lineup for years to come.

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Edouard Julien called up by the Minnesota Twins

He is set to make his MLB debut.

[autotag]Edouard Julien[/autotag] is getting his shot in the MLB. The former Auburn Tiger has been called up by the Minnesota Twins according to a report from Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic.

Julien is coming off an impressive season in the minors, where he hit .300/.441/.490 with 17 home runs in Double-A. The Quebec native has already hit two home runs in 31 at-bats this season at the Triple-A level.

The Twins took him in the 18th round of the 2019 MLB draft but he has developed into the No. 96 overall prospect in baseball and their No. 4 prospect.

Julien played at Auburn from 2018-19. He hit .266/.393/.501 with 27 home runs in his time on the Plains.

While the 23-year-old’s bat has the Twins eagerly awaiting his arrival, there are concerns about his defense. He has only played second base and designated hitter in the past two seasons but also has experience at first base, third base, and left field in the minors.

The Twins are set to play Wednesday at 12:10 p.m. CT against the Chicago White Sox. They have not yet announced if Julien will be starting the game.

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Derek Jeter to replace Frank Thomas on Fox Sports MLB pregame crew

Thomas was a staple of FOX’s Major League Baseball coverage for a decade.

After a decade as an on-air personality for Fox Sports MLB pregame shows, Auburn baseball and Chicago White Sox legend [autotag]Frank Thomas[/autotag] is being replaced by Derek Jeter. A New York Post article written by Andrew Marchand told the story.

“Frank has been an integral member of the FOX MLB studio team for nearly a decade and has helped raise the bar on our coverage while continuously growing the game of baseball,” a Fox Sports spokesman said in a statement to The New York Post on Saturday. “Although he is not a part of our coverage this season, ‘The Big Hurt’ will always be a member of our Fox Sports family and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”

Thomas has been a part of a team that has included MLB Hall of Famers such as David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez and long-time MLB analyst Kevin Burkhardt.

Jeter will make his debut in June for the MLB London Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs.

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Reporting for Duty: 12 former Tigers arrive at 2023 MLB Spring Training

Keegan Thompson, Josh Donaldson, and Casey Mize headline Auburn’s representation at MLB Spring Training.

Now that Super Bowl LVII has concluded, it is time for Major League Baseball to begin preparations for the 2023 season.

Pitchers and catchers have reported to their club’s respective camps in either Florida or Arizona in hopes to build a solid roster that will push them to the World Series. For 12 former Tigers, several are looking to continue honing their craft while others are working to earn a spot on their team’s Opening Day roster.

Keegan Thompson, Casey Mize, and Josh Donaldson headline the 12-member representation, and each of them has a different story.

Thompson, a 10-game winner for the Chicago Cubs in 2022, looks to build off of his successful first full season in the MLB. It will be a comeback season of sorts for Mize, who had two off-season surgeries. Finally, Donaldson looks to return to his usual power-hitting form and bring another championship to the Bronx.

Who else is representing Auburn at MLB Spring Training? Take a look below.

Donaldson, New York Yankees face elimination Sunday in ALCS

The Astros shut out the Yankees on Saturday, forcing a must-win situation for the Yankees on Sunday afternoon.

Following another disappointing performance in the American League Championship Series, the New York Yankees need to earn a win on Sunday in order to stay alive in their quest for a World Series crown.

Houston’s Chas McCormick hit a two-run blast in the 3rd inning on Saturday’s Game Three, while Trey Mancini and Christian Vasquez combined to plate three runs in the 6th inning to lift the Astros to a 5-0 win over the Yankees at Yankee Stadium to take a 3-0 lead in the American League Championship Series.

Auburn’s tie to the American League Championship Series, third baseman [autotag]Josh Donaldson[/autotag], went 0-for-3 in the game, striking out twice. Including Saturday’s game, Donaldson has struck out 13 times over a span of six postseason games, while only recording three hits. This postseason, Donaldson is batting .200 with one double and seven RBI.

Game four between the Yankees and Astros is set for a 3:07 p.m. CT start time live from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The game can be seen live on TBS.

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