Tag: spencer steer

A young Diamondbacks fan showed absurd strength by snatching a home run right out of a Reds outfielder’s glove

This young Diamondbacks fan absolutely deserves a call-up to the majors.

In what’s been a heck of a week for MLB spectators making catches in the stands, a young Arizona Diamondbacks fan tried to help out his favorite team during a game on Friday night, but it didn’t go according to plan.

During Arizona’s evening tilt with the Cincinnati Reds, the young fan in question interfered with Reds outfielder Spencer Steer as the latter was trying to catch a Diamondbacks hit headed into the stands.

The fan in question snatched the ball right out of Steer’s glove and looked to have helped make the home run save, but the MLB umpires called it an out due to spectator interference.

The fan was later relocated to different seats, but you can imagine he got a hero’s welcome from Arizona fans at the ballpark regardless.

At the least, the out didn’t have an affect on the final score as the Diamondbacks earned a 10-8 victory over the Reds by game’s end.

Hey, this fan will now have a baseball and a heck of a story to tell his friends at school when he goes back to class.

Former Duck Spencer Steer is a driving force behind Reds’ 2023 success

Cincinnati has given former Duck Spencer Steer a chance to play every day and he’s making the most out of his opportunity.

It wasn’t a trade that made many headlines last summer, but now the Tyler Mahle-for-Spencer Steer transaction between Minnesota and Cincinnati changed the direction of a division.

Steer, who played third base for the Ducks from 2017-19, was a prospect in the Twins organization before being trade to the Reds in 2022 for Mahle. Minnesota needed another starter in their bid to win the AL Central. In exchange for Mahle, the Twins handed over Steer who was having an okay minor league career.

But Steer’s chance of making the Twins’ big league roster was going to come later rather than sooner. Cincinnati, who was thought to be in the midst of rebuilding, made Steer a regular in the Reds lineup and he has never looked back.

Playing nearly every day in 2023, Steer has hit .287 with 14 home runs and 51 runs batted in. Steer began the season at first base for an injured Joey Votto, but he has also seen time at third, left field, and as the designated hitter.

Cincinnati is currently in first place in the National League Central Division with a 50-40 record, two games in front of the second-place Milwaukee Brewers.

As for the other part of the trade, Mahle got hurt in late April and hasn’t pitched since for the Twins. Steer may have been “the other guy” when this trade was made, but without Steer, Cincinnati may still be in a rebuilding mode instead of playing for a post-season spot for the first time since 2020.

9 Oregon Ducks expected to contribute to MLB clubs in 2023

The Oregon Ducks have nine former players expected to be contributors in the MLB, which begins on Thursday.

Football and basketball rule the college athletics landscape, often leaving baseball (and softball) as the forgotten sports of the spring season.

For the Oregon Ducks, it can be a missed opportunity to see high level athletes both in Eugene and across the Pac-12, a conference that excels in both sports.

It’s also a chance to see future big league stars, as evidenced by the high number of pros the Ducks have cycled through the baseball program in recent years.

A quick look at Fangraphs’ 2023 projections shows nine Oregon alumni who are projected to make a difference in the big leagues this season, with first pitch slated for Thursday, March 30.

Oregon has primarily succeeded at developing pitching, with seven of the nine big leaguers coming from the mound and only two at the plate.

Below is a look at those nine players, when they played at Oregon, and how they are projected to perform this upcoming season: