How 5 former Gonzaga baseball players performed in 2025 MLB regular season

Three pitchers and two infielders from Gonzaga appeared in the MLB this year

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Eli Morgan. | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Sunday was the final day of the 2025 MLB regular season, and it featured appearances from five former Gonzaga Bulldogs.

The Gonzaga baseball program has consistently produced a handful of MLB draft picks annually, including six top-ten round picks since 2021, so it's not too surprising to see this convert into multiple big leaguers. And there's likely more to come, especially from recent high draft picks like Gabriel Hughes (first rounder in 2022), and William Kempner (third rounder in 2022), who could debut in 2026.

Sadly, it was the first season in over a decade that did not feature left-handed pitcher Marco Gonzales, who last pitched in August of 2024 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Gonzales spent almost the entirety of his big league career in Seattle, though, winning 61 games with the Mariners and pitching to a 4.08 ERA.

The five players from Gonzaga include first baseman/right fielder Troy Johnston, who made his major league debut in July, as well as third baseman Brett Harris (A's), and a trio of right-handed relievers: Alek Jacob (San Diego), Casey Legumina (Seattle), and Eli Morgan (Chicago Cubs).

Here is a look at each of their performances this season:

Eli Morgan, Relief Pitcher, Chicago Cubs

Apr 14, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Eli Morgan (33) throws a pitch during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. | David Frerker-Imagn Images

Stats: 7 games, 7.1 innings pitched, 0-1, 12.27 ERA, four strikeouts, three walks

Morgan spent the first four years of his MLB career with Cleveland, developing into a quality middle reliever for the Guardians. Across 161 appearances and 265.1 innings, Morgan posted a 3.97 ERA with a tidy 262:70 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

However, his move to Chicago with the Cubs did not go well, as the 29-year-old right-hander was limited to just seven appearances, all before April 15, and posted a 12.27 ERA thanks to two bad outings. He returned from his elbow impingement in mid-September and pitched at Triple-A, and is expected to be healthy for Chicago in 2026.

Casey Legumina, Relief Pitcher, Seattle Mariners

Sep 14, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Harry Ford (5) greets Seattle Mariners pitcher Casey Legumina (64) at the end of the game against the Los Angeles Angels at T-Mobile Park. | John Froschauer-Imagn Images

Stats: 48 games, 49.2 innings pitched, 4-6, 5.62 ERA, 55 strikeouts, 25 walks

Legumina spent his first two big league seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, throwing 22 innings in 17 games before Seattle brought him on board for 2025. The right-hander threw for a career-high 49.2 innings with the Mariners, posting an excellent 10 strikeouts per nine innings. He'll likely get a chance to compete for Seattle this October.

Alek Jacob, Relief Pitcher, San Diego Padres

Sep 2, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Alek Jacob (37) delivers during the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Petco Park. | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Stats: 29 games, 33.1 innings pitched, 1-0, 5.13 ERA, 23 strikeouts, 14 walks

Jacob, who threw a no-hitter for Gonzaga back in 2021, appeared in a career-high 29 games with San Diego in 2025. His 33.1 innings more than doubled his previous career-high of 14.2, although he wasn't as sharp on the bump. The 27-year-old right-hander posted a 5.13 ERA and an ugly 1.50 WHIP, thanks to control issues and a tendency to give up the long ball.

Regardless, Jacob should be a part of San Diego's bullpen mix entering the Wild Card.

Brett Harris, Third Baseman, Athletics

Sep 23, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics third baseman Brett Harris (11) celebrates after hitting a double during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Sutter Health Park. | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Stats: 32 games, 73 at-bats, .274/.349/.342 slash, 20 hits, 0 home runs, 5 RBI

Harris appeared in 36 games as a rookie in 2024 and 32 games this season, all coming after August 14 when he took over as the team's starting third baseman. The seventh round pick out of Gonzaga in 2021 hit quite well down the stretch, with a .271 average and a .342 on base percentage. Five of his 19 hits went for doubles but he lacked power otherwise, with zero home runs and only five RBI.

He should continue to be in the mix for reps at third with the Athletics into 2026.

Troy Johnston, Outfielder, Miami Marlins

Sep 17, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Miami Marlins right fielder Troy Johnston (75) celebrates scoring a run in the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Stats: 44 games, 112 at-bats, .277/.331/.420 slash, 31 hits, four home runs, 13 RBI, two steals

28-year-old Troy Johnston, in the midst of a third straight excellent season at Triple-A, finally made his big league debut in July with the Miami Marlins and excelled down the stretch. The first baseman/right fielder hit .277 with four home runs and a pair of steals across 112 at-bats, and should get a real chance to compete for at-bats again in 2026.

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