Aggies in MLB: Opening Day
After a substantial delay due to a labor dispute, Major League Baseball is set to open its 146th season on Thursday. As the Atlanta Braves look to successfully defend their World Series championship, one former Texas A&M baseball player enters his sixth season with the club.
There are seven games scheduled on Thursday, as teams broke spring training with 28 players on their rosters.
A.J. Minter, Texas A&M Pitcher, 2014-2015
Minter returns for his sixth season with the defending World Champion Atlanta Braves. Last year he appeared in 61 games out of the bullpen on his way to a 3-6 record, a 3.78 ERA, and 57 strikeouts in 52 1/3 innings pitched.
In the postseason Minter appeared in eight games, going 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 12 innings, and earned the win in Game 1 of the World Series.
Ryan Hendrix, Texas A&M Pitcher, 2014-2016
Hendrix returns to the Cincinnati Reds after a strong rookie season in 2021. In 36 games out of the bullpen last season, he posted a 5-1 record with 35 strikeouts in 31 2/3 innings.
Corbin Martin, Texas A&M Pitcher, 2015-2017
After being drafted by the Houston Astros in 2017, Martin enters his second year with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Last season, he appeared in five games for Arizona including three starts, and tallied 13 strikeouts in 16 innings.
Tyler Naquin, Texas A&M Outfielder 2010-2012
Naquin enters his second season with the Reds after an impressive 2021. In 127 games last season he batted .270 with 52 runs, 24 doubles, two triples, 19 home runs, and 70 RBIs. Naquin spent his first five major league seasons in Cleveland, where he was on the Indians' club that lost to the Chicago Cubs.
Brooks Raley, Texas A&M Pitcher, 2009
Raley joins the Tampa Bay Rays for 2022 after just missing out on a World Series championship with the Houston Astros last season. With Houston in 2021, Raley pitched from the bullpen to a 2-3 mark with two saves and a 4.78 ERA. He added 65 strikeouts in 49 innings.
Ross Stripling, Texas A&M Pitcher, 2009-2012
Stripling enters his third season with the Toronto Blue Jays after pitching in 24 games in 2021, including 19 starts. He posted a 5-7 record with a 4.80 ERA with 95 strikeouts in 101 1/3 innings. While with the Dodgers in 2018, he earned an MLB All-Star game appearance.
Michael Wacha, Texas A&M Pitcher, 2010-2012
Wacha enters his 10th MLB season and a new team for the third consecutive year. In 2021 with the Tampa Bay Rays, he went 3-6 with a 5.05 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 124 2/3 innings. Wacha appeared in the 2015 MLB All-Star game and won the 2013 NLCS Series MVP trophy while with the St. Louis Cardinals.
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