Colorado Rockies Call Up 2019 Top Pick, UCLA Star Michael Toglia
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For the second time in a week, a former Bruin has been called up to make his major league debut.
The Colorado Rockies announced a string of transactions on Tuesday afternoon, calling up UCLA baseball alumni Michael Toglia and Sean Bouchard to their big league roster. Bouchard made his first MLB appearance earlier in the season, while the upcoming series against the Atlanta Braves is set to be Toglia’s first taste of major league action.
Outfielders Wynton Bernard and Sam Hilliard were optioned back to Triple-A to make room for Bouchard and Togila.
Garrett Mitchell – who was a teammate of Togila’s in 2018 and 2019 – made his MLB debut with the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, earning his first hit and home run across the weekend’s action.
Colorado selected Togila with the No. 23 overall pick in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft before sending him on a fast track through the minors. It took Toglia just over three years to make it to the highest level of competition in the sport, and he has done so with the added weight of hype and expectations at every stop.
Togila is currently ranked as the No. 14 overall prospect in the Rockies’ farm system, according to MLB Pipeline. He was one of the standouts at the 2021 MLB All-Star Futures Game, belting a home run at Coors Field, which will now be his home stadium.
Togila has consistently hit for power since joining the Rockies and has tallied 30 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A in 2022. Hitting for average has been a tale of two halves for the 6-foot-5 left-handed slugger, but he has been trending in the right direction in that category.
With Double-A Hartford, Togila slashed .234/.329/.466, but after receiving the call-up to Triple-A Albuquerque, the former Bruin improved his line to .333/.413/.758 during his 17-game stint in New Mexico.
In 270 games of minor league baseball, Togila has racked up 61 home runs, 27 doubles and 193 RBIs on a .240 batting average.
Togila spent three seasons with UCLA and was named to the Pac-12 All-Conference team twice. From 2017 to 2019, Togila hit .308/.410/.573 with 36 home runs, 156 RBI, 51 doubles, six triples and a .983 OPS in 178 games.
Perfect Game named Togila an All-American honorable mention at the end of his junior campaign.
The Gig Harbor, Washington, native will become the 89th Bruin all-time to reach the majors and the 26th to have been coached by John Savage.
First pitch between the Rockies and Braves is scheduled for 4:20 p.m. in Atlanta. The Wednesday and Thursday games later in the series are slated for the same start time.
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