Detroit Tigers Call Up Ryan Kreider, Another UCLA Alum Reaches Majors
For the third time in less than a week, the Bruins have had another alum reach the big leagues.
The Detroit Tigers will select the contract of infielder Ryan Kreidler on Thursday, manager AJ Hinch told the media Wednesday. Kreidler will be making his major league debut when he suits up for the Tigers, becoming the third UCLA baseball product to do so in a span of just six days.
Outfielder Garrett Mitchell was called up by the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, while Michael Toglia joined the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday. Both Mitchell and Toglia are former first round picks, but Kreidler was Detroit's fourth round selection in the 2019 MLB Draft. All three were members of the record-breaking 2019 UCLA squad, which won 52 games and reached the NCAA Super Regionals.
Hinch also said that former Arizona State slugger and 2020 first overall pick Spencer Torkelson would be coming up to the majors alongside Kreidler.
Kreidler was one of the headliners of coach John Savage's 2016 recruiting class, right alongside Toglia and infielder Chase Strumpf. The Davis, California, native played shortstop and third base during his time in Westwood, and he has added second base to his tool belt in the Tigers' farm system.
After hitting just .232 with a .680 OPS between his freshman and sophomore seasons, Kreidler broke out and hit .300 with nine home runs, 45 RBI, 12 stolen bases and an .872 OPS his junior year as a Bruin.
Kreidler then hit .233 with a .658 OPS in Low-A in 2019, managing to appear in 60 games at the minor league level the summer he was drafted.
Following the 2020 season shut down by COVID-19, Kreidler returned to play at the Double-A level, where he hit .257 with a .754 OPS. Kreidler was called up to Triple-A before the end of the year, and he hit .304 with a .926 OPS across 41 appearances. Over the course of the entire 2021 season, Kreidler hit 22 homers and stole 15 bases in 129 games of action.
Some of Kreidler's numbers took dip in 2022, especially his .218 batting average in Triple-A action, but his OPS managed to stay up at .782 thanks to his increase in walks and doubles.
Kreidler has joined the Tigers for spring training each of the past three years, playing four games in 2020, then 13 in 2021 and 13 in 2022. In just 29 at-bats, Kreidler has gone for three home runs, three doubles and 11 RBI while batting .276 with a 1.072 OPS.
Detroit is currently dead last in the AL Central, boasting a 50-79 record entering the final month of the regular season. With the playoffs virtually out of reach – they are 20.5 games back from the final wild card spot – the young team appears to be looking to experiment with the top young talent in their farm system.
Kreidler is currently ranked as the Tigers' No. 7 prospect, according to MLB.com.
The Tigers are in the middle of a home series against the Seattle Mariners. First pitch for Thursday's series finale is scheduled for 10:10 a.m.
When Kreidler takes the field, he will become the 90th UCLA alumnus ever to play in an MLB game. Every UCLA team from 1965 to 2020 has had a future MLB player on the roster, and the 2019 team already has three just three years removed from their time together.
Neither Mitchell nor Toglia recorded a hit in their respective major league debuts earlier in the week. Mitchell, however, did pick up a hit and two RBI in his second appearance and a home run in his third.
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