The Major League Baseball season is in full swing and there are some notable former Mustangs representing Cal Poly in the Big Leagues.
Cal Poly has had many players take the step from college to the major leagues, including current San Francisco Giants broadcaster Mike Krukrow and Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith. Here is where former Mustangs look to begin their 2024 season.
Brooks Lee parlayed his 2022 collegiate campaign into a successful 2023 season with the Minnesota Twins minor league teams. Lee was so successful that he was named Minor League Player of the Year within the Twins minor league system in 2023.
Playing shortstop in college and throughout his pro career so far, Lee will likely have to make the switch to second base with incumbents Royce Lewis and Carlos Correa on the left side of the infield.
Lee picked up a back injury that will sideline him for the first month of the season. Once he gets back into playing shape in Triple-A St. Paul, it would be easy to assume that if any lengthy injury plagued an infielder, Lee would get the call to the senior circuit.
Bryan Woo was a surprise entrant into the Seattle Mariners rotation in 2023 and instantly made an impact in the Emerald City. After making nine starts in Double-A, Woo was called up to the majors and pitched a 4.21 Earned Run Average (ERA) in 83 innings for the Mariners.
Woo’s main weapon is his fastball as he’s only allowed a .207 batting average and racked up 52 strikeouts with it last season.
The Mariners were cautious with Woo this spring due to his injury history. That wasn’t enough to keep him 100% as he will open the season on the injured list with elbow inflammation.
Speaking of the Seattle Mariners…
The 2012 Big West Player of the Year returns to Seattle via trade after a season in San Francisco hampered by a fractured forearm. Haniger has a .263 batting average and 107 home runs in his previous five seasons in Seattle.
A main factor in his success this season will be if Haniger can stay on the field, having played just 98 games in the previous two seasons. Haniger has played all of his starts in right field so far this season for the Mariners.
The 2022 Big West Pitcher of the Year picked up the 2023 Minor League Pitcher of the Year in the New York Yankees organization and has had a tumultuous offseason so far in 2024.
First, he was shipped off to San Diego in the Juan Soto blockbuster, before being sent to the southside of Chicago for White Sox ace Dylan Cease.
The calling card of Thorpe is a string-pulling changeup that generates swings and misses, inside or outside of the strike zone.
Thorpe won’t start the season on the Opening Day roster instead starting at Double-A Birmingham, he is projected to make his debut at some point in 2024.
The Philadelphia Phillies drafted Howard after a stellar 2017 college season that saw him spin a 2.07 ERA and with an 8-1 record.
It hasn’t been easy sailing for the former Mustang as he has floated around the league with stints with the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees.
Howard signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants and despite a stellar Spring Training was sent down where he will look to earn a call-up from Triple-A Sacramento.
Warrecker temporarily shared a system with Thorpe before the latter was sent to San Diego. The Yankees took the right-hander in the 20th round.
Although he only faced one batter in Spring Training, it garnered attention for the unusual amount of break on his pitches.
He will work his way up in the Yankees farm system to start 2024.
True was drafted in the 18th round by the Houston Astros after a 3.90 ERA over 32 innings at Cal Poly.
True will continue to hone his craft in the lower levels of the Houston farm system.
Dollard missed all of 2023 with shoulder surgery, a year he was expected to make his major league debut. That freed up space for Bryan Woo to make a name for himself in Seattle.
The 2022 Texas League Pitcher of the Year looks to regain form in Triple-A Tacoma and join Woo and Mitch Haniger on the Major League roster.
Other baseball alumni include Chase Watkins (Chicago Cubs), Justin Bruihl (Cincinnati Reds), Bradlee Beesley (Chicago Cubs), Andrew Alvarez (Washington Nationals), Myles Emmerson (Los Angeles Angels), Jason Franks (Atlanta Braves) and Mark Mathias (Cincinnati Reds.)