With the Major League Baseball season well past the quarter mark, there are a number of former NC State baseball players scattered throughout the professional baseball world.
Two Pack minor leaguers have earned permanent promotions so far this year, and others are having great seasons for their respective teams. Here is how just a few of the Pack’s baseball alumni are doing this season:
Trea Turner, Shortstop, Washington Nationals
Now in his fourth season in the big leagues, Turner continues to be one of MLB’s premiere young shortstops. While he has missed significant time in his career due to injury to this point, Turner has stayed healthy this season and has appeared in all 51 of the Nationals’ games.
The speedy shortstop is slashing .271/.364/.422, with only his on-base percentage on the year better than his career mark. However, Turner is still putting together a nice season for the Nats, and with six home runs through 51 games is well on pace to break his career high in long balls of 13.
Already at 2.0 wins above replacement on the season according to Baseball Reference, Turner is also well on pace to smash his single-season best WAR of 3.4, which he set back in 2016. Turner is also proving once again how dangerous he can be when he gets on base. He has stolen 14 bases on just 15 attempts, good for third-most in the majors.
Carlos Rodon, Pitcher, Chicago White Sox
The third-overall pick from the 2014 MLB Draft just can’t seem to catch a break in his big league career, as Rodon continues to battle injuries that have plagued him throughout his four-year tenure with the White Sox. Rodon has yet to pitch in an MLB game this season, after having shoulder surgery at the start of the year.
Rodon is on his way back, but his recovery process took a bump in his second rehab start with the Charlotte Knights last Thursday. Rodon struck out six batters in 2.2 innings, but had to be removed from the game after being struck in the head by a line drive. However, Rodon is still on track to return to the White Sox soon.
Cory Mazzoni, Pitcher, Chicago Cubs Organization
A second-round pick in 2011 out of NC State, Mazzoni has little MLB experience to his credit. The righty is in his first season in the Cubs system, and was called up to the big leagues on May 7. Mazzoni threw one scoreless inning in a 14-2 Cubs win over the Miami Marlins, before being optioned back to triple-A Iowa the following day.
Apart from his one day with the Chicago Cubs, Mazzoni has spent his entire season with the Iowa Cubs. He has a 2-2 record in 13 appearances, with a 1.37 ERA and 19 strikeouts over 19.2 innings.
Andrew Knizner, Catcher, St. Louis Cardinals Organization
Knizner is working his way up the Cardinals organization, earning himself a call up to the triple-A Memphis Redbirds earlier this month. The former seventh-round pick started the season in double-A with the Springfield Cardinals, where he slashed .333/.412/.467 in 27 games to earn the call up.
Through seven games with the Redbirds, Knizner has stayed hot and is hitting .286 with an OPS of .699. The backstop is currently ranked as the fifth-best prospect in the Cardinals organization by MLB Pipeline.
Evan Mendoza, Third baseman, St. Louis Cardinals Organization
Much like his former Wolfpack teammate Knizner, Mendoza earned himself a promotion in the Cardinals organization after strong play throughout the first two months of the season. Mendoza started the year in single-A advanced ball, where he slashed a whopping .349/.394/.456 with three homers and 16 RBIs in 37 games.
Mendoza was moved up to double-A Springfield on May 18, where he is slashing .265/.324/.265 through 10 games. Mendoza is 9 for 34 with nine singles, as his power stroke hasn’t quite followed him to Springfield yet. Mendoza also joins Knizner on the Cardinals top prospects list, coming in at No. 29.
Joe Dunand, Shortstop, Miami Marlins Organization
After barely hitting the field last year due to injury after getting drafted by the Marlins in the second round, Dunand is off and running to a hot start to his 2018 campaign with the single-A advanced Jupiter Hammerheads.
Dunand is slashing .282/.355/.436 in 44 games, and has had his power stroke that he was known for at NC State on full display. He has hit six homers this season and has 36 RBIs as well. Dunand checks in at No. 16 on the Marlins’ top prospects.
