With the MLB season concluded, let’s take a look at how former NC State baseball players performed in the professional ranks this season.
Trea Turner, Shortstop, Washington Nationals
Turner was one of the best players in the National League this season, posting 4.1 wins above replacement according to Baseball Reference, good for ninth-best in the NL. Though he’s been a league-average hitter with a .271/.344/.416 slash line, he’s appeared in all of the Nationals’ 162 games, playing a stellar shortstop and stealing an impressive 43 bases which set a franchise record for career bags swiped with 123.
Carlos Rodón, Pitcher, Chicago White Sox
Rodón’s ERA ballooned to 4.18 from 3.22 after a couple of poor starts at end the season, but the former Wolfpack lefty nonetheless had a solid season for the rebuilding White Sox. Overall, he threw 120.2 innings with a solid 1.26 WHIP to go with 90 strikeouts and 55 walks and will slot into Chicago’s rotation next season.
Andrew Knizner, Catcher, St. Louis Cardinals
Spending the bulk of the season at Double-A Springfield with a brief call up to Triple-A Memphis, Knizner hit an excellent .313 with a .368 on-base percentage and a .798 on-base plus slugging percentage. He’s the fifth-best prospect in the Cardinals organization according to MLB.com, and figures to see the majors next year as he continues his steady ascent through the St. Louis system.
Evan Mendoza, Third Baseman, St. Louis Cardinals
As the Cardinals’ 26th-best prospect according to MLB.com, Mendoza hit well at High-A Palm Beach and was promoted to Double-A Springfield to play alongside his former batterymate Knizner, but struggled to a .654 OPS in 402 plate appearances. He’s still just 22 years old and was just the second player from the Cardinals’ 2017 draft class to reach Double-A, so it may take some time to fully adjust.
Joe Dunand, Shortstop, Miami Marlins
Dunand spent the year between Double-A and Single-A, logging a .683 OPS to go with 14 home runs. He spent all of his time in the field at shortstop, and his kind of power will play there if he can stick defensively.
Preston Palmeiro, First Baseman, Baltimore Orioles
Palmerio hit just .251 to go with a .309 on-base percentage and a .401 slugging percentage, but he smacked 17 home runs while playing second base for High-A Frederick after being moved away from his natural position of first base.
Brett Kinneman, Outfielder, Pittsburgh Pirates
The highest draft selection out of NC State’s 2018 class, Kinneman slashed .253/.344/.413 while launching four home runs and 16 doubles in 262 plate appearances at Class A Short-Season in West Virginia.
Josh McLain, Outfielder, Los Angeles Dodgers
As a 14th-round selection after an excellent senior season for the Wolfpack, McLain hit .303 with 11 doubles and seven stolen bases for Low-A Great Lakes.
Brock Deatherage, Outfielder, Detroit Tigers
The athletic left-handed swinger got his professional career off to a hot start by mashing three home runs in his first game in rookie ball and never looked back, culminating in a slash line of .326/.385/.504 with seven home runs and 19 stolen bases across three levels, with his season ending in High-A. He should get some more attention on Detroit’s prospect lists come next season.
Brian Brown, Pitcher, Boston Red Sox
The 2018 ACC Pitcher of the Year made 10 starts for Low-A Lowell and continued to do what he does best: limit walks and keep hitters off-balance. He posted a sterling 1.96 ERA in 36.2 innings while striking out 32 batters to just 10 walks.
Tommy DeJuneas, Pitcher, Houston Astros
DeJuneas had a fine year, moving up to High-A after being traded to Houston from Cleveland. He posted an overall ERA of 2.96 across 45.2 innings, striking out 55 batters while allowing just 21 walks.
Cory Mazzoni, Pitcher, Chicago Cubs
Mazzoni appeared in eight games for the Cubs major league team out of the bullpen, tossing 8.2 innings to the tune of a stellar 1.04 ERA. He didn’t fare as well in Triple-A, throwing 38.1 innings with a 4.46 ERA.
Unfortunately for Mazzoni, he was designated for assignment back in August and outrighted to Triple-A Iowa just as rosters expanded in September.
Brett Austin, Catcher, Chicago White Sox
Despite an undisclosed injury that kept him out for most of the season, Austin recorded 43 plate appearances for Triple-A Charlotte and hit .235. He was in the mix for a call-up after White Sox starting catcher Welington Castillo’s 80-game suspension, but the ill-timed injury kept Austin in Triple-A all season.
Cody Beckman, Pitcher, Milwaukee Brewers
Beckman made 40 appearances across Class A and Class AA, pitching to a solid 3.62 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 59.2 innings.
Jack Conley, Catcher, Philadelphia Phillies
Conley handled rookie ball pitching extremely well in his first professional season in the Gulf Coast League, mashing a .907 OPS in 94 plate appearances, hitting .329 with a .447 OBP and two home runs.
