The University of Mississippi Athletics
Photo by: Los Angeles Angels
Baseball #ProRebs Update - Opening Day 2019
3/28/2019 | Baseball
Six Rebels Featured on MLB Rosters Entering 2019 Season
Ole Miss Baseball has a history of student-athletes playing professionally following their careers as Rebels. Currently, six former Rebels are on Major League Baseball rosters, while 19 others are working their way up through the minor leagues. Throughout the year, OleMissSports.com will update Rebel fans about the current #ProRebs making their mark on professional baseball diamonds across the country.
Here is a look at how the former Rebels performed at the finish of 2018, and their standings for the upcoming season.
#MLBRebs
Zack Cozart โ Los Angeles Angels
Zack Cozart will embark on his ninth full year in the MLB on Opening Day 2019 in his second year with the Los Angeles Angels. He finished last year with 58 games under his belt and a .219 batting average. Cozart saw his 2018 season shortened by a trip to the disabled list, but has since returned to the lineup as of late, and he managed to finish out spring training with his fellow teammates. Look for the former Rebel shortstop as a mainstay somewhere across the Los Angeles infield as the new season gets underway.
ย
Lance Lynn โ Texas Rangers
Lance Lynn racked up 20 starts with the Minnesota Twins and nine with the New York Yankees in 2018, but he will don yet another uniform for the 2019 season. Lynn was signed in free agency by the Texas Rangers on December 18, 2018. He finished with a 4.77 ERA a season ago, faring a little bit better as the season wore on in New York (3-2, 4.14 ERA). Lynn held opponents to a .169 batting average over the spring for the Rangers, and earned his projected first start on the third game of the season, when the Rangers host the Cubs on Sunday.
ย
Mike Mayers โ St. Louis Cardinals
Mike Mayers concluded his first majority season in professional baseball in the big leagues last year, appearing in 50 games in 2018 with the St. Louis Cardinals, and is ready to embark on what he hopes to be his first full season in the MLB in 2019. Mayers finished with a 4.70 ERA in 51.2 IP a season ago, with all his appearances coming out of the pen. He opened 2019 on a positive note, however, with a strong offseason in the Cardinals' spring training, and will begin the year in the St. Louis bullpen.
ย
Bobby Wahl โ Milwaukee Brewers (Out for Season - ACL Tear)
Wahl appeared in seven games with the New York Mets in 2018 and was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in January of 2019. Although reaping praise from the Brewers' organization in the offseason, a "freak" ACL tear derailed what looked to be a promising 2019 campaign. Wahl had surgery on March 12 and is listed as out for the season with an ACL tear in his right knee.
ย
Drew Pomeranz โ San Francisco Giants
The former Friday night ace and the highest draft selection in Rebel history will take the field in a new city and a new league after electing for free agency following last season's conclusion. Drew Pomeranz signed with the San Francisco Giants in January of 2019 after becoming the 11thย Rebel to capture a World Series ring last season with the Boston Red Sox. Pomeranz started 11 games and appeared in 26 with the Red Sox but recorded the highest ERA of his eight-year professional career at 6.08. Across the country, Pomeranz hopes to return to form with the Giants, who just recently added Pomeranz to the 25-man opening roster and hope for him to be a mainstay in San Francisco's rotation.
ย
Chris Ellis โ Kansas City Royals
After bouncing around Double- and Triple-A leagues for the past few years, Chris Ellis hopes to find his groove and settle in with his new-look Kansas City Royals. The former Rebel pitcher was selected in December's Rule 5 Draft by the Texas Rangers and was traded to the Royals. He hopes to make his MLB debut in Kansas City early this year. He worked primarily as a starter in 2018, with 21 starts in 31 appearances. It was announced Thursday that Ellis earned a spot on the Royals' 25-man roster for Opening Day.
ย
#ProRebs
Jacob Waguespack โ Buffalo Bisons (Triple A โ Blue Jays)
Jacob Waguespack has progressed at least one league in each of his four years in professional baseball, and if the trend continues, the former Rebel pitcher could soon find himself pitching in the MLB. He went 5-9 in Triple A baseball last year, with a 5.05 ERA in 21 games, and will begin the new year where he finished out in 2018, with the Toronto Blue Jays' Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. Waguespackย is currently on the Blue Jays' 40-man roster.
ย
Aaron Barrett - (Washington Nationals)
Former Rebel pitcher Aaron Barrett saw his first professional action in 2018 after a gruesome arm injury before the season of 2016 set his career back years. He has since embarked on a comeback for the ages, appearing in his first game in three years on a rehab with the Class A Auburn Doubledays. The Washington Nationals have yet to give up on their bullpen arm, inviting Barrett to spring training where he stepped onto the mound in a live game at Nationals Park for the first time since 2015. He has yet to receive his assignment, but will most likely begin his year in Triple A Fresno or Double A Harrisburg, where he will be cheered on hopefully all the way back to Washington.
ย
Braxton Lee โ Syracuse Mets (Triple A โ New York Mets)
The speedy Braxton Lee received his first taste of MLB action, albeit short, during the 2018 season with the Miami Marlins, and was claimed by the New York Mets in the Rule 5 draft over the offseason. He finished his Marlins career with three big league hits to his name, but finished all of last season for a handful of minor league teams with 49 total hits on the season. Following his New York draft selection, Lee was invited to the Mets' spring training but will begin the season with the Triple A Syracuse Mets.
ย
Stuart Turner โ Louisville Bats (Triple A โ Cincinnati Reds)
The Johnny Bench award-winning catcher will hit the field in 2019 for what he hopes to be a healthy and full season on the diamond. Injury limited his 2018 season to just 30 games, with most of them coming in Louisville, Kentucky, with the Triple-A Louisville Bats. Turner batted .218 a season ago, and will look to improve on those numbers in his second year with the Bats, and ultimately try to return to the MLB, where he last saw on the field action in 2017 with the Cincinnati Reds.
ย
Errol Robinson โ Tulsa Drillers (Double A โ Los Angeles Dodgers)
Errol Robinson, the fan-favorite former Rebel shortstop, will kick off his 2019 season with his third season in Tulsa. Robinson will begin the year with the Double A Tulsa Drillers, where he played all 117 games last season. He hit .247 a season ago, down a few points from his 2017 campaign, and will look to improve at the plate in his fourth year of professional baseball. Last Word on Baseball currently ranks him as the No. 28 prospect in the Dodgers organization.
ย
Wyatt Short โ Tennessee Smokies (Double A โ Chicago Cubs)
Short, the former Ole Miss closer, has been rising through the ranks of the Cubs organization swiftly, and has shown no signs of slowing down heading into 2019. He finished out the 2018 season with the Double A Tennessee Smokies, where he will most likely begin the 2019 season as well. He maintained a 2.77 ERA in 44 appearances last season, all in relief, and earned six saves on the year.
ย
Will Allen โ Jupiter Hammerheads (Class A Advanced โ Miami Marlins)
Will Allen will enter his fifth full season in professional baseball with the Marlins' Class A Advanced Jupiter Hammerheads. He played in 21 games with the Hammerheads a year ago, as part of his 64-game season in which he batted .241 at the plate. The former Rebel slugger was an invite to the Marlins spring training, and hopes to work his way up through the farm system with an improved 2018 campaign on offense.
ย
Henri Lartigue โ Clearwater Threshers (Class A Advanced โ Philadelphia Phillies)
Henri Lartigue has advanced in each of his three years with the Philadelphia Phillies, with one season each in Class A (short), Class A (full), and Class A (advanced). He spent all of 2018 with the Single A advanced Clearwater Threshers, where he will most likely begin the 2019 season as well. He played in 100 games and racked up 374 at bats, both career highs in professional baseball for the young prospect, and hit .251 at the plate, the highest season-long batting average of his three-year career.
ย
David Parkinson โ Clearwater Threshers (Class A Advanced โ Philadelphia Phillies)
David Parkinson returns to the diamond after a stellar sophomore season that saw the former Rebel hurler claim the Phillies' Minor League Pitcher of the Year award. Parkinson was 11-1 in 2018, with a 1.45 ERA and 141 strikeouts to just 35 walks. He racked up All-Star nods from MiLB.com as well as Baseball America, and was a two-time Pitcher of the Week for the Lakewood BlueClaws. He finished out the season last year with the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers, where he is likely to begin his 2019 campaign. Parkinson showed no signs of slowing down in spring training, striking out eight in four shutout innings against the Yankees on March 23.
ย
Chad Smith โ Jupiter Hammerheads (Class A Advanced โ Miami Marlins)
Chad Smith worked his way to a 5-3 record out of the bullpen as a member of the Miami Marlins' Class A Advanced Jupiter Hammerheads squad. He finished the year with a 3.57 ERA in 30 relief appearances, with 12 saves to his name as well.
ย
Tate Blackman โ Kannapolis Intimidators (Class A Full โ Chicago White Sox)
Tate Blackman just recently concluded his first full season in professional baseball, appearing in 129 games over the course of the 2018 season with the Class A (Full) Kannapolis Intimidators. He hit 17 homers over the year, a 12 home run increase from his first year in the league. Blackman also worked his way to 37 extra base hits over the season last year. He will look to continue adding to his arsenal at the plate heading into his third year in the White Sox organization.
ย
Colby Bortles โ West Michigan Whitecaps (Class A Full โ Detroit Tigers)
Colby Bortles, a mainstay in the Rebel lineup for multiple seasons, continues to progress in the low-A leagues of the Detroit Tigers. He spent his entire 2018 season with the Single A (Full) West Michigan Whitecaps, and hit .246 with an even 100 hits in 115 games played this past year.
ย
Brady Feigl โ Beloit Snappers (Class A Full โ Oakland Athletics)
Brady Feigl, one of three weekend arms to depart the Rebels in the 2018 MLB Draft, exceeded expectations in his first year in professional baseball. After being drafted by the Oakland Athletics, he split time between two teams in his inaugural year, pitching for the Vermont Lake Monsters and the Beloit Snappers. Feigl finished the season with a 1.73 ERA in 11 games, eight starts, and 26.0 IP. He struck out 34 to just eight walks, and the former Rebel will have many eyes on him as he kicks off his 2019 season.
ย
James McArthur โ Lakewood BlueClaws (Class A Full โ Philadelphia Phillies)
James McArthur, another piece of the 2018 Rebel weekend rotation, was electric in his first year in the Phillies organization, finishing the year with an astonishingly low 0.54 ERA. In 33.1 IP over the 2018 season, McArthur allowed just two runs, and held opponents to a .145 batting average. He earned six starts, five of them with the Class-A (Short) Williamsport Crosscutters, and four relief appearances, and will be ready for a breakout sophomore season within the Phillies organization.
ย
Christian Trent โ Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Class A Full โ Milwaukee Brewers)
Trent last appeared in a game in 2016 but finished the season with a 2.38 ERA and is still going strong within the Brewers organization three years later.
ย
Nick Fortes โ Clinton LumberKings (Class A - Miami Marlins)
Former Rebel catcher Nick Fortes earned the distinction of the Miami Marlins' only 2018 draft selection to earn an invite to their 2019 spring training, and for good reason. He finished the 2018 season with a .226 batting average spread out over three teams, and also flashed some of his prowess behind the plate with eight runners caught stealing in 15 games.
ย
Will Golsan โ Grand Junction Rockies (Rookie โ Colorado Rockies)
Former Rebel outfielder Will Golsan had a productive first year in professional baseball, batting for an impressive .321 in 63 games with the Grand Junction Rockies. He reached base at a .391 percentage, and had 85 hits in 265 at bats with the Rockies in his first year.
ย
Ryan Rolison โ Grand Junction Rockies (Rookie โ Colorado Rockies)ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
Ryan Rolison had a small sample size in his first year of professional baseball, starting just nine games in 2018, but still continued his dominant ways with a low 1.86 ERA last season. He accumulated 29.0 innings pitched in Grand Junction, but will assuredly be asked to pitch more in his sophomore season with the Rockies.
ย
Matt Snyder โ (Miami Marlins)
Former Rebel slugger Matt Snyder was released by the Yankees organization after a seven-year career in the minor leagues was derailed by injuries. After continuing to train and work all offseason in Oxford, Snyder earned a contract with the Miami Marlins organization in January of 2019. Snyder hopes to move up the ranks with the Marlins and one day achieve his dream of playing in the MLB.
Here is a look at how the former Rebels performed at the finish of 2018, and their standings for the upcoming season.
#MLBRebs
Zack Cozart โ Los Angeles Angels
Zack Cozart will embark on his ninth full year in the MLB on Opening Day 2019 in his second year with the Los Angeles Angels. He finished last year with 58 games under his belt and a .219 batting average. Cozart saw his 2018 season shortened by a trip to the disabled list, but has since returned to the lineup as of late, and he managed to finish out spring training with his fellow teammates. Look for the former Rebel shortstop as a mainstay somewhere across the Los Angeles infield as the new season gets underway.
ย
Lance Lynn โ Texas Rangers
Lance Lynn racked up 20 starts with the Minnesota Twins and nine with the New York Yankees in 2018, but he will don yet another uniform for the 2019 season. Lynn was signed in free agency by the Texas Rangers on December 18, 2018. He finished with a 4.77 ERA a season ago, faring a little bit better as the season wore on in New York (3-2, 4.14 ERA). Lynn held opponents to a .169 batting average over the spring for the Rangers, and earned his projected first start on the third game of the season, when the Rangers host the Cubs on Sunday.
ย
Mike Mayers โ St. Louis Cardinals
Mike Mayers concluded his first majority season in professional baseball in the big leagues last year, appearing in 50 games in 2018 with the St. Louis Cardinals, and is ready to embark on what he hopes to be his first full season in the MLB in 2019. Mayers finished with a 4.70 ERA in 51.2 IP a season ago, with all his appearances coming out of the pen. He opened 2019 on a positive note, however, with a strong offseason in the Cardinals' spring training, and will begin the year in the St. Louis bullpen.
ย
Bobby Wahl โ Milwaukee Brewers (Out for Season - ACL Tear)
Wahl appeared in seven games with the New York Mets in 2018 and was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in January of 2019. Although reaping praise from the Brewers' organization in the offseason, a "freak" ACL tear derailed what looked to be a promising 2019 campaign. Wahl had surgery on March 12 and is listed as out for the season with an ACL tear in his right knee.
ย
Drew Pomeranz โ San Francisco Giants
The former Friday night ace and the highest draft selection in Rebel history will take the field in a new city and a new league after electing for free agency following last season's conclusion. Drew Pomeranz signed with the San Francisco Giants in January of 2019 after becoming the 11thย Rebel to capture a World Series ring last season with the Boston Red Sox. Pomeranz started 11 games and appeared in 26 with the Red Sox but recorded the highest ERA of his eight-year professional career at 6.08. Across the country, Pomeranz hopes to return to form with the Giants, who just recently added Pomeranz to the 25-man opening roster and hope for him to be a mainstay in San Francisco's rotation.
ย
Chris Ellis โ Kansas City Royals
After bouncing around Double- and Triple-A leagues for the past few years, Chris Ellis hopes to find his groove and settle in with his new-look Kansas City Royals. The former Rebel pitcher was selected in December's Rule 5 Draft by the Texas Rangers and was traded to the Royals. He hopes to make his MLB debut in Kansas City early this year. He worked primarily as a starter in 2018, with 21 starts in 31 appearances. It was announced Thursday that Ellis earned a spot on the Royals' 25-man roster for Opening Day.
ย
#ProRebs
Jacob Waguespack โ Buffalo Bisons (Triple A โ Blue Jays)
Jacob Waguespack has progressed at least one league in each of his four years in professional baseball, and if the trend continues, the former Rebel pitcher could soon find himself pitching in the MLB. He went 5-9 in Triple A baseball last year, with a 5.05 ERA in 21 games, and will begin the new year where he finished out in 2018, with the Toronto Blue Jays' Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. Waguespackย is currently on the Blue Jays' 40-man roster.
ย
Aaron Barrett - (Washington Nationals)
Former Rebel pitcher Aaron Barrett saw his first professional action in 2018 after a gruesome arm injury before the season of 2016 set his career back years. He has since embarked on a comeback for the ages, appearing in his first game in three years on a rehab with the Class A Auburn Doubledays. The Washington Nationals have yet to give up on their bullpen arm, inviting Barrett to spring training where he stepped onto the mound in a live game at Nationals Park for the first time since 2015. He has yet to receive his assignment, but will most likely begin his year in Triple A Fresno or Double A Harrisburg, where he will be cheered on hopefully all the way back to Washington.
ย
Braxton Lee โ Syracuse Mets (Triple A โ New York Mets)
The speedy Braxton Lee received his first taste of MLB action, albeit short, during the 2018 season with the Miami Marlins, and was claimed by the New York Mets in the Rule 5 draft over the offseason. He finished his Marlins career with three big league hits to his name, but finished all of last season for a handful of minor league teams with 49 total hits on the season. Following his New York draft selection, Lee was invited to the Mets' spring training but will begin the season with the Triple A Syracuse Mets.
ย
Stuart Turner โ Louisville Bats (Triple A โ Cincinnati Reds)
The Johnny Bench award-winning catcher will hit the field in 2019 for what he hopes to be a healthy and full season on the diamond. Injury limited his 2018 season to just 30 games, with most of them coming in Louisville, Kentucky, with the Triple-A Louisville Bats. Turner batted .218 a season ago, and will look to improve on those numbers in his second year with the Bats, and ultimately try to return to the MLB, where he last saw on the field action in 2017 with the Cincinnati Reds.
ย
Errol Robinson โ Tulsa Drillers (Double A โ Los Angeles Dodgers)
Errol Robinson, the fan-favorite former Rebel shortstop, will kick off his 2019 season with his third season in Tulsa. Robinson will begin the year with the Double A Tulsa Drillers, where he played all 117 games last season. He hit .247 a season ago, down a few points from his 2017 campaign, and will look to improve at the plate in his fourth year of professional baseball. Last Word on Baseball currently ranks him as the No. 28 prospect in the Dodgers organization.
ย
Wyatt Short โ Tennessee Smokies (Double A โ Chicago Cubs)
Short, the former Ole Miss closer, has been rising through the ranks of the Cubs organization swiftly, and has shown no signs of slowing down heading into 2019. He finished out the 2018 season with the Double A Tennessee Smokies, where he will most likely begin the 2019 season as well. He maintained a 2.77 ERA in 44 appearances last season, all in relief, and earned six saves on the year.
ย
Will Allen โ Jupiter Hammerheads (Class A Advanced โ Miami Marlins)
Will Allen will enter his fifth full season in professional baseball with the Marlins' Class A Advanced Jupiter Hammerheads. He played in 21 games with the Hammerheads a year ago, as part of his 64-game season in which he batted .241 at the plate. The former Rebel slugger was an invite to the Marlins spring training, and hopes to work his way up through the farm system with an improved 2018 campaign on offense.
ย
Henri Lartigue โ Clearwater Threshers (Class A Advanced โ Philadelphia Phillies)
Henri Lartigue has advanced in each of his three years with the Philadelphia Phillies, with one season each in Class A (short), Class A (full), and Class A (advanced). He spent all of 2018 with the Single A advanced Clearwater Threshers, where he will most likely begin the 2019 season as well. He played in 100 games and racked up 374 at bats, both career highs in professional baseball for the young prospect, and hit .251 at the plate, the highest season-long batting average of his three-year career.
ย
David Parkinson โ Clearwater Threshers (Class A Advanced โ Philadelphia Phillies)
David Parkinson returns to the diamond after a stellar sophomore season that saw the former Rebel hurler claim the Phillies' Minor League Pitcher of the Year award. Parkinson was 11-1 in 2018, with a 1.45 ERA and 141 strikeouts to just 35 walks. He racked up All-Star nods from MiLB.com as well as Baseball America, and was a two-time Pitcher of the Week for the Lakewood BlueClaws. He finished out the season last year with the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers, where he is likely to begin his 2019 campaign. Parkinson showed no signs of slowing down in spring training, striking out eight in four shutout innings against the Yankees on March 23.
ย
Chad Smith โ Jupiter Hammerheads (Class A Advanced โ Miami Marlins)
Chad Smith worked his way to a 5-3 record out of the bullpen as a member of the Miami Marlins' Class A Advanced Jupiter Hammerheads squad. He finished the year with a 3.57 ERA in 30 relief appearances, with 12 saves to his name as well.
ย
Tate Blackman โ Kannapolis Intimidators (Class A Full โ Chicago White Sox)
Tate Blackman just recently concluded his first full season in professional baseball, appearing in 129 games over the course of the 2018 season with the Class A (Full) Kannapolis Intimidators. He hit 17 homers over the year, a 12 home run increase from his first year in the league. Blackman also worked his way to 37 extra base hits over the season last year. He will look to continue adding to his arsenal at the plate heading into his third year in the White Sox organization.
ย
Colby Bortles โ West Michigan Whitecaps (Class A Full โ Detroit Tigers)
Colby Bortles, a mainstay in the Rebel lineup for multiple seasons, continues to progress in the low-A leagues of the Detroit Tigers. He spent his entire 2018 season with the Single A (Full) West Michigan Whitecaps, and hit .246 with an even 100 hits in 115 games played this past year.
ย
Brady Feigl โ Beloit Snappers (Class A Full โ Oakland Athletics)
Brady Feigl, one of three weekend arms to depart the Rebels in the 2018 MLB Draft, exceeded expectations in his first year in professional baseball. After being drafted by the Oakland Athletics, he split time between two teams in his inaugural year, pitching for the Vermont Lake Monsters and the Beloit Snappers. Feigl finished the season with a 1.73 ERA in 11 games, eight starts, and 26.0 IP. He struck out 34 to just eight walks, and the former Rebel will have many eyes on him as he kicks off his 2019 season.
ย
James McArthur โ Lakewood BlueClaws (Class A Full โ Philadelphia Phillies)
James McArthur, another piece of the 2018 Rebel weekend rotation, was electric in his first year in the Phillies organization, finishing the year with an astonishingly low 0.54 ERA. In 33.1 IP over the 2018 season, McArthur allowed just two runs, and held opponents to a .145 batting average. He earned six starts, five of them with the Class-A (Short) Williamsport Crosscutters, and four relief appearances, and will be ready for a breakout sophomore season within the Phillies organization.
ย
Christian Trent โ Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Class A Full โ Milwaukee Brewers)
Trent last appeared in a game in 2016 but finished the season with a 2.38 ERA and is still going strong within the Brewers organization three years later.
ย
Nick Fortes โ Clinton LumberKings (Class A - Miami Marlins)
Former Rebel catcher Nick Fortes earned the distinction of the Miami Marlins' only 2018 draft selection to earn an invite to their 2019 spring training, and for good reason. He finished the 2018 season with a .226 batting average spread out over three teams, and also flashed some of his prowess behind the plate with eight runners caught stealing in 15 games.
ย
Will Golsan โ Grand Junction Rockies (Rookie โ Colorado Rockies)
Former Rebel outfielder Will Golsan had a productive first year in professional baseball, batting for an impressive .321 in 63 games with the Grand Junction Rockies. He reached base at a .391 percentage, and had 85 hits in 265 at bats with the Rockies in his first year.
ย
Ryan Rolison โ Grand Junction Rockies (Rookie โ Colorado Rockies)ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
Ryan Rolison had a small sample size in his first year of professional baseball, starting just nine games in 2018, but still continued his dominant ways with a low 1.86 ERA last season. He accumulated 29.0 innings pitched in Grand Junction, but will assuredly be asked to pitch more in his sophomore season with the Rockies.
ย
Matt Snyder โ (Miami Marlins)
Former Rebel slugger Matt Snyder was released by the Yankees organization after a seven-year career in the minor leagues was derailed by injuries. After continuing to train and work all offseason in Oxford, Snyder earned a contract with the Miami Marlins organization in January of 2019. Snyder hopes to move up the ranks with the Marlins and one day achieve his dream of playing in the MLB.
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