The University of Mississippi Athletics
#MLBRebs: 2024 Opening Day Check In
3/28/2024 | Baseball
Major League Baseball's 2024 Opening Day is here and with it comes another chance for former Rebels to succeed at the highest level.
Five former Rebels made Opening Day rosters with MLB clubs including Lance Lynn who will be in the starting rotation for the St. Louis Cardinals. Nick Fortes will be competing for the starting catcher job with the Miami Marlins and James McArthur will be an essential piece in the Kansas City Royals' bullpen.
After playing two seasons for the Orix Buffaloes of the Japan Pacific League, Jacob Waguespack returns to the states and has established himself as a piece in the Tampa Bay Rays' bullpen. Grae Kessinger will once again be playing in multiple spots around the infield for the AL West Champion Houston Astros.
Lance Lynn | Pitcher | St. Louis Cardinals
Former All-Star and World Series Champion Lance Lynn signed a one-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals back in November, returning to the club that he won a ring with. Lynn pitched for both the Chicago White Sox and the NL West Champion Los Angeles Dodgers last season. After being acquired at the trade deadline, Lynn posted a 7-2 record for the Dodgers and even started game three of the NLDS for them. He will begin the 2024 season as the third or fourth pitcher in the starting rotation for the Cardinals.
Nick Fortes | Catcher | Miami Marlins
Nick Fortes will be playing his fourth season with the Miami Marlins, opening the season as the starting catcher for the Miam Marlins. Fortes played in 108 games last year, starting behind the plate in 85 of them, and helped the Marlins clinch a Wild Card spot in the playoffs. He started game one of the NL Wild Card Round against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Grae Kessinger | Infielder | Houston Astros
Grae Kessinger will be playing in his second season with the Houston Astros after being a part of an AL West Championship and a playoff run that ended one game short of the World Series last year. Kessinger made his MLB debut on June 7 and would end up making 26 total appearances at all four spots around the infield for the big-league club. He also played in both game five and game six of the ALCS against the Texas Rangers.
James McArthur | Pitcher | Kansas City Royals
After making his MLB debut last season, James McArthur will be playing in his second major league season with the Kansas City Royals in 2024. McArthur made 18 appearances for the Royals last year and established himself as an essential piece with a stellar month of September. He did not allow a run over 16.1 innings of work, striking out 19 batters and earning four saves during that stretch. In seven appearances this spring, McArthur posted a 1.08 ERA with 12 strikeouts and a WHIP of 0.60.
Jacob Waguespack | Pitcher | Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays singed Jacob Waguespack to a minor league contract this January, but the right-hander earned himself a spot on the Opening Day roster this spring and will open the season in the bullpen for the club. Waguespack has not pitched in the MLB since 2020, playing the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Orix Buffaloes in the Japan Pacific League. In 2022, he posted a 2.66 ERA and was two strikeouts short of 100 with five saves. Over his two seasons in Japan, Waguespack struck out 176 batters in 68 appearances.
Mike Mayers | Pitcher | Buffalo Bisons (Toronto)
Mike Mayers signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on March 19, making one spring training appearance before it ended. The veteran will start the season in Triple-A with the Buffalo Bisons.
Tim Elko | Infielder | Birmingham Barons (Chicago AL)
Tim Elko was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training with the Chicago White Sox this February/March where he appeared in 15 games and has 26 at bats. He hit a home run in his first at bat with the club on February 23. He will start the 2024 season where he left off, at the Double-A level with the Birmingham Barons. Elko was named a Carolina League Post-Season All-Star and a MiLB.com Organization All-Star for the White Sox after hitting .295 with 28 home runs and 106 RBI at three different levels in 2023.
Doug Nikhazy | Pitcher | Akron RubberDucks (Cleveland)
Doug Nikhazy continues to work his way up through the Cleveland Guardians organization, returning to Double-A to start the season. This spring Nikhazy competed for the Guardians in the 2024 Spring Breakout games where he worked three innings and struck out six. The left-hander has struck out 128 batters in back-to-back seasons in the minors.
Anthony Servideo | Infielder | Bowie Baysox (Baltimore)
Anthony Servideo had seven at bats this spring with the Baltimore Orioles but will open the season at the Double-A level with the Bowie Baysox. Servideo played in 97 games last season at three different levels of professional baseball, working his way up through the organization.
Houston Roth | Pitcher | Norfolk Tides (Baltimore)
Roth will start the season at the Triple-A level with the Norfolk Tides after spending much of the 2023 season at Double-A. Roth posted a 7-3 record, striking out 82 batters in 79 innings pitched at Double-A last season, making one appearance at Triple-A before the season ended.
Errol Robinson | Infielder | Norfolk Tides (Baltimore)
The Baltimore Orioles signed Errol Robinson to a minor league contract on January 10, after he had spent the last two seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. Robinson played in 80 games last season between the Double-A and Triple-A levels.
Gunnar Hoglund | Pitcher | Midland RockHounds (Oakland)
Gunnar Hoglund worked his way through three different levels in the Oakland organization in 2023, spending most of his time at Single-A. He was promoted to High-A in August where he made three starts to the tune of a 1.42 ERA and 14 punchouts.
Brandon Johnson | Pitcher | Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City)
Brandon Johnson competed at the High-A level for the entirety of his first professional season. He posted a 6-3 record and two saves in 40 appearances. Johnson struck out 80 batters, holding competitors to a .247 average in his 60.2 innings pitched.
Kevin Graham | Infielder | Hillsboro Hops (Arizona)
After playing at two different levels last season, Kevin Graham will start his second professional season with the High-A Hillsboro Hops. Graham hit .252 with 29 RBI and 27 runs scored at High-A last season.
Jacob Gonzalez | Infielder | Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Chicago AL)
Jacob Gonzalez was set to compete for the Chicago White Sox in the 2024 Spring Breakout games before rain canceled that game. He will open his first full professional season at the Single-A level where he played 30 games last season and hit his first professional home run on August 19.
Kemp Alderman | Outfielder | Jupiter Hammerheads (Miami)
Kemp Alderman competed for the Miami Marlins in the 2024 Spring Breakout games, getting the first spring at bats of his career. He will open his first professional season at the Single-A level where he played 34 games last year and hit his first professional home run on September 2.
Calvin Harris | Catcher | Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Chicago AL)
Calvin Harris played 30 games at the Single-A level last year and hit his first professional home run on August 11. Harris will open his first full professional season at Single-A in 2024.
Cooper Johnson | Catcher | Frisco RoughRiders (Texas)
Cooper Johnson will open the 2024 season at the Double-A level with the Frisco RoughRiders. He played in 47 games last season, most of them at the High-A level before being promoted to Double-A.
Justin Bench | Infielder | San Jose Giants (San Francisco)
Bench hit .362 in 27 games last season between Rookie and Single-A. He did one stint on the injured list in August and will look to return from that in 2024.
Derek Diamond | Pitcher | Greensboro Grasshoppers (Pittsburgh)
In his first full professional season, Derek Diamond pitched in 24 games, making 21 starts at both the Single-A and the High-A levels. He will return to High-A to start the 2024 season.
Ryan Rolison | Pitcher | Albuquerque Isotopes (Colorado)
Ryan Rolison will open the 2024 season on the 60-day IL as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery. He has pitched in just two games since having surgery in March of 2023.
Jack Dougherty | Pitcher | FCL Twins (Minnesota)
Jack Dougherty will see his first professional action in 2024 after being drafted by the Twins in 2023.
Dylan DeLucia | Pitcher | Lynchburg Hillcats (Cleveland)
Dylan DeLucia will look to build back up from an arm injury in 2024 and has yet to pitch in a professional game since being drafted in 2022.
Taylor Broadway | Pitcher | Portland Sea Dogs (Boston)
Taylor Broadway will spend the 2024 season on the injured list after having Tommy John surgery in October of 2023.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss baseball on X at @OleMissBSB, on Facebook at Facebook.com/OleMissBaseball, on Instagram at Instagram.com/officialolemissbsb and on TikTok at @olemissbsb. Also, follow head coach Mike Bianco on X at @CoachMikeBianco.
Five former Rebels made Opening Day rosters with MLB clubs including Lance Lynn who will be in the starting rotation for the St. Louis Cardinals. Nick Fortes will be competing for the starting catcher job with the Miami Marlins and James McArthur will be an essential piece in the Kansas City Royals' bullpen.
After playing two seasons for the Orix Buffaloes of the Japan Pacific League, Jacob Waguespack returns to the states and has established himself as a piece in the Tampa Bay Rays' bullpen. Grae Kessinger will once again be playing in multiple spots around the infield for the AL West Champion Houston Astros.
Lance Lynn | Pitcher | St. Louis Cardinals
Former All-Star and World Series Champion Lance Lynn signed a one-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals back in November, returning to the club that he won a ring with. Lynn pitched for both the Chicago White Sox and the NL West Champion Los Angeles Dodgers last season. After being acquired at the trade deadline, Lynn posted a 7-2 record for the Dodgers and even started game three of the NLDS for them. He will begin the 2024 season as the third or fourth pitcher in the starting rotation for the Cardinals.
Nick Fortes | Catcher | Miami Marlins
Nick Fortes will be playing his fourth season with the Miami Marlins, opening the season as the starting catcher for the Miam Marlins. Fortes played in 108 games last year, starting behind the plate in 85 of them, and helped the Marlins clinch a Wild Card spot in the playoffs. He started game one of the NL Wild Card Round against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Grae Kessinger | Infielder | Houston Astros
Grae Kessinger will be playing in his second season with the Houston Astros after being a part of an AL West Championship and a playoff run that ended one game short of the World Series last year. Kessinger made his MLB debut on June 7 and would end up making 26 total appearances at all four spots around the infield for the big-league club. He also played in both game five and game six of the ALCS against the Texas Rangers.
James McArthur | Pitcher | Kansas City Royals
After making his MLB debut last season, James McArthur will be playing in his second major league season with the Kansas City Royals in 2024. McArthur made 18 appearances for the Royals last year and established himself as an essential piece with a stellar month of September. He did not allow a run over 16.1 innings of work, striking out 19 batters and earning four saves during that stretch. In seven appearances this spring, McArthur posted a 1.08 ERA with 12 strikeouts and a WHIP of 0.60.
Jacob Waguespack | Pitcher | Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays singed Jacob Waguespack to a minor league contract this January, but the right-hander earned himself a spot on the Opening Day roster this spring and will open the season in the bullpen for the club. Waguespack has not pitched in the MLB since 2020, playing the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Orix Buffaloes in the Japan Pacific League. In 2022, he posted a 2.66 ERA and was two strikeouts short of 100 with five saves. Over his two seasons in Japan, Waguespack struck out 176 batters in 68 appearances.
Mike Mayers | Pitcher | Buffalo Bisons (Toronto)
Mike Mayers signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on March 19, making one spring training appearance before it ended. The veteran will start the season in Triple-A with the Buffalo Bisons.
Tim Elko | Infielder | Birmingham Barons (Chicago AL)
Tim Elko was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training with the Chicago White Sox this February/March where he appeared in 15 games and has 26 at bats. He hit a home run in his first at bat with the club on February 23. He will start the 2024 season where he left off, at the Double-A level with the Birmingham Barons. Elko was named a Carolina League Post-Season All-Star and a MiLB.com Organization All-Star for the White Sox after hitting .295 with 28 home runs and 106 RBI at three different levels in 2023.
Doug Nikhazy | Pitcher | Akron RubberDucks (Cleveland)
Doug Nikhazy continues to work his way up through the Cleveland Guardians organization, returning to Double-A to start the season. This spring Nikhazy competed for the Guardians in the 2024 Spring Breakout games where he worked three innings and struck out six. The left-hander has struck out 128 batters in back-to-back seasons in the minors.
Anthony Servideo | Infielder | Bowie Baysox (Baltimore)
Anthony Servideo had seven at bats this spring with the Baltimore Orioles but will open the season at the Double-A level with the Bowie Baysox. Servideo played in 97 games last season at three different levels of professional baseball, working his way up through the organization.
Houston Roth | Pitcher | Norfolk Tides (Baltimore)
Roth will start the season at the Triple-A level with the Norfolk Tides after spending much of the 2023 season at Double-A. Roth posted a 7-3 record, striking out 82 batters in 79 innings pitched at Double-A last season, making one appearance at Triple-A before the season ended.
Errol Robinson | Infielder | Norfolk Tides (Baltimore)
The Baltimore Orioles signed Errol Robinson to a minor league contract on January 10, after he had spent the last two seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. Robinson played in 80 games last season between the Double-A and Triple-A levels.
Gunnar Hoglund | Pitcher | Midland RockHounds (Oakland)
Gunnar Hoglund worked his way through three different levels in the Oakland organization in 2023, spending most of his time at Single-A. He was promoted to High-A in August where he made three starts to the tune of a 1.42 ERA and 14 punchouts.
Brandon Johnson | Pitcher | Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City)
Brandon Johnson competed at the High-A level for the entirety of his first professional season. He posted a 6-3 record and two saves in 40 appearances. Johnson struck out 80 batters, holding competitors to a .247 average in his 60.2 innings pitched.
Kevin Graham | Infielder | Hillsboro Hops (Arizona)
After playing at two different levels last season, Kevin Graham will start his second professional season with the High-A Hillsboro Hops. Graham hit .252 with 29 RBI and 27 runs scored at High-A last season.
Jacob Gonzalez | Infielder | Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Chicago AL)
Jacob Gonzalez was set to compete for the Chicago White Sox in the 2024 Spring Breakout games before rain canceled that game. He will open his first full professional season at the Single-A level where he played 30 games last season and hit his first professional home run on August 19.
Kemp Alderman | Outfielder | Jupiter Hammerheads (Miami)
Kemp Alderman competed for the Miami Marlins in the 2024 Spring Breakout games, getting the first spring at bats of his career. He will open his first professional season at the Single-A level where he played 34 games last year and hit his first professional home run on September 2.
Calvin Harris | Catcher | Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Chicago AL)
Calvin Harris played 30 games at the Single-A level last year and hit his first professional home run on August 11. Harris will open his first full professional season at Single-A in 2024.
Cooper Johnson | Catcher | Frisco RoughRiders (Texas)
Cooper Johnson will open the 2024 season at the Double-A level with the Frisco RoughRiders. He played in 47 games last season, most of them at the High-A level before being promoted to Double-A.
Justin Bench | Infielder | San Jose Giants (San Francisco)
Bench hit .362 in 27 games last season between Rookie and Single-A. He did one stint on the injured list in August and will look to return from that in 2024.
Derek Diamond | Pitcher | Greensboro Grasshoppers (Pittsburgh)
In his first full professional season, Derek Diamond pitched in 24 games, making 21 starts at both the Single-A and the High-A levels. He will return to High-A to start the 2024 season.
Ryan Rolison | Pitcher | Albuquerque Isotopes (Colorado)
Ryan Rolison will open the 2024 season on the 60-day IL as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery. He has pitched in just two games since having surgery in March of 2023.
Jack Dougherty | Pitcher | FCL Twins (Minnesota)
Jack Dougherty will see his first professional action in 2024 after being drafted by the Twins in 2023.
Dylan DeLucia | Pitcher | Lynchburg Hillcats (Cleveland)
Dylan DeLucia will look to build back up from an arm injury in 2024 and has yet to pitch in a professional game since being drafted in 2022.
Taylor Broadway | Pitcher | Portland Sea Dogs (Boston)
Taylor Broadway will spend the 2024 season on the injured list after having Tommy John surgery in October of 2023.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss baseball on X at @OleMissBSB, on Facebook at Facebook.com/OleMissBaseball, on Instagram at Instagram.com/officialolemissbsb and on TikTok at @olemissbsb. Also, follow head coach Mike Bianco on X at @CoachMikeBianco.
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IF
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