University of Georgia Athletics
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Four Bulldogs Make MLB Opening Day Rosters
March 29, 2024 | Baseball
ATHENS-----Four former Georgia Bulldog lettermen made Opening Day rosters as the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) season began Thursday.
In Kansas City, Kyle Farmer (UGA 2010-13) started at second base for the Minnesota Twins in a 4-1 win over the Royals. An Atlanta native, he is in his second year with the Twins as a utility player. Last year, he batted .253 with 11 home runs and 46 RBI. He helped the Twins win their division and advance to the American League Division Series. In his MLB career covering 595 games, Farmer has a .254 average with 50 home runs and 229 RBI. He made his debut with the Dodgers in 2017 and then played for the Cincinnati Reds (2019-22) before joining the Twins.
In Arlington, Texas, the defending World Series Champion Rangers beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 in 10 innings. First baseman Jared Walsh (UGA 2012-15) saw action at first but did not have a plate appearance. He is slated to start against right-handed pitchers. He made the 26-man squad after entering Spring Training on a minor league deal and then posted an .827 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) with three home runs. Walsh made his MLB debut in 2019 with the Los Angeles Angels and was named to the MLB All-Star Team in 2021. In his MLB career spanning 364 games, Walsh has a .240 average with 58 home runs and 184 RBI.
Left-hander Alex Wood (UGA 2010-12) started for the Oakland A's against the Cleveland Guardians in an 8-0 loss. A native of Charlotte, N.C., he has made the playoffs in seven of his 11 seasons in the Major Leagues including winning a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020. He has been a part of playoff teams with Atlanta, San Francisco and the Dodgers. Wood made his debut with the Braves in 2013. Entering the 2024 season, he is 76-65 with a 3.74 ERA in 269 games including 202 starts. Last year, he was 5-5 with a 4.33 ERA with the Giants.
Pitcher Emerson Hancock (UGA 2018-20) is part of the Seattle Mariners rotation. He is scheduled to start Monday against the Guardians. Hancock was a first-round pick (sixth overall) in the 2020 MLB draft. A native of Cairo, Ga., he made his MLB debut last August with three starts before being shut down for the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury. He posted an 0-0 mark and 4.50 ERA in 12 innings with six strikeouts.
The Triple-A affiliates in Minor League Baseball season open Friday while the rest of the levels (Single-A, High-A and Double-A) begin next Friday, Apr. 5.
There are a pair of former Bulldogs in Triple-A in outfielder Tucker Bradley (UGA 2017-2020) and infielder Aaron Schunk (2017-19). Bradley (Kansas City) and Schunk (Colorado) spent the entire Spring Training with their respective Major League clubs. Bradley will begin the season in Omaha while Schunk is in Albuquerque. Also of note, pitcher Jonathan Cannon (UGA 2020-22) enjoyed a fine Spring Training with the Chicago White Sox. He went 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 11 innings with just one walk and 10 strikeouts. Cannon finished the 2023 season in Double-AA with Birmingham.
Former Bulldog pitchers Zac Kristofak (UGA 2017-19/Angels) and Ben Harris (UGA 2021/Dodgers) saw action in Major League Spring Training games too. Currently, minor league teams are finalizing their rosters for the 2024 season. Georgia has close to 20 former players in professional baseball.
FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS: For the latest Georgia baseball news, visit www.georgiadogs.com and follow the Bulldogs on X (@BaseballUGA), Facebook (@GeorgiaBaseball) and Instagram (@baseballuga).
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In Kansas City, Kyle Farmer (UGA 2010-13) started at second base for the Minnesota Twins in a 4-1 win over the Royals. An Atlanta native, he is in his second year with the Twins as a utility player. Last year, he batted .253 with 11 home runs and 46 RBI. He helped the Twins win their division and advance to the American League Division Series. In his MLB career covering 595 games, Farmer has a .254 average with 50 home runs and 229 RBI. He made his debut with the Dodgers in 2017 and then played for the Cincinnati Reds (2019-22) before joining the Twins.
In Arlington, Texas, the defending World Series Champion Rangers beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 in 10 innings. First baseman Jared Walsh (UGA 2012-15) saw action at first but did not have a plate appearance. He is slated to start against right-handed pitchers. He made the 26-man squad after entering Spring Training on a minor league deal and then posted an .827 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) with three home runs. Walsh made his MLB debut in 2019 with the Los Angeles Angels and was named to the MLB All-Star Team in 2021. In his MLB career spanning 364 games, Walsh has a .240 average with 58 home runs and 184 RBI.
Left-hander Alex Wood (UGA 2010-12) started for the Oakland A's against the Cleveland Guardians in an 8-0 loss. A native of Charlotte, N.C., he has made the playoffs in seven of his 11 seasons in the Major Leagues including winning a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020. He has been a part of playoff teams with Atlanta, San Francisco and the Dodgers. Wood made his debut with the Braves in 2013. Entering the 2024 season, he is 76-65 with a 3.74 ERA in 269 games including 202 starts. Last year, he was 5-5 with a 4.33 ERA with the Giants.
Pitcher Emerson Hancock (UGA 2018-20) is part of the Seattle Mariners rotation. He is scheduled to start Monday against the Guardians. Hancock was a first-round pick (sixth overall) in the 2020 MLB draft. A native of Cairo, Ga., he made his MLB debut last August with three starts before being shut down for the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury. He posted an 0-0 mark and 4.50 ERA in 12 innings with six strikeouts.
The Triple-A affiliates in Minor League Baseball season open Friday while the rest of the levels (Single-A, High-A and Double-A) begin next Friday, Apr. 5.
There are a pair of former Bulldogs in Triple-A in outfielder Tucker Bradley (UGA 2017-2020) and infielder Aaron Schunk (2017-19). Bradley (Kansas City) and Schunk (Colorado) spent the entire Spring Training with their respective Major League clubs. Bradley will begin the season in Omaha while Schunk is in Albuquerque. Also of note, pitcher Jonathan Cannon (UGA 2020-22) enjoyed a fine Spring Training with the Chicago White Sox. He went 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 11 innings with just one walk and 10 strikeouts. Cannon finished the 2023 season in Double-AA with Birmingham.
Former Bulldog pitchers Zac Kristofak (UGA 2017-19/Angels) and Ben Harris (UGA 2021/Dodgers) saw action in Major League Spring Training games too. Currently, minor league teams are finalizing their rosters for the 2024 season. Georgia has close to 20 former players in professional baseball.
FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS: For the latest Georgia baseball news, visit www.georgiadogs.com and follow the Bulldogs on X (@BaseballUGA), Facebook (@GeorgiaBaseball) and Instagram (@baseballuga).
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