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Lucas Gilbreath fires a pitch for the Colorado Rockies this season
Photo by: MLB.com
2021 Gophers in the Pros
10/14/2021 11:00:00 AM | Baseball, M Club
Catch up on the latest movements in the professional ranks
The Gophers baseball program is proud to have numerous former players competing in both the MLB and MiLB. Check out the latest happenings on their professional careers.
Lucas Gilbreath | LHP, Colorado Rockies | MLB.com
Gilbreath continued his meteoric rise through the Rockies minor league organization this season and ended up making his MLB debut in May. He played the entire 2019 season at the High-A level and made 28 appearances out of the bullpen. In 2021, he started the year at Triple-A with the Albuquerque Isotopes, where he made two scoreless appearances, striking out three in 1.2 innings pitched. In late April, he was called up to the big leagues, where he played for the rest of the season. Gilbreath was impressive in his first MLB season, tallying a 3-2 record with a 3.38 ERA in 42.2 innings pitched over 47 games. He struck out 44, walked 23 and allowed just 16 earned runs.
Brian Glowicki | RHP, Chicago White Sox | MiLB.com
On May 30, 2021, Glowicki was assigned to the Winston-Salem Dash, the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. The right-hander appeared in 23 games, posting a 1-1 record with a 4.55 ERA in 29.2 innings pitched. He was credited for six saves, three holds and 55 strikeouts on the season while walking just eight batters and allowing 15 earned runs. On August 24, Glowicki was called up to the Birmingham Barons, the White Sox Double-A affiliate. Here, he made five appearances out of the bullpen, posting an 0-1 record with a 4.32 ERA across 8.1 innings. He surrendered four earned runs and struck out six while opposing batters hit .233 off of him. He also tallied two holds and one save.
Nick Lackney | LHP, Philadelphia Phillies | MiLB.com
The Milwaukee, Wis., native had a tremendously busy summer in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, playing for four different minor league affiliates. He began the 2021 season with the Clearwater Threshers (Single-A), making six appearances out of the bullpen with a 0.00 ERA in 7.0 innings pitched. He struck out five, walked three and allowed just six hits with no runs before being called up to the Phillies higher Single-A affiliate, the Jersey Shore Blueclaws. He made six more appearances down the shore, posting a 1-0 record with an 0.90 ERA and one save in 10 innings pitched. He struck out 12, walked eight and allowed just seven hits while the opposition hit just .179 off Lackney. After spending a month with the Blueclaws, he was called up to the Double-A Reading Fightin' Phils on June 24. He spent the majority of his summer in Reading, making 19 appearances out of the pen, going 3-1 with a 3.74 ERA in 33.3 innings pitched. He allowed just 14 earned runs and struck out 27 while opponents hit just .214 off of him. Lackney was then called up to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Triple-A) on August 10, where he pitched in one game.
Max Meyer | RHP, Miami Marlins | MiLB.com
The former No. 3 overall pick by the Miami Marlins in the 2021 MLB Draft, Meyer played most of the 2021 season with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, the team's Double-A affiliate. He had a fantastic summer, making 20 appearances (all starts) and posting a 6-4 record with a 2.27 ERA in 111.0 innings pitched. He struck out 113 and walked just 40 while opponents hit .226 off of him. In late September, Meyer was called up to Triple-A and made two starts with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. He was fantastic in his debut, striking out 10 hitters in five innings pitched, allowing just two hits with one walk. He will likely begin next season at the Triple-A level and will have a chance to make his MLB debut at some point in 2022.
The 2021 MLB Draft pick of the Milwaukee Brewers started his professional career with the ACL Brewers Gold, the team's Rookie League affiliate. Here played in 11 games and had 28 at-bats with one RBI. On August 23, Raabe was called up to the Carolina Mudcats, the Low-A affiliate of the Brewers. He found some instant success here, hitting .255 (14-for-55) with six RBI and 11 walks in 17 games.
Dalton Sawyer | LHP, Oakland A's | MiLB.com
The former ninth round pick of the Oakland A's started the 2021 season with the Lansing Lugnuts, the High-A affiliate of the club. He made two stints with Lansing this summer, pitching in 33 games (38 innings) with a 2-2 record and a 4.03 ERA. He tallied three saves and eight holds, striking out 62 with just 17 earned runs and 20 walks. Sawyer also had two stints with the Midland RockHounds, the Double-A affiliate of the A's. He made seven appearances for Midland, tossing 9.1 innings and registering a 4.82 ERA and a 1-0 record. Sawyer struck out 11 and allowed five earned runs while the opposition hit hust .206 off of him.
Brett Schulze | RHP, Philadelphia Phillies | MiLB.com
Having enjoyed a sensational pro debut upon being drafted in the seventh round in 2019, Schulze pitched 26 2/3 innings with a miniscule 0.38 ERA and 34 strikeouts while splitting time at Rookie-level and Single-A. In February, Schulze was assigned to the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, the Singe-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. He is working his way back from injury and hopes to be back on the mound next season.
D.J. Snelten | Tampa Bay Rays, LHP | MiLB.com
For all of 2019, Snelten found himself outside of affiliated Minor League Baseball, pitching for the Chicago Dogs of the American Association. However, Snelten's strong 2019 performance (7-3, 3.11 ERA, 118.1 IP, 112 strikeouts) mixed with newfound velocity upwards of 97 MPH, resulted in a new opportunity within the Rays' organization. As a matter of fact, Snelten was included in Tampa Bay's 60-man player pool for the 2020 season, providing him an opportunity to get noticed and gain additional instruction at the team's alternate training site. He signed with the Chicago Cubs organization in November of 2020, but did not make any appearances this summer.
Jake Stevenson | RHP, Cincinnati Reds | MiLB.com
In the fall, Stevenson was added to Cincinnati's 2020 Instructional League roster in Goodyear, Ariz. He stayed in Goodyear when he was assigned to the ACL Reds, the Arizona Complex League Rookie-level affiliate of the Reds, in February. Despite battling injury for much of the summer, Stevenson made two appearances, including one start for the ACL Reds. He posted a 4.50 ERA in 2.0 innings pitched, striking out four and allowing one hit and one run. He was placed on the 60-day injury list on July 7 and was taken off on Sept. 11 but did not appear in any more game action.
Terrin Vavra | SS, Baltimore Orioles | MiLB.com
Vavra, who won the Single-A South-Atlantic League MVP in 2019, was coming off a stellar season in which he slashed .318/.409/.489 with ten home runs, 32 doubles, 79 runs scored, 52 RBI and 18 stolen bases. In 2021, Vavra spent most of his season with the Orioles Double-A team, the Bowie Baysox. He hit .248 (37-for-149) with five home runs, 20 RBI, one triple and 10 doubles with 29 walks. He also stole six bases and scored 28 runs. He spent most of his time in the field at second base, but also played two games at shortstop and nine in center field.
Eli Wilson | C, Pittsburgh Pirates | MiLB.com
The former Gophers catcher had an extremely busy summer in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He started the 2019 season with the Bradenton Marauders, the Single-A affiliate of the Pirates. Wilson hit a stellar .328 (38-for-116) with three home runs, 22 RBI, eight doubles and 31 walks across 39 games. On July 31, Wilson was called up to the club's High-A affiliate, the Greensboro Grasshoppers. He played 16 games in Greensboro, hitting .203 (12-for-59) with one home run, eight RBI, two triple and three doubles. On October 1, Wilson was briefly called up to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, where he made one start, going 1-for-3 with an RBI double and a walk.
Tom Windle | LHP, New York Mets | MiLB.com
Windle, who's currently finishing his degree while helping out as a volunteer student assistant coach with the Gophers, continued his career in the Mets organization this past summer. He made 22 appearances for the Syracuse Mets (Triple-A), going 1-4 with a 5.48 ERA in 23.0 innings. He made two saves, struck out 14 and allowed 14 earned runs while opposing batters hit just .187 against him.
Lucas Gilbreath | LHP, Colorado Rockies | MLB.com
Gilbreath continued his meteoric rise through the Rockies minor league organization this season and ended up making his MLB debut in May. He played the entire 2019 season at the High-A level and made 28 appearances out of the bullpen. In 2021, he started the year at Triple-A with the Albuquerque Isotopes, where he made two scoreless appearances, striking out three in 1.2 innings pitched. In late April, he was called up to the big leagues, where he played for the rest of the season. Gilbreath was impressive in his first MLB season, tallying a 3-2 record with a 3.38 ERA in 42.2 innings pitched over 47 games. He struck out 44, walked 23 and allowed just 16 earned runs.
Lucas Gilbreath 😤 pic.twitter.com/ZYYw0HycrJ
— RoxGifsVids (@RoxGifsVids) October 2, 2021
Brian Glowicki | RHP, Chicago White Sox | MiLB.com
On May 30, 2021, Glowicki was assigned to the Winston-Salem Dash, the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. The right-hander appeared in 23 games, posting a 1-1 record with a 4.55 ERA in 29.2 innings pitched. He was credited for six saves, three holds and 55 strikeouts on the season while walking just eight batters and allowing 15 earned runs. On August 24, Glowicki was called up to the Birmingham Barons, the White Sox Double-A affiliate. Here, he made five appearances out of the bullpen, posting an 0-1 record with a 4.32 ERA across 8.1 innings. He surrendered four earned runs and struck out six while opposing batters hit .233 off of him. He also tallied two holds and one save.
Nick Lackney | LHP, Philadelphia Phillies | MiLB.com
The Milwaukee, Wis., native had a tremendously busy summer in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, playing for four different minor league affiliates. He began the 2021 season with the Clearwater Threshers (Single-A), making six appearances out of the bullpen with a 0.00 ERA in 7.0 innings pitched. He struck out five, walked three and allowed just six hits with no runs before being called up to the Phillies higher Single-A affiliate, the Jersey Shore Blueclaws. He made six more appearances down the shore, posting a 1-0 record with an 0.90 ERA and one save in 10 innings pitched. He struck out 12, walked eight and allowed just seven hits while the opposition hit just .179 off Lackney. After spending a month with the Blueclaws, he was called up to the Double-A Reading Fightin' Phils on June 24. He spent the majority of his summer in Reading, making 19 appearances out of the pen, going 3-1 with a 3.74 ERA in 33.3 innings pitched. He allowed just 14 earned runs and struck out 27 while opponents hit just .214 off of him. Lackney was then called up to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Triple-A) on August 10, where he pitched in one game.
On the move. Five BlueClaws pitchers have been promoted over the last two days! (From Left:) Aneurys Zabala, Nick Lackney, Victor Santos, Adam Leverett to @ReadingFightins...Mike Adams to @IronPigs! Good luck guys! pic.twitter.com/p75ntkc12J
— Jersey Shore BlueClaws (@BlueClaws) June 25, 2021
Max Meyer | RHP, Miami Marlins | MiLB.com
The former No. 3 overall pick by the Miami Marlins in the 2021 MLB Draft, Meyer played most of the 2021 season with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, the team's Double-A affiliate. He had a fantastic summer, making 20 appearances (all starts) and posting a 6-4 record with a 2.27 ERA in 111.0 innings pitched. He struck out 113 and walked just 40 while opponents hit .226 off of him. In late September, Meyer was called up to Triple-A and made two starts with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. He was fantastic in his debut, striking out 10 hitters in five innings pitched, allowing just two hits with one walk. He will likely begin next season at the Triple-A level and will have a chance to make his MLB debut at some point in 2022.
Zack Raabe | 2B, Milwaukee Brewers | MiLB.comWhat a season!
— Pensacola Blue Wahoos (@BlueWahoosBBall) September 16, 2021
With 7 Ks tonight, Max Meyer finishes his first professional season tied for the Double-A South lead in strikeouts (113) and leading the league in ERA (2.41)! pic.twitter.com/TNsCIBNN5j
The 2021 MLB Draft pick of the Milwaukee Brewers started his professional career with the ACL Brewers Gold, the team's Rookie League affiliate. Here played in 11 games and had 28 at-bats with one RBI. On August 23, Raabe was called up to the Carolina Mudcats, the Low-A affiliate of the Brewers. He found some instant success here, hitting .255 (14-for-55) with six RBI and 11 walks in 17 games.
Zack Raabe's first RBI as a Mudcat ties things up in the fourth. pic.twitter.com/u9I1J6ScII
— Carolina Mudcats (@CarolinaMudcats) August 30, 2021
Dalton Sawyer | LHP, Oakland A's | MiLB.com
The former ninth round pick of the Oakland A's started the 2021 season with the Lansing Lugnuts, the High-A affiliate of the club. He made two stints with Lansing this summer, pitching in 33 games (38 innings) with a 2-2 record and a 4.03 ERA. He tallied three saves and eight holds, striking out 62 with just 17 earned runs and 20 walks. Sawyer also had two stints with the Midland RockHounds, the Double-A affiliate of the A's. He made seven appearances for Midland, tossing 9.1 innings and registering a 4.82 ERA and a 1-0 record. Sawyer struck out 11 and allowed five earned runs while the opposition hit hust .206 off of him.
Congratulations to Dalton Sawyer, promoted today to the @RockHounds! In 33 innings, the @gopherbaseball star struck out 55 batters.
— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) July 27, 2021
Welcome to infielder Yerdel Vargas and pitcher @gacton34, joining the Nuts in a pair of corresponding moves.
Read more: https://t.co/cUy2JyZHaU pic.twitter.com/3w4Fy3e2z8
Brett Schulze | RHP, Philadelphia Phillies | MiLB.com
Having enjoyed a sensational pro debut upon being drafted in the seventh round in 2019, Schulze pitched 26 2/3 innings with a miniscule 0.38 ERA and 34 strikeouts while splitting time at Rookie-level and Single-A. In February, Schulze was assigned to the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, the Singe-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. He is working his way back from injury and hopes to be back on the mound next season.
We didn't "strike out" with our latest addition to the Pro Wall.
— Training HAUS (@thetrainingHAUS) September 24, 2021
Big thanks to former @GopherSports pitcher Brett Schulze for rehabbing w/ us at the HAUS! Schulze, a Maple Grove native, is with the @Phillies organization and has been working hard to get back on the mound soon. pic.twitter.com/TMUNgUrjlE
D.J. Snelten | Tampa Bay Rays, LHP | MiLB.com
For all of 2019, Snelten found himself outside of affiliated Minor League Baseball, pitching for the Chicago Dogs of the American Association. However, Snelten's strong 2019 performance (7-3, 3.11 ERA, 118.1 IP, 112 strikeouts) mixed with newfound velocity upwards of 97 MPH, resulted in a new opportunity within the Rays' organization. As a matter of fact, Snelten was included in Tampa Bay's 60-man player pool for the 2020 season, providing him an opportunity to get noticed and gain additional instruction at the team's alternate training site. He signed with the Chicago Cubs organization in November of 2020, but did not make any appearances this summer.
Jake Stevenson | RHP, Cincinnati Reds | MiLB.com
In the fall, Stevenson was added to Cincinnati's 2020 Instructional League roster in Goodyear, Ariz. He stayed in Goodyear when he was assigned to the ACL Reds, the Arizona Complex League Rookie-level affiliate of the Reds, in February. Despite battling injury for much of the summer, Stevenson made two appearances, including one start for the ACL Reds. He posted a 4.50 ERA in 2.0 innings pitched, striking out four and allowing one hit and one run. He was placed on the 60-day injury list on July 7 and was taken off on Sept. 11 but did not appear in any more game action.
Terrin Vavra | SS, Baltimore Orioles | MiLB.com
Vavra, who won the Single-A South-Atlantic League MVP in 2019, was coming off a stellar season in which he slashed .318/.409/.489 with ten home runs, 32 doubles, 79 runs scored, 52 RBI and 18 stolen bases. In 2021, Vavra spent most of his season with the Orioles Double-A team, the Bowie Baysox. He hit .248 (37-for-149) with five home runs, 20 RBI, one triple and 10 doubles with 29 walks. He also stole six bases and scored 28 runs. He spent most of his time in the field at second base, but also played two games at shortstop and nine in center field.
"One year after trade, Orioles prospect Terrin Vavra among most productive hitters on farm https://t.co/bs3mMbAUyx " - Baltimore Sun https://t.co/5BGFA3CVoU #dmv #dmvnetwork #dmvnews pic.twitter.com/ccg0JPZVYH
— The DMV Network (@thedmvnetwork) September 1, 2021
Eli Wilson | C, Pittsburgh Pirates | MiLB.com
The former Gophers catcher had an extremely busy summer in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He started the 2019 season with the Bradenton Marauders, the Single-A affiliate of the Pirates. Wilson hit a stellar .328 (38-for-116) with three home runs, 22 RBI, eight doubles and 31 walks across 39 games. On July 31, Wilson was called up to the club's High-A affiliate, the Greensboro Grasshoppers. He played 16 games in Greensboro, hitting .203 (12-for-59) with one home run, eight RBI, two triple and three doubles. On October 1, Wilson was briefly called up to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, where he made one start, going 1-for-3 with an RBI double and a walk.
Tom Windle | LHP, New York Mets | MiLB.com
Windle, who's currently finishing his degree while helping out as a volunteer student assistant coach with the Gophers, continued his career in the Mets organization this past summer. He made 22 appearances for the Syracuse Mets (Triple-A), going 1-4 with a 5.48 ERA in 23.0 innings. He made two saves, struck out 14 and allowed 14 earned runs while opposing batters hit just .187 against him.
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