Huskies Made A Major Impact At The Pro Levels
September 19, 2014 | Baseball
While Major League Baseball still has a portion of its season to play, the minor leagues have wrapped up their year, with championships decided and hardware handed out. For Huskies' players in the minors, it was a banner year. Not only did a school record eight Huskies get selected in the 2014 June MLB Draft, but several careers of former Huskies took off.
Jake Lamb was a Double-A all-star for the Mobile Bay Bears, where he hit .314 with 14 home runs and 79 RBI. He carried his strong play up to Triple-A Reno where he batted .500 in five games before earning his first call up to the big leagues from the parent club Arizona Diamondbacks. Lamb has played in 28 games through Sept. 18 and has clubbed three home runs and drove in 10 runs in 90 at bats. He has a .222 average and has positioned himself to earn a chance to be the D-backs starting third baseman in 2015.
Lamb isn't the only Husky currently in the Majors. Tim Lincecum continues to be a stalwart on the San Francisco Giants pitching staff, while Nick Hagadone has established himself as one of Cleveland's top left-handed reliever options. Matt Hague also some time in the Majors, but played mostly at triple-A.
Forrest Snow (Mariners) and Brent Lillibridge (Rangers) both spent the entire year at the Triple-A level, while some surprise players made appearances at the Triple-A level. Joe Meggs, who was undrafted in 2013, earned the call up to Albuquerque, which is quite impressive for any minor leaguer in the first season.
Andrew Ely pulled off the biggest surprise among all Huskies in the minors this past season. Despite being selected last among the Huskies' eight players picked in the 2014 draft (32nd round), Ely was the SECOND player from the entire draft to make it to Triple-A. First round pick Carlos Rodon made his AAA debut three days before Ely. Only five players from the 2014 draft made it to Triple-A or the Major Leagues (Brandon Finnegan, first round pick, was a September call up by the Kansas City Royals) and Ely led them all with 35 at bats in nine games.
Others from Ely's class found instant success in the minor leagues, proving that their experiences at Washington prepared them well for the professional ranks. Among the three UW pitchers selected last June, Jeff Brigham lit up the radar gun at 98 miles per hour a year removed from Tommy John surgery. The fourth-round selection was 0-3 at Odgen in the Pioneer League, but had a 3.58 ERA and surely has established himself as one of the Dodgers' best pitching prospects.
Among hitters, Robert Pehl and Trevor Mitsui definitely raised some eyebrows with their performances on the field and their ability to adapt to wooden bats. Pehl was seventh in the Pioneer League with a .332 average in 241 at bats for Idaho Falls. He also ranked ninth with 41 RBI.
Ahead of Pehl on the RBI list is his former teammate Mitsui. The big right-hander was fifth in the league with 52 RBI and also tied for fourth with 12 homers. He also hit a robust .330. Combined with his five home runs for the Huskies, Mitsui clubbed an impressive 17 during the year.
With no less than 21 players in the minor league, the Huskies' presence in the professional level has never been so strong, and with a strong corps of prospects on the horizon, it is just a matter of time before there are even more Huskies in the Major League level.
Huskies in the minors (sorted by last year with UW):
2014:
Andrew Ely, Iowa Cubs (AAA)...minor league bio link
Robert Pehl, Idaho Falls Chukars (A)...minor league bio link
Brian Wolfe, Ogden Raptors (A)...minor league bio link
Jeff Brigham, Ogden Raptors (A)...minor league bio link
Trevor Dunlap, GCL Rays (R)...minor league bio link
Trevor Mitsui, Missoula Osprey (A)...minor league bio link
Erik Forgione, Jamestown Jammers (A)...minor league bio link
Jared Fisher, GCL Philles (R)...minor league bio link
2013:
Joseph Meggs, Abuquerque Isotopes (A)...minor league bio link
Tyler Kane, Greensboro Grasshoppers (A)...minor league bio link
Austin Voth, Potomac Nationals (A)...minor league bio link
2012:
Jake Lamb, Mobile Bay Bears (AA)...minor league bio link
B.K. Santy, Cedar Rapid Kernals (A)...minor league bio link
Aaron West, GCL Astros (R)...minor league bio link
2011:
Geoff Brown, Rancho Cucamonga (A)...minor league bio link
2010:
Pierce Rankin, New Hampshire Fisher Cats (AA)...minor league bio link
Forrest Snow, Tacoma Rainers (AAA)...minor league bio link
2009:
Brian Pearl, AZL Reds (R)...minor league bio link
2008:
Matt Hague, Indianapolis Indians (AAA)...minor league bio link
Andrew Kittredge, High Desert Mavericks (A)...minor league bio link
2005:
Brent Lillibridge, Round Rock Express (AAA)...minor league bio link
