2023 MLB, MILB Wrap-Up

Seven Seminoles played in the Major Leagues in 2023, including Taylor Walls with the Tampa Bay Rays, Cal Raleigh with the Seattle Mariners and Tyler Holton with the Detroit Tigers. Florida State also had a number of players in the minor leagues.

Majors

Drew Carlton, RHP, San Diego Padres
Carlton pitched 11 games with the Padres, finishing 2-1 with a 4.35 ERA over 20.2 innings. He allowed 18 hits and struck out 18 batters.

Kevin Cash, Manager, Tampa Bay Rays
For the fifth time in six seasons, Cash is one of three finalists for the American League Manager of the Year Award after leading the Rays to 99 wins and its fifth-straight playoff berth. He enters 2024 as the longest-tenured manager with his current team.

Pedro Grifol, Manager, Chicago White Sox
Grifol completed his first year as a Major League manager with the White Sox. Chicago went 61-101.

Tyler Holton, LHP, Detroit Tigers
Holton was named the Detroit Tigers' Rookie of the Year by the Detroit Sports Media Association. Holton's 0.87 WHIP led all American League relievers, was second in the big leagues and the lowest by a reliever in Tigers' history (minimum 60 innings).

Holton appeared in 59 games, starting one. In 85.1 innings pitched he earned a 3-2 record and 2.11 ERA.

Cal Raleigh, C, Seattle Mariners
Raleigh played 145 games and strung together 119 hits; he hit 30 home runs, breaking the Mariners' record for a catcher that he set last season. He had 75 RBI and scored 78 runs and is a finalist for the Silver Slugger Award.

Cole Sands, RHP, Minnesota Twins
Sands made 15 appearances for the Twins, pitching 21.2 innings with a 3.74 ERA. He struck out 21 batters in 21.2 innings.

DJ Stewart, OF, New York Mets
Stewart made his Mets debut on July 4 before earning extending playing time beginning August 1. The 29-year-old hit 11 home runs, eight doubles and had 26 RBI over 58 games, including a game on August 30 against eventual World Series champion Texas Rangers when he hit two home runs, made a game-saving catch in right field in the ninth inning and drew a bases loaded hit by pitch to end the game in the 10^th inning.

Taylor Walls, INF, Tampa Bay Rays
Walls played 99 games while battling injuries in 2023, ending with 61 hits, 36 RBI, 50 runs and 22 stolen bases. With the ability to play any position in the infield, Walls was a finalist for the Gold Glove Award as a utility player.

Luke Weaver, RHP, New York Yankees
Weaver played for three teams in 2023 – the Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees. He was 3-6 with a 6.40 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 123.2 innings pitched. His 25 starts were a career high.

Triple-A

Ben DeLuzio, OF, Norfolk Tides (Baltimore Orioles)
DeLuzio spent time with the Oklahoma City Dodgers and Norfolk in Triple-A in 2023. He combined to hit .189 with 28 hits, four doubles, a triple and three home runs. He stole six bases.

Shane Drohan, LHP, Worcester Red Sox (Boston Red Sox)
Drohan was a 2023 International League Future Game Selection after being called up from Double-A Portland in May. Between Worcester and Portland, he combined to go 10-7 with a 5.05 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 123.0 innings pitched. He was 5-0 with a 1.32 ERA in six starts with Portland.

J.C. Flowers, RHP, Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Flowers was 2-1 over 30 games with the Indians, making three starts. He pitched 46.0 innings and struck out 45 batters. He is currently pitching for Salt River in the Arizona Fall League.

Drew Parrish, LHP, Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals)
Parrish spent time between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha, combining for a 7-8 record and 6.54 ERA over 28 games. He made 24 starts and pitched 117.0 innings, with 96 strikeouts.

Mike Salvatore, INF, Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle Mariners)
Salvatore played 65 games in the Mariners minor leagues in 2023, with Everett, Arkansas and Tacoma. He combined to hit .230, with 46 hits, six doubles, three triples and three home runs. He had 19 RBI and scored 22 runs.

Double-A

Mat Nelson, C, Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds)
Nelson appeared in 101 games in the minor leagues, split between Dayton (89 games) and Chattanooga (12). He hit .229 with 21 home runs, 47 RBI and 59 runs scored. He drew 49 walks for a .340 on-base percentage.

Jonah Scolaro, LHP, Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox)
Scolaro split time between High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham, combining for a 3-2 record, 4.80 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 69.1 innings pitched.

CJ Van Eyk, RHP, New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays)
Working his way back from an injury that caused him to miss 2022, Van Eyk was 0-2 with a 4.15 ERA in four starts for New Hampshire. He also pitched for Dunedin and is currently 2-1 with a 2.51 ERA for Surprise in the Arizona Fall League, where he is one of five Blue Jays named to the AFL 2023 Fall-Star Team.

High-A

Tyler Ahearn, RHP, Spokane Indians (Colorado Rockies)
Ahearn pitched 37.2 innings over 39 games and sported a 1-3 record with an 8.12 ERA.

Jack Anderson, RHP, West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit Tigers)
Anderson appeared in 39 games for West Michigan, affiliates of the Detroit Tigers. Pitching 54.1 innings, he finished with two saves, a 1-1 record, and a 4.80 ERA.

Elijah Cabell, OF, Peoria Chiefs (St. Louis Cardinals)
Cabell played 36 games with the Chiefs, with 12 hits, a double, a home run and six RBI. He also stole two bases.

Robby Martin Jr., OF, Spokane Indians (Colorado Rockies)
Martin finished the year in High-A for the Spokane Indians, affiliates of the Colorado Rockies. Martin played in 96 games, raking 84 hits, including 30 XBH, and 42 RBIs, and capped the year off with a .265 AVG.

Parker Messick, LHP, Lake County Captains (Cleveland Guardians)
Messick tossed 121.2 innings in 2023, ending the season with the Lake County Captains. With 65 innings pitched in High-A Messick earned a 2-4 record, and a 4.43 ERA over 13 games, 11 of those going for starts. Before his call-up, Messick was 3-2 with a 3.02 ERA in 13 starts with Lynchburg.

Antonio Velez, LHP, Aberdeen IronBirds (Baltimore Orioles)
Velez pitched 25.2 innings earning a 4-1 record, and 4.91 ERA.

Single-A

Bryce Hubbart, LHP, Daytona Dragons (Cincinnati Reds)
Hubbart battled injury but appeared in 16 games, starting seven for Single-A Daytona, affiliates of the Cincinnati Reds. Over 45.1 innings, Hubbart allowed 39 hits and 27 runs compiling a 4.96 ERA.

Cobi Johnson, RHP, Dunedin Blue Jays (Toronto Blue Jays)
Johnson appeared in five games, pitching 4.2 innings after missing all of 2022 with an injury.

Quincy Nieporte, 1B, Lakeland Flying Tigers (Detroit Tigers)
After a breakout season for Double-A Erie in 2022, Nieporte had an offseason injury and appeared in just seven games for the Tigers' Single-A affiliate. He had five hits and three RBI.

Brett Roberts, INF, Jupiter Hammerheads (Miami Marlins)
Roberts spent his time playing for the Jupiter Hammerheads, affiliates of the Miami Marlins this past season. Accumulating 94 hits in 91 games, Roberts had 25 extra-base hits, 45 RBI and 20 stolen bases while hitting .273.

Rookie

Doug Kirkland, RHP, ACL Royals (Kansas City Royals)
After signing as a free agent over the summer, Kirkland was 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in 2.1 innings pitched.

Colton Vincent, C, ACL Padres (San Diego Padres)
Vincent also signed as a free agent after playing for FSU in 2021. He played four games and had one hit in the minor leagues.

Three Seminoles were selected in the 2023 MLB Draft and did not appear in the minor leagues in 2023: Jackson Baumeister (63^rd overall, Baltimore), Wyatt Crowell (4^th Round, Los Angeles Dodgers) and Carson Montgomery (11^th Round, San Diego Padres).

Florida State University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Jackson Baumeister

Wyatt Crowell

Bryce Hubbart

Doug Kirkland

Parker Messick

Carson Montgomery

Brett Roberts

Jonah Scolaro

Colton Vincent

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