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Rice Baseball: 2021 MLB Owls update – Aug 7

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The 2021 MLB season is underway and Rice baseball alums are busy on the mound and at the plate. Here’s the latest from the MLB Owls from this week.

Brock Holt – Texas Rangers

Holt has only registered seven official at bats this month with two hits, both doubles. It was his arm, however, that drew the biggest headlines. Holt came on to pitch in a blowout loss against the A’s and threw a 31.1 mile per hour Ephesus pitch, the slowest pitch to be called a strike in the modern pitch-tracking era (since 2008).

Through August 7, Holt is hitting .203 with 14 extra-base hits, 20 walks and 36 strikeouts. His OPS is .582 and he’s collected 16 RBI.

Tyler Duffey – Minnesota Twins

Duffey appeared in back-to-back games this week, both winning efforts against the Houston Astros. In each game he worked a scoreless seventh inning. He earned his 14th hold of the season in the first of the two outings.

Through August 7, Duffey has a 3.61 ERA with a 1.370 WHIP. He’s averaging 7.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

Lucas Luetge – New York Yankees

Luetge saw action in two games this week, extending his streak of appearances without allowing an earned run to eight games. He has 13 strikeouts and just one walk allowed over that period.

Through August 7, Luetge has a 2.81 ERA with a 1.130 WHIP. He’s averaging 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings.

J.T. Chargois – Tampa Bay Rays

Chargois earned his first official hold as a member of the Rays pitching staff this week, working a scoreless inning against the Seattle Mariners, his former club.

Through August 7, Chargois has a 2.73 ERA with a 0.939 WHIP. He’s averaging 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels

Rendon’s 2021 season officially came to an end last week. The Angels’ third basemen reportedly needs hip surgery and will miss the remainder of the season.

He ends the year with a .240 average, 19 extra-base hits, 29 walks and 41 strikeouts. His OPS was .712 and he collected 34 RBI.

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Rice Baseball: 2021 Summer Ball end of season roundup

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Current, former and incoming Rice baseball players participated in Summer Ball leagues around the country. Here are the highlights from the summer.

Hitters

Austin Bulman stole the show in the Valley Baseball League this summer. He led the league in doubles, finished second in hits and RBI and was top five in runs and homers on his way to an all-star game nod. There’s not much more he could have done this summer to build momentum as he returns to Rice.

Nathan Becker was contending with Bulman for the batting title in the VBL early on in the summer, finishing the season with a more than respectable .291 clip. Guy Garibay flashed in limited action, driving six of his 10 hits for extra bases.

Perhaps the biggest surprise, in a very positive way, was catcher Cullen Hannigan. Owner of eight collegiate at bats at Rice, Hannigan exploded in his return to the Expedition League. A year removed from slashing .183/.385/.256 last summer, Hannigan elevated his play across the board, slashing .340/.401/.450 this time around.

Hitting Stats

Pitchers

Matthew Linskey only appeared in four games but had the most encouraging final line. His 0.96 ERA would have led the league had he pitched enough innings to qualify. Nevertheless, his 14.5 strikeouts per nine innings with only one earned run allowed served as a subtle reinforcement that his brief flashes during the 2021 season weren’t aberrations.

Micah Davis and Dalton Wood each had a couple of off outings that marred otherwise promising summer seasons. Both saw plenty of action with Davis leading all Owls this summer with 20 punchouts.

Pitching Stats

Final Thoughts

Summer ball isn’t the end all be all, but with Jose Cruz Jr. doing all he can to restock the talent pool at South Main, seeing so many encouraging performances is a positive sign. The depth that has been lacking in previous years might be on its way, and everyone is going to have to fight for their spot in the lineup.

Younger players like Linskey and Becker are continuing to develop and this summer served as an added reminder they’re got more to give Rice baseball in the coming years.

*All stats as of August 2 taken from league and team websites.
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Rice Baseball: 2021 MLB Owls End of July update

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The 2021 MLB season is underway and Rice baseball alums are busy on the mound and at the plate. Here’s the latest from the MLB Owls from this week.

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels

Rendon’s continued absence from the Angels’ lineup continued on this week with no clear end in sight. LA Daily News reports he has yet to resume baseball activity during his rehab. He hasn’t appeared in a game since July 4.

Through July 31, Rendon is hitting .240 with 19 extra-base hits, 29 walks and 41 strikeouts. His OPS is .712 and he’s collected 34 RBI.

Brock Holt – Texas Rangers

Holt played sparingly this week, completing two games over the span of the past seven days, appearing in four, often being limited in games against left-handed starters.

Through July 31, Holt is hitting .200 with 12 extra-base hits, 19 walks and 34 strikeouts. His OPS is .569 and he’s collected 15 RBI.

Tyler Duffey – Minnesota Twins

Duffey made three appearances in the span of five days this week picking up a pair of holds in consecutive games against the Tigers before running into trouble against St. Louis on Friday. He was saddle with the loss in that outing, allowing three hits and three earned runs, the most earned runs he’s allowed in a single game since May 20.

Through July 31, Duffey has a 3.79 ERA with a 1.388 WHIP. He’s averaging 7.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

Lucas Luetge – New York Yankees

Luetge has been rock solid in the Yankees’ pen this season. He pitched two innings in a pair of games this week, striking out four batters in both games and earning his fourth win of the season on Saturday.

Through July 31, Luetge has a 2.94 ERA with a 1.143 WHIP. He’s averaging 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings.

J.T. Chargois – Tampa Bay Rays

Chargois was sent across the country at the trade dealine, dealt from the Seattle Mariners to the Tampa Bay Rays. He made his first appearance for his new club on Friday, working a scoreless inning of relief with one strikeout and no hits allowed.

Through July 31, Chargois has a 2.90 ERA with a 0.935 WHIP. He’s averaging 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings.

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Rice Baseball: 2021 MLB Owls update – July 23

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The 2021 MLB season is underway and Rice baseball alums are busy on the mound and at the plate. Here’s the latest from the MLB Owls from this week.

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels

Rendong traveled with the team to Minnesota this week, but remains on the injured list. He hasn’t appeared in a game for the Halos since July 4.

Through July 23, Rendon is hitting .240 with 19 extra-base hits, 29 walks and 41 strikeouts. His OPS is .712 and he’s collected 34 RBI.

Brock Holt – Texas Rangers

Holt has gotten off to a slow start out of the All-Star break, much like the rest of the Rangers which has tallied just eight runs over its past five games. Holt has one hit over that period in 10 at bats, making three starts and entering twice in the late innings.

Through July 23, Holt is hitting .201 with 11 extra-base hits, 17 walks and 31 strikeouts. His OPS is .574 and he’s collected 15 RBI.

Tyler Duffey – Minnesota Twins

Duffey has made two appearances since the All-Star break. In the first, he picked up his second win of the season, walking two in one inning pitched against the White Sox on Monday. Two days later he entered in the sixth inning against the Sox, surrendering four hits in 1.2 innings with no runs allowed. He’s quietly been one of the more productive relievers on the Twins this season.

Through July 23, Duffey has a 3.38 ERA with a 1.339 WHIP. He’s averaging 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings.

Lucas Luetge – New York Yankees

Luetge has appeared in three games for the Yankees since the All-Star Break with varied results, facing one batter on Sunday, earning a hold on Tuesday and being saddled with a blown save on Thursday.

Through July 23, Luetge has a 3.20 ERA with a 1.222 WHIP. He’s averaging 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

J.T. Chargois – Seattle Mariners

Chargois has also seen three games of work since the break. Across those outings, he’s worked 2.2 innings, allowing three hits with one walk and two strikeouts. He did not allow any runs.

Through the July 23, Chargois has a 2.25 ERA with a 0.893 WHIP. He’s averaging 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings.

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Rice Baseball: 2021 MiLB Owls mid-July update

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While several Rice Baseball alums are producing at the highest level, others are working their way up the ladder. Here’s the latest on the MiLB Owls.

Triple-A

Jon Duplantier (Diamondbacks) has been back and forth between AAA and the Major Leagues this season, but most recently made a brief appearance with the AAA club on July 10. He faced one batter. Prior to that outing, his later appearance came on June 13 with the Diamondbacks.

Duplantier’s AAA teammate, Kevin McCanna, began the year on the injured list. He got his first action of the year this month, making three appearances and two starts. He has a 1.50 ERA with six strikeouts and three hits allowed across six innings. Opposing batters are hitting .136 against him thus far.

Jordan Stephens (Indians) has been a reliable closer for his club, earning saves in three of his last six appearances, including a multi-inning save on June 24. He has an ERA of 5.40 on the season, with incredible home/road splits. His home ERA is 0.77 while his road ERA sits at 11.57.

Glenn Otto (Yankees) was promoted from AA to AAA this month. He pitched 4.1 innings in his debut, allowing seven hits and two runs while striking out four. He left the game with the score tied and did not receive a decision, but Scranton did go on to win the game.

On July 3, Tony Cingrani (Cubs) signed a minor league deal with the Cubs after opening the year with the Atlantic League’s Lexington Legends. He’s made two relief appearances so far, allowing one unearned run in 1.2 innings with one hit, one walk and two strikeouts.

At the plate, Tristan Gray (Rays) has tallied multiple hits in four of his last nine games, bumping his batting average up roughly 30 points in the process. He’s hitting .234 this season with 12 extra-base hits. His OPS is .686 and he’s driven in 15.

Double-A

Ford Proctor (Rays) has improved at the plate in each month of the 2021 season. He hit .152 in May and .203 in June before opening July on a blistering pace. He started the month with back-to-back three-hit games, riding his hot bat to a .382 average for the month, raising his season average to .220 and his OPS to .740 (thanks to a 1.170 OPS this month).

More on Rice Baseball: Jose Cruz Jr. adds three from the transfer portal, and he’s not done yet

Ricky Salinas (Indians) has been working to settle into AA after making the jump in mid-May. He’s been back and forth with his consistency, highlighted by his two most recent games. He allowed 10 runs (two earned) in 1.2 innings of work on July 9 before rebounding to work 5.2 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts in his next outing. His AAA Era is 3.89.

Single-A

Matt Canterino (Twins, High-A) hasn’t appeared in a game since the end of May, currently residing on the injured list. Before he stepped off the rubber, Cantero was dealing, striking out 35 of the 68 batters he faced, posting a staggering 17.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

Dane Myers (Tigers, High-A) was placed on the injured list shortly after moving to High-A in June. His last appearance came in June 6. He’s hitting .283 this season in games across Low-A, High-A and AA.

Trei Cruz (Tigers, Low-A) mashed his first home run of his minor league career in July in his game after moving from the Tigers’ High-A to Low-A club. He’s reached based safely in all eight of his games at the Low-A level thus far and holds a .231 average since the move.

Rookie

Evan Kravetz (Reds) moved from Single A to rookie league at the beginning of the month after posting a 1.64 ERA at that level. He’s made two appearances in rookie ball, both starts, racking up seven strikeouts in 4.1 innings pitched without allowing an earned run.

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