How Notre Dame Baseball Alum are Fairing to Date
By Bobby Norell
The Major League Baseball season is in full swing. The weather is starting to turn and pennant chases and award races are starting to take shape. Notre Dame baseball has a handful of alumni in the majors, and most of them are having fairly successful seasons thus far.
Major Leaguers
John Axford – RHP- Oakland Athletics
Axford is enjoying a great bounceback year for the A’s. He’s one of the A’s best relievers as he holds an ERA of 2.84 in 19.0 innings. With the way Axford has performed to date, he could be a nice addition to a team that’s in the pennant chase.
Jeff Manship – RHP- Cleveland Indians
Over the last year or so Manship has been one of the better relievers coming out of the the Tribe’s bullpen. In 2015 he owned a 0.92 ERA in 39.1 innings and held hitters to a .155 average. He hasn’t been quite as dominant this season, but still is enjoying a very nice season. In 12.2 innings he has an ERA of 2.84.
David Phelps – RHP – Miami Marlins
In his first four seasons in the league Phelps was primarily used as a starter with middling results. This season he may have found his niche as he is the setup man for closer, A.J. Ramos. In 26.2 innings Phelps owns a 1.38 ERA with 31 strikeouts to nine walks and is holding hitters to a .169 average. He also has 10 holds, which puts him among the league leaders in that category.
A.J. Pollock – CF – Arizona Diamondbacks
As one of the game’s rising starts Pollock was poised to have another great season in 2016. Just days before Opening Day Pollock sustained a fractured elbow diving head first into home plate in an exhibition game. He hasn’t ruled himself out for the 2016 season, but at the moment it does not look like Pollock will play this season.
Jeff Samardzija – RHP – San Francisco Giants
I guess all it took for Samardzija to regain top form was to be back in the National League. Samardzija signed a a five-year $90 contract with the Giants over the winter and so far has lived up to expectations. Through his first 10 starts “The Shark” is 7-2 with a 2.54 ERA in 71.0 innings. Samardzija along with Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto have formed one of the best 1-2-3 in the N.L.
Minor Leaguers
Eric Jagielo – 3B – Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Cincinnati Reds)
Jagielo was one of he key pieces in the Aroldis Chapman trade in the offseason. Jagielo was one of the best prospects in the Yankee organization, so there was a good reason that the Reds wanted him. So far in 2016 he hasn’t enjoyed much success. Through 38 games he’s hitting .170 with two homers and nine RBIs.
Next: Top Five Notre Dame Baseball Players of All Time
Trey Mancini – 1B – Norfolk Tides (Baltimore Orioles)
Mancini started the year in AA, but he performed so well there that he was called up to AAA. In 47 games between AA and AAA Mancini is hitting .264 with 10 homers and 22 RBIs. According to MLB.com he’s the fourth best prospect in the Orioles system. Since the Orioles are already pretty set at first base at the MLB level with Chris Davis, Mancini could be involved in a trade at the deadline as the O’s are gunning for a playoff spot.
Dan Slania – RHP – Richmond Flying Squirrels (San Francisco Giants)
Slania owns a a 3-4 record 5.34 ERA in 22 innings out of the bullpen for the Giants AA affiliate.