With Tuesday marking the first day of postseason play in Major League Baseball, it is time to look back on former Gamecocks who made an impact in the MLB this season. Nine former South Carolina players received time at baseball’s top level of competition in 2014, a small chunk of the 27 active professional players in both the minor leagues and major league.
The nine players are as follows: Outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (Boston Red Sox), pitcher Billy Buckner (San Diego Padres), pitcher Sam Dyson (Miami Marlins), outfielder Steve Pearce (Baltimore Orioles), second baseman Brian Roberts (New York Yankees), pitcher Michael Roth (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), first baseman Justin Smoak (Seattle Mariners), second baseman Steve Tolleson (Toronto Blue Jays), first baseman Christian Walker (Baltimore Orioles).
Jackie Bradley Jr. – 2009 to 2011
Bradley Jr. finished the 2014 season with a .198 average (76-384), but remained a permanent fixture in the Boston Red Sox’s lineup due to his defensive prowess. He made only one error in 113 games this year, despite seeing time at left field, center field and right field. The former SEC all-defensive team selection also turned eight double plays, which was the most by any outfielder in Major League Baseball this season.
Steve Pearce – 2004 to 2005
Pearce took over the Orioles’ first base duties, where he will likely play this season, after first baseman Chris Davis tested positive for amphetamines. He hit .293 (99-338) during the regular season, adding 21 home runs and 49 RBIs. Pearce responded by hitting .315 in September, including a five-game stretch that saw the 2004 triple crown winner go 9-17 with three home runs and nine RBIs. Pearce also split time with former Gamecock Christian Walker at the first base.
Justin Smoak – 2006 to 2008
Following a 2013 campaign that saw Smoak notch career highs in home runs and batting average, his time in 2014 was cut short by a quadriceps injury. Before his stint to the disabled list, Smoak was barely hitting over .200, with only seven home runs. The good news is that, once being relegated to the minors, Smoak tore it up at Seattle’s triple-A affiliate the Tacoma Rainiers. He finished the season with a .337 batting average (69-205), and hit the same amount of home runs and doubles as he did in the pros in 24 less games. Logan Morrison, who replaced Smoak for the Mariners at first base, finished the season scorching opposing pitching, managing a .342 average paired with a 1.042 OPS.
Christian Walker – 2010 to 2012
South Carolina’s leading hitter from its last championship team earned a September call up from the Orioles after having a monster year in Baltimore’s minor league system. Walker slugged 26 home runs and 25 doubles for the Orioles’ double and triple-A affiliates, prompting the organization to call him up to finish the season in the major leagues. In his debut against the Blue Jays, Walker went 1-for-3 with a double, and two games later hit his first home run in a 2-for-4 performance against the Red Sox.
Michael Roth – 2010 to 2012
Roth made seven appearances for the Angels in 2014, picking up his first win of the season in his first appearance on July 5. After the win, he was sent back down to play for the team’s double-A affiliate, the Arkansas Travelers where he finished his season with a 2.62 ERA in 140.2 innings. Roth was called up again in August, when he surrendered eight runs in 5.2 innings through September.