#ProPanthers Update – 2016 Draftees Showing Off
7/19/2019 10:40:00 AM | Baseball
PITTSBURGH – Three years after being drafted by their respective ball clubs, former University of Pittsburgh baseball players from the 2016 draft are showing off as they made strides to make the major league level.
A year after an impressive 2018 campaign that included being voted to the Eastern League All-Star Game, pitcher TJ Zeuch has made his way to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. In four starts with Buffalo this year after returning from an injury, Zeuch has a 4.73 ERA in 26.2 innings while limiting opposing batters to a .257 batting average. In his first start with the Bisons, the righty threw 5.2 scoreless innings, striking out four and allowing only two hits to pick up his first win at the Triple-A level. Zeuch's first quality start of the year came during his third start, where he allowed two earned runs in six innings. Rated as the No. 11 prospect by Mike Rosenbaum of MLB.com, the Mason, Ohio native looks to continue his upward path and reach the major league level soon.
Infielder Charles Leblanc has been a solid bat in the lineup for the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders. Starting out red-hot to earn a place in the Texas League All-Star Game on June 25, Leblanc is currently hitting .287 and boasting a .349 on base mark. The former Panther made his second All-Star game appearance after being voted to the Carolina League All-Star Game last season as a member of the Down East Wood Ducks. The righty batter ranks sixth in the league in hits as well as first on the RoughRiders in hits, fourth in batting average and RBIs and fifth in on base percentage.
Moved up to Frisco with Leblanc this year, Alex Kowalczyk has been gaining his footing at the Double-A level this season. Appearing in 37 games thus far, Kowalczyk has been on fire recently, boasting .353 batting average in his last 10 games. During that stretch, the Lansdale, Pa., native put together a seven-game hitting streak that lasted from June 20 to July 13 and had three multi-hit games. Kowalczyk currently owns a .301 on base mark and 32 hits with the RoughRiders this season.
In his second season with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the California League, infielder Nick Yarnall has been a tough player to keep off the bases. In 54 games with the Quakes so far this season, Yarnall boasts an impressive .343 on base mark while also hitting out seven home runs. In his last game on July 1, the Lancaster, Pa., native had a day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI against the Lake Elsinore Storm.
Below is a complete list of current #ProPanthers in the MLB ranks.
#H2P | Twitter | Instagram
A year after an impressive 2018 campaign that included being voted to the Eastern League All-Star Game, pitcher TJ Zeuch has made his way to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. In four starts with Buffalo this year after returning from an injury, Zeuch has a 4.73 ERA in 26.2 innings while limiting opposing batters to a .257 batting average. In his first start with the Bisons, the righty threw 5.2 scoreless innings, striking out four and allowing only two hits to pick up his first win at the Triple-A level. Zeuch's first quality start of the year came during his third start, where he allowed two earned runs in six innings. Rated as the No. 11 prospect by Mike Rosenbaum of MLB.com, the Mason, Ohio native looks to continue his upward path and reach the major league level soon.
Infielder Charles Leblanc has been a solid bat in the lineup for the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders. Starting out red-hot to earn a place in the Texas League All-Star Game on June 25, Leblanc is currently hitting .287 and boasting a .349 on base mark. The former Panther made his second All-Star game appearance after being voted to the Carolina League All-Star Game last season as a member of the Down East Wood Ducks. The righty batter ranks sixth in the league in hits as well as first on the RoughRiders in hits, fourth in batting average and RBIs and fifth in on base percentage.
Moved up to Frisco with Leblanc this year, Alex Kowalczyk has been gaining his footing at the Double-A level this season. Appearing in 37 games thus far, Kowalczyk has been on fire recently, boasting .353 batting average in his last 10 games. During that stretch, the Lansdale, Pa., native put together a seven-game hitting streak that lasted from June 20 to July 13 and had three multi-hit games. Kowalczyk currently owns a .301 on base mark and 32 hits with the RoughRiders this season.
In his second season with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the California League, infielder Nick Yarnall has been a tough player to keep off the bases. In 54 games with the Quakes so far this season, Yarnall boasts an impressive .343 on base mark while also hitting out seven home runs. In his last game on July 1, the Lancaster, Pa., native had a day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI against the Lake Elsinore Storm.
Below is a complete list of current #ProPanthers in the MLB ranks.
| #ProPanthers | |||
| Name | Year | Current Team/League | Notes |
| Ray Black | 2011 | Sacramento/ AAA | Struck out the side in his second appearance for the Giants |
| Yaya Chentouf | 2018 | West Michigan/ A (Tigers) | |
| RJ Freure | 2018 | Quad Cities/ A (Astros) | |
| Joe Harvey | 2014 | Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/ AAA (Yankees) | Has 18 strikeouts in his last 10 games |
| Dan Hammer | 2019 | Aberdeen/ A-Short (Orioles) | Threw 2.0 scoreless innings in his pro debut on July 13 against the Williamsport Crosscutters |
| Hobie Harris | 2015 | Tampa/ A Advanced (Yankees) | Went 2.0 scoreless in an outing on July 14 against the Charlotte Stone Crabs |
| Alex Kowalczyk | 2016 | Frisco/ AA (Rangers) | Has a seven-game hit streak from June 21 to July 6 |
| Charles Leblanc | 2016 | Frisco/ AA (Rangers) | Went 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs, including a home run, on July 14 |
| Cole MacLaren | 2019 | GCL Tigers East/ Rookie (Tigers) | Went 1-for-2 with 2 walks in a game on July 17 |
| Isaac Mattson | 2017 | Mobile/ AA (Angels) | Has not given up a run since June 9 |
| Josh Mitchell | 2017 | Wilmington/ A Advanced (Royals) | Has given up 5 earned runs in his last 10 games |
| Manny Pazos | 2017 | West Virginia/ A (Mariners) | Hit a home run on July 11 against the Delmarva Shorebirds |
| Connor Perry | 2019 | GCL Tigers East / Rookie (Tigers) | |
| Matt Pidich | 2018 | Dayton/ A (Reds) | Has not given up a run since June 23 |
| Liam Sabino | 2018 | Johnson City/ Rookie (Cardinals) | Hitting .371 in his last 10 games |
| Kevan Smith | 2011 | Los Angeles Angels/ MLB | Hitting .286 while boasting a .371 on base mark this season |
| Matt Wotherspoon | 2014 | Norfolk/ AAA (Orioles) | |
| Nick Yarnall | 2016 | Rancho Cucamonga/ A-Advanced (Dodgers) | On IL |
| Derek West | 2019 | Tri-City/ A-Short (Astros) | |
| T.J. Zeuch | 2016 | Buffalo/ AAA (Blue Jays) | Gave up 3 earned runs in 5.2 innings on July 12 |
#H2P | Twitter | Instagram
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