RedHawk baseballers make Miami proud in pro ranks

Last summer, star Miami pitcher Sam Bachman made history when he was selected ninth overall by the Los Angeles Angels Sports in the 2021 MLB draft. Bachman pitched 14.1 pro innings in 2021 and pitched to a 3.77 ERA with 15 strikeouts and just four walks.

So far in 2022 Bachman has had a good season in the AA Southern League around a two-month injured list stint for reported back spasms. The Angels’ number two prospect has a 2.01 earned run average (ERA) in seven starts even though his strikeouts are down and his walk rate has nearly doubled from last season.

Despite struggling this season, the Angels declined to trade two-way star Shohei Ohtani at the trade deadline, so Bachman’s chance to eventually play with the two best baseball players in the world, Ohtani and center fielder Mike Trout, remains intact.

With how much their pitching staff has struggled this season, it seems likely that Bachman could be up in the big leagues later this year or next.

Jonathan Brand, the RedHawks most recent ace, also joined the pro ranks this summer when the Boston Red Sox drafted him in the eighth round. Brand’s 1.40 ERA in 2021 was third in all of Division I.

After a strong showing in the Cape Cod League, the premier summer collegiate league in the country, the Red Sox made Brand’s pro dreams come true.

There’s another recent RedHawk who’s been pitching well in the minors this year. Grant Hartwig, who was solid in 11 starts for Miami in 2021, has pitched to a 1.91 ERA this summer across three different levels in the Mets organization.

He even threw eight scoreless innings at AA, just a couple of steps away from the major leagues.

Landon Stevens and Jacob Webb basically round out the list of former RedHawks seeing success in the minors this year. Stevens, a 2020 grad, has a .353 on base percentage and 19 home runs in the Braves organization this summer. And Webb, who was drafted in the 14th round by the Red Sox in 2021 has a 3.15 ERA and 63 strikeouts in just 40 innings at A ball this year.

schmelj2@miamioh.edu