Hoos in the MLB Update

Former Virginia Cavaliers’ baseball players continue to litter MLB rosters this season with two of them helping lead their clubs and another getting a call up to the big leagues recently!

Adam Haseley - Philadelphia Phillies

Haseley only got a few more starts since our previous update before going down on the 10-Day DL on August 12 with a left wrist strain. He was struggling in August batting just .200 with an RBI, a run scored, and 4 strikeouts.

Phil Gosselin - Philadelphia Phillies

Phil continues to be one of the biggest surprises of the Phillies’ season batting .429 and slugging .857 thus far. In his 6 starts and other appearances in August he is batting .364 with a .417 on base percentage to go along with three doubles, a home run, five RBI and five runs scored. Just last night he went 2-3 with a home run and a double against the Boston Red Sox.

Sean Doolittle - Washington Nationals

It’s been a rough season for the World Series champion. He has a 15.00 ERA on the season but allowed 4 runs in less than 2 innings in August. His fastball did not have the life it had in previous seasons which lead the Nats to placing him on the 10-Day DL on August 13th.

Derek Fisher - Toronto Blue Jays

Fisher has a .250 average on the season but like so many other players this season, finds himself on the 10-Day DL with a left quad strain.

Joe McCarthy - San Francisco Giants

Joe did not get much of a chance with the Giants. Though they are a bottom feeder in the NL West, he was only allowed four games and ten at bats. He did struggle in those ten at bats before being sent back to the practice squad, but he isn’t going to get the real experience down there. Hopefully when rosters re-expand in September the Giants will give him another chance.

Chris Taylor - Los Angeles Dodgers

Taylor continues to be a mainstay in the Dodgers’ lineup. Batting .286 with 10 runs scored and 6 RBI in August, he is helping pace a monster lineup that leads baseball with a +63 run differential. The Dodgers would love if he could hit for a little more power (1 HR on the season), but his ability to play anywhere in the field gives him more than enough staying power.

Matt Thaiss - Los Angeles Angels

Like McCarthy, Thaiss did not get much of a leash to prove himself despite the Angels being significantly below .500 and not even close to a playoff position. He showed signs of life in the two games he got in in August before being reassigned going 2-8 with two runs scored and a walk. Matt was the Angels’ first round pick, so you would assume they would give him a long runway to figure things out.

Brandon Waddell - Pittsburgh Pirates

Another Cavalier made their MLB debut in 2020 running the tally up to 8 former Hoos in the pros this season and 23 players who played under Coach O’Connor have made the highest level. Waddell made his first (and only thus far) appearance August 14th against the Cincinnati Reds appearing in relief. He allowed a run on two hits but struck out two in his debut and remains with the big league squad.