MLB
Garrett Cooper (OF, Miami Marlins)
Season stats (71 games): .284/.354/.453, 30 R, 61 H, 10 2B, 1 3B, 9 HR, 33 RBI, 30 BB
Cooper has been a bright spot in his fourth season in Miami as he ranks second on the team among players with 60 or more games played in average (.284) and OPS (.845). The fifth-year big leaguer was placed on the 10-day IL with a left elbow sprain on July 19 but was hitting .372 with a .491 on-base percentage prior to going on the injured list. He went 3-for-3 and turned in his first career multi-homer game against the Dodgers on July 7. Cooper was recently placed on the 60-day IL on July 28 for the same elbow that had been bothering him earlier in the season.
Grant Dayton (LHP, Atlanta Braves)
Season stats (13 games): 0-0, 6.23 ERA, 13.0 IP, 15 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 6 BB, 14 K, .283 B/AVG
The Braves placed Dayton on the 60-day IL with left shoulder inflammation on July 7. The 2021 season marks Dayton's third season with the Braves. The left-hander didn't allow a run in eight of his first 10 appearances this season.
Josh Donaldson (3B, Minnesota Twins)
Season stats (87 games): .245/.355/.468, 45 R, 69 H, 15 2B, 16 HR, 45 RBI, 51 BB
Donaldson is Auburn's longest-tenured professional, playing in his 11th season in the big leagues and his second in Minnesota. He ranks third on the twins in doubles (15), fourth in home runs (16) and third in RBI (45). Donaldson's 241 career home runs and 701 career RBI are the second most by an Auburn big leaguer, trailing Hall of Famer Frank Thomas.
Gabe Klobosits (RHP, Washington Nationals)
MLB stats (5 games): 0-1, 4.76 ERA, 5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, .261
MiLB stats (24 games): 3-2, 0.56 ERA, 6 SV, 32.0 IP, 21 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 10 BB, 36 K, .183 B/AVG
Klobosits turned in a 2-1 record and 0.90 ERA in 15 appearances at Double-A before getting called up to Triple-A Rochester on June 29. The big right-hander has picked up right where he left off as he did not allow an earned run in eight appearances with the Red Wings. Two wins and a couple weeks later, Klobosits was called up to the pitch for the Nationals and became Auburn's 56th former player to appear in the big leagues. Klobosits made his MLB debut against the Cubs on July 30 and has made five appearances in the last two weeks. He recently pitched 2.0 scoreless innings with a strikeout at Atlanta on Aug. 8.
Casey Mize (RHP, Detroit Tigers)
Season stats (19 games): 5-5, 3.63 ERA, 104.0 IP, 89 H, 42 R, 42 ER, 28 BB, 85 K, .233 B/AVG
Getting a taste of his first full season in MLB, Mize made the Tigers starting rotation out of Spring Training and currently leads the team in starts (19) and innings (104.0) while rankings second in wins (5) and strikeouts (85). Mize ranks first among AL rookies in innings, third in ERA (3.63) and fourth in strikeouts. The former No. 1 overall pick has been put on an innings restriction since the start of July but recently threw 4.0 scoreless while allowing just one hit against Texas on July 19.
Trey Wingenter (RHP, San Diego Padres)
Wingenter was placed on the Padres 60-day IL on Feb. 18, 2021. He is currently recovering from Tommy John Surgery.
TRIPLE-A
Ben Braymer (LHP, Rochester Red Wings – Washington Nationals)
Season stats (15 games): 3-7, 6.83 ERA, 56.2 IP, 59 H, 44 R, 43 ER, 36 BB, 42 K, .273 B/AVG
After making his MLB debut with the Nationals in 2020, Braymer began the 2021 season in Rochester's rotation and has made 15 appearances and 13 starts with the club. He threw 5.0 scoreless innings with one hit and five strikeouts against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on July 22. That was his best performance until August 3, when he pitched 6.0 scoreless innings, giving up just two hits in his third win of the season.
Andrew Mitchell (LHP, Syracuse Mets – New York Mets)
Season stats (22 games): 3-1, 3.89 ERA, 2 SV, 39.1 IP, 36 H, 17 R, 17 ER, 13 BB, 43 K, .248 B/AVG
Mitchell was called up to Triple-A Syracuse on July 16 after going 3-1 with a 2.15 ERA in 17 appearances at Double-A. The left-hander made his Triple-A debut that day and has pitched multiple innings of relief with multiple strikeouts in each of his first five appearances. Prior to his promotion, Mitchell pitched the final 3.0 innings of Binghamton's no-hitter on June 23.
Josh Palacios (OF, Buffalo Bisons – Toronto Blue Jays)
MLB stats (10 games): .250/.353/.250, 7 R, 7 H, 4 RBI, 3 BB
MiLB stats (7 games): .286/.483/.381, 4 R, 6 H, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 6 BB, 1 SB
Palacios was sent to begin a rehab assignment for the FCL Blue Jays on August 5 after being on the injured list since May 11. The fifth-year pro made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays on Apr. 9, 2021, becoming the 54th former Auburn player to appear in the big leagues, and hit .250 with four RBI in 10 games with the big-league club. Palacios joined Buffalo on May 3 and played in six games with the Bisons before getting injured. He is considered the Blue Jays No. 27 prospect by MLB.com.
Keegan Thompson (RHP, Iowa Cubs – Chicago Cubs)
MLB stats (27 games): 3-2, 2.21 ERA, 1 SV, 40.2 IP, 30 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 22 BB, 43 K, .204 B/AVG
MiLB stats (2 games): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 7 K
Thompson, who became Auburn's 55th former player to appear in the big leagues as he made his debut with the Cubs on May 5, 2021, was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on July 27 in order to prepare for a starting role when he returns to the big leagues. He has made two starts for the Iowa Cubs and is yet to allow a run in 6.1 innings. The 26-year-old right hander didn't allow an earned run in his first nine MLB appearances and picked up three wins during the span. He allowed one earned run in a span of 11 appearances from June 11-July 17 and earned his first MLB save in 3.0 innings against Arizona on July 23. Thompson entered the season considered the Cubs No. 14 prospect by MLB.com.
Damek Tomscha (3B, St. Paul Saints – Minnesota Twins)
Season stats (60 games): .239/.319/.424, 27 R, 49 H, 11 2B, 9 HR, 29 RBI, 19 BB, 1 SB
Tomscha was signed to a minor league contract by the Twins on Mar. 3 and was assigned to Triple-A St. Paul on May 11. Tomscha is tied for third on the team in doubles (10) and is tied for fifth in home runs (9). In a span of three games at the end of June, Tomscha went 7-for-14 with three runs, two doubles, three home runs and six RBI. On August 4, he went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, four RBI and a run scored.
DOUBLE-A
Davis Daniel (RHP, Rocket City Trash Pandas – Los Angeles Angels)
Season stats (14 games): 4-4, 2.47 ERA, 73.0 IP, 52 H, 21 R, 20 ER, 25 BB, 100 K, .200 B/AVG
Coming off an invite to big league Spring Training, Daniel hasn't disappointed in his first taste of pro ball. The right-hander's debut was delayed after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2019, and he entered 2021 as the Angels No. 19 prospect according to MLB.com. After an impressive stint with the Tri-City Dust Devils that included a 3-2 record and a 2.31 ERA, Daniel was called up to Double-A to join the Rocket City Trash Pandas on June 30. Daniel made his home debut on July 24, giving Auburn fans a chance to see him shine. He pitched 5.0 innings and allowed one run with six strikeouts against the Tennessee Smokies. Daniel recently turned in the best outing of his young career, pitching 8.0 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts in a win against Chattanooga. The game marked his third double-digit strikeout effort of the season.
HIGH-A
Tanner Burns (RHP, Lake County Captains – Cleveland Indians)
Season stats (12 games): 2-4, 3.63 ERA, 52.0 IP, 40 H, 25 R, 21 ER, 19 BB, 68 K, .212 B/AVG
The 36th overall pick in last year's draft, Burns turned in back-to-back scoreless starts and earned his first two professional wins on June 4 and June 11. He made his professional debut on May 7 and turned in 4.0 scoreless innings with no walks and six strikeouts. The former All-America right-hander pitched a season high 6.1 innings and struck out eight batters against South Bend on July 2. Burns, who is considered the Indians No. 15 prospect by MLB.com, was placed on the 7-day IL on July 20 but was reactivated on August 5, when he pitched 3.0 innings and struck out six against the Lansing Lugnuts.
Bailey Horn (LHP, Winston-Salem Dash – Chicago White Sox)
Season stats (14 games): 2-3, 5.63 ERA, 38.1 IP, 33 H, 29 R, 24 ER, 18 BB, 45 K, .226 B/AVG
Horn was traded from the White Sox to the Cubs for big league Ryan Tepera on July 29 and was recently placed on the 7-day IL. After being selected in the fifth round of last year's draft, Horn made his professional debut on May 8 with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers and turned in 4.0 scoreless and hitless innings. After a solid month of June that included a 1.33 ERA with the Cannon Ballers, Horn was called up to pitch for the Winston-Salem Dash on July 1. In his best outing with the Dash, Horn pitched 3.0 hitless innings and struck out five against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws on July 20.
Edouard Julien (IF, Cedar Rapids Kernels – Minnesota Twins)
Season stats (78 games): .251/.423/.449, 61 R, 67 H, 21 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, 47 RBI, 73 BB, 25 SB
After playing in 47 of 48 games for Fort Myers and leading the league in games played and walks while also ranking in the top five in hits, doubles, stolen bases, and on-base percentage, Julien was called up to High-A Cedar Rapids on June 28. Julien's first hit for the Kernels was a home run on June 30, and he has homered seven times with 23 RBI for the club. The Quebec native recently turned in his best game at his current level, going 2-for-3 with two runs, a home run, four RBI and three walks against South Bend. On July 30, Julien had another impressive offensive performance where he went 2-for-6 with a home run, a double, an RBI and two runs. He leads all of minor league baseball with 73 walks this season.
Daniel Robert (RHP, Hickory Crawdads – Texas Rangers)
Season stats (4 games): 0-0, 5.06 ERA, 1 SV, 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 11 K, .238 B/AVG
Robert was placed on the injured list on May 11 but has since been reactivated. The right-hander made a pair of appearances and struck out six batters in 3.1 innings prior to the injury. Robert picked up the save and struck out five in 2.0 scoreless innings in his season debut on May 4. On August 3, Robert was sent to the ACL Rangers for a quick rehab assignment where he pitched a scoreless inning. On August 5, he was reactivated by the Crawdads and pitched another scoreless inning with three strikeouts.
Matt Scheffler (C, Modesto Nuts – Seattle Mariners)
Season stats (46 games): .236/.354/.379, 24 R, 38 H, 7 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 27 BB, 2 SB
After signing as a free agent last year, Scheffler started his professional career with a bang, homering in his first career at-bat on May 4. The Washington native collected a hit in his first six professional games and was 8-for-22 during the span. After an impressive start to the season with Modesto, Scheffler was called up to the High-A Everett AquaSox and went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, two runs and a stolen base in his first game with the new club.
Ryan Watson (RHP, Aberdeen IronBirds – Baltimore Orioles)
Season stats (15 games): 5-1, 3.02 ERA, 44.2 IP, 38 H, 20 R, 15 ER, 12 BB, 54 K, .225 B/AVG
Watson signed as a free agent last year and started his professional career by earning a win in a scoreless inning of relief on May 16. Watson served as both a reliever and starter for the Shorebirds and didn't allow a run in seven of his first nine appearances. After appearing in 11 games and posting a 2.14 ERA for the Shorebirds, Watson was called up to High-A Aberdeen on July 20. He made his first appearance for the team on July 21 and recorded five strikeouts in 3.0 innings. In his last two appearances, Watson picked up his fourth and fifth wins of the season and allowed zero runs through those 6.0 innings. Watson has issued an impressive 6.43 K-BB ratio this season.
LOW-A
Elliott Anderson (LHP, Columbia Fireflies – Kansas City Royals)
Anderson has been placed on the team's 60-day IL.
Ryan Bliss (IF, Visalia Rawhide – Arizona Diamondbacks)
Season stats (7 games): .379/.387/.655, 6 R, 11 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SB
Bliss was selected by the Diamondbacks with the 42nd overall pick in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft. He became the fifth-highest-drafted position player in program history - trailing only Frank Thomas (7th overall, 1989), Gabe Gross (15th overall, 2001), Mark Bellhorn (35th overall, 1995) and Anfernee Grier (39th overall, 2016). On July 31, he was assigned to the FCL Diamondbacks, where he played two games before being assigned to the Low-A Visalia Rawhide on August 3. Bliss continues his multi-hit trend that he left Auburn with. The rookie has four multi-hit games in his first seven and hit the first two homers of his professional career on Aug. 6-7.
Calvin Coker (RHP, Stockton Ports – Oakland Athletics)
Coker has been placed on the team's 60-day IL.
Will Holland (IF, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels – Minnesota Twins)
Season stats (46 games): .195/.315/.403, 18 R, 30 H, 11 2B, 7 HR, 19 RBI, 14 BB, 9 SB
Holland spent just over a month on the injured list with an elbow strain but was activated on June 15 and went on a season-best five-game hit streak from July 2-7. He turned in arguably his best offensive performance against Jupiter on July 17, going 2-for-3 with a double, home run and three RBI to go along with a walk and stolen base. On July 27, Holland had another solid performance, going 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBIs and a run in the win over the Clearwater Threshers. He hit his seventh homer of the season on Aug. 4. Holland is considered the Twins No. 22 prospect by MLB.com.
ROOKIE
Richard Fitts (RHP - New York Yankees)
Fitts was selected by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2021 MLB Draft. He became Auburn's sixth pitcher since 2017 selected in the first seven rounds.
Tyler Miller (IF - Boston Red Sox)
Season stats (3 games): .600/.692/.800, 2 R, 6 H, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 2 BB
Miller was selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of the 2021 MLB Draft and was assigned to the FCL Red Sox on August 5. He made his professional debut that day and went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI, a run, and a walk. Miller has multiple hits in all of his first three games and has driven in four runs in the span.
Steven Williams (OF/C - Washington Nationals)
Williams was selected by the Nationals in the 18th round of the 2021 MLB Draft.
Cody Greenhill (RHP - Washington Nationals)
Greenhill signed a free agent contract with the Nationals and was assigned to the FCL Nationals on August 3.
Jack Owen (LHP - Oakland Athletics)
Owen signed a free agent contract with the Athletics.
Peyton Glavine (LHP - Washington Nationals)
Glavine signed a free agent contract with the Nationals and was assigned to the FCL Nationals on August 3.
Auburn Baseball in the Pros - August 9
