TEMPE, Ariz. – Twelve Sun Devils for Life are on Major League Baseball Opening Day rosters for the 2016 season.
Austin Barnes – Los Angeles Dodgers, catcher
Tony Barnette – Texas Rangers, right-handed pitcher
Jake Barrett – Arizona Diamondbacks, right-handed pitcher
Kole Calhoun – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, outfielder
*Andre Ethier – Los Angeles Dodgers, outfielder
Ian Kinsler – Detroit Tigers, infielder
Jason Kipnis – Cleveland Indians, infielder
Mike Leake – St. Louis Cardinals, right-hander pitcher
Dustin Pedroia – Boston Red Sox, infielder
Andrew Romine – Detroit Tigers, infielder
*Eric Sogard – Oakland Athletics, infielder
Brett Wallace – San Diego Padres, infielder
*disabled list
Barrett and Barnette are on Major League rosters for the first time in their careers and have yet to make their debuts.
The 104 players ASU has sent to the Major Leagues is the most of any school since 1959, the year baseball’s modern era started at ASU. ASU has had at least one major league player on their varsity roster from 1961 through 2012, which is the longest current streak in the nation, and 29 ASU baseball players have made their MLB debuts since 2002.
Sun Devil Baseball has a long and storied tradition of producing MLB players across the past six-plus decades, including an NCAA-best 409 Sun Devils who have been drafted, a combined 24 World Series appearances and 57 All-Star Games, nine MVP awards, four Rookie of the Year’s, 16 Gold Gloves, 17 Silver Sluggers and two World Series MVP honors.
Austin Barnes
Barnes spent the past five seasons primarily in the minor leagues for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but earned a call-up in 2015 and appeared in 20 games with a .207 batting average.
Tony Barnette
After four seasons in the minor leagues with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Barnette spent the past six seasons playing for the Yakult Swallows in the Japan Central League. Last season was a phenomenal one for the pitcher, as he compiled a 1.29 ERA in 59 games for the Swallows. He signed a two-year deal with the Texas Rangers in December 2015.
Jake Barrett
Just three years after being drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks, Jake Barrett is getting his chance in The Show. Promoted to Triple-A last season, Barrett battled his way onto Arizona’s 25-man roster through a stellar spring training where he allowed just one earned run in 11.1 innings pitched. Barrett will become the first player to attend high school and college in the Valley, be drafted by the Diamondbacks and then play for the Diamondbacks at the Major League level.
Kole Calhoun
After cementing himself into the starting right field position for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Kole Calhoun has yet to look back. Batting over .250 in each of his three full seasons in the majors, Calhoun solidified his spot in the lineup last season as he won the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, given to the best fielder at each position in each league.
Andre Ethier
Last season was a season of milestones for Los Angeles Dodgers’ right fielder Andre Ethier. Hitting his 300th career double and 150th career home run, Ethier finished the 2015 season batting .294 with seven triples, good for fifth in the National League. Ethier will begin the 2016 season on the 15-day disabled list.
Jason Kipnis
Going into his fifth year as the starting second baseman for the Cleveland Indians, Jason Kipnis continues to impress with his bat. Only dipping below a .250 batting average once in his career, Kipnis finished the 2015 season batting .303 with 43 doubles and seven triples. He tied fellow Sun Devils for Life Andre Ethier and Ian Kinsler for 15th in Major League Baseball in triples.
Brett Wallace
After playing for the Houston Astros for the first four years of his career, Brett Wallace has found a home in San Diego. Wallace finished his first season with the Padres batting .302 while hitting six doubles and five home runs. This past offseason, the Padres and Wallace agreed to a one-year deal.
Ian Kinsler
Ian Kinsler built on top of a solid 2015 season with a phenomenal spring training. Kinsler finished last season batting .296 while hitting his 300th career double and 1,500th career hit. This spring, Kinsler led the Texas Rangers in RBI with 18 and placed second in OPS with 1.004.
Mike Leake
After bouncing between the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants for the 2015 season, Mike Leake has settled down in St. Louis. The right-handed pitcher inked a five-year deal with the Cardinals in December 2015 and put on a show during spring training as he allowed just five earned runs in 20 innings pitched with a 2.25 ERA.
Dustin Pedroia
Building on top of an already spectacular career, Dustin Pedroia finished 2015 batting .291 with 19 doubles and 12 home runs. The second baseman has hit over .275 every year in his nine-year baseball career, and despite battling injuries last season, has never dipped below 300 at-bats in a season. His career highlights include being a two-time World Series Champion, American League MVP, four-time Gold Glove Award winner, four-time All-Star and a Silver Slugger Award winner.
Andrew Romine
Drafted by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2007, Andrew Romine made his major league debut just three years later. Romine was traded to the Detroit Tigers in 2014, the same year he hit his first career home run in a game against the Texas Rangers. The Tigers and Romine agreed to a one-year deal for the 2016 season, making two of Detroit’s infielders Sun Devils for Life for at least another season.
Eric Sogard
Born and raised in Phoenix, Eric Sogard’s defense continues to excel. He displayed his versatility as he committed just six errors last season despite playing three different positions (shortstop, third base and second base). He will be starting the 2016 season on the 15-day disabled list.