Latest news with #GwinnettStripers
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Nebraska pitcher rising up the minor league ranks
Former Nebraska baseball pitcher Brett Sears was called up to AAA on Friday afternoon, as he made the move to the Gwinnett Stripers. The announcement was made on social media on Friday. Sears went 3-3 with a 3.65 ERA. He had 34 strikeouts and a. 187 batting average against. The Atlanta Braves selected him in the seventh round of the 2024 MLB draft. Advertisement It should be no surprise to Nebraska baseball fans, as they watched Sears put together a dominating career on the mound. All told, he went 11-6 over the course of four seasons, along with 155 strikeouts in 171 innings pitched. He sported a 3.84 ERA in total and was dominant for Nebraska on several occasions. Now, it appears he is playing at a high level in the minor leagues. It will be interesting to see how quickly he makes it to the pros, as he continues to rise up the minor league ranks. This certainly speaks to the Huskers' recent success at the minor league level. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions. Advertisement This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Former Nebraska pitcher Brett Sears called up to Triple-A by Braves
USA Today
12-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Nebraska pitcher rising up the minor league ranks
Former Nebraska baseball pitcher Brett Sears was called up to AAA on Friday afternoon, as he made the move to the Gwinnett Stripers. The announcement was made on social media on Friday. Sears went 3-3 with a 3.65 ERA. He had 34 strikeouts and a. 187 batting average against. The Atlanta Braves selected him in the seventh round of the 2024 MLB draft. It should be no surprise to Nebraska baseball fans, as they watched Sears put together a dominating career on the mound. All told, he went 11-6 over the course of four seasons, along with 155 strikeouts in 171 innings pitched. He sported a 3.84 ERA in total and was dominant for Nebraska on several occasions. Now, it appears he is playing at a high level in the minor leagues. It will be interesting to see how quickly he makes it to the pros, as he continues to rise up the minor league ranks. This certainly speaks to the Huskers' recent success at the minor league level. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
Forbes
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Hayden Harris' Fastball Links Him As Atlanta Braves' Bullpen Prospect
Hayden Harris throws hard, both on the mound and on social media. A bold Linked In account inquiry helped him get signed by the Atlanta Braves. His fastball has him on the cusp of realizing his big-league dream. Harris is not highly ranked by many 'experts' reporting on minor-league prospects. Most gloss over his achievements, figuring that at age 26 he can't be considered a prospect. But what is a prospect other than a player performing at a high level in the minors that gives him a shot at making the majors. Harris checks the box on that one. In 21 relief outings this year, the left-hander has a 4-0 record, 0.68 earned run average and 3 saves, mostly for the Double-A Columbus (GA) Clingstones. He has struck out 39 and allowed only 12 hits and 9 walks over 26 1/3 innings. That's spectacular in any league for anybody at any age. In 2004 in Double-A ball, he had similar success: 2-1, 1 save, 1.74 ERA, 34 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings. Promoted to the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers, he got rocked: 1-3, 7.36 ERA in 22 games. Sent to the 2024 Arizona Fall League, he was hit harder. Thus far in three outings since being promoted again to Gwinnett this month, all is good; 0 earned runs and 1 hit allowed in 3 2/3 innings. Has he learned and improved? The Braves will be watching with anticipation. Atlanta entered the season with great expectations yet trail the first-place New York Mets by 11 games in the NL Central. An 0-7 start put them in immediate distress. A 23-15 run got them over .500. A 4-15 collapse put them at 27-37 on June 8. A 6-2 spurt now has them at 33-39. Poor relief pitching, particularly by closer Raisel Iglesias, has been at the core of many losses. Here's where the Atlanta bullpen ranks so far in 2025 and for all of 2024: 2025 saves: 7 (29th) 2024 saves: 40 (tied-14th) 2025 ERA: 3.85 (17th) 2024 ERA: 3.32 (third) 2025 whip: 1.25 (tied-14th) 2024 whip: 1.18 (5th) 2025 walks: 157 (first) 2024 walks: 90 (tied-9th) 2025 strikeouts: 228 (tied-23rd) 2024 strikeouts: 594 (15th) Iglesias has been a train wreck at the back end with a 5.93 ERA, 8 saves, 4 blown saves and a 4-5 record. A year ago, he had a 6-2 record, 1.95 ERA and 34 saves. Two other key components of the 2024 relief corps are missing. A.J. Minter signed with the Mets as a free agent; Joe Jimenez is out after having knee surgery last November. Atlanta brought back former star closer Craig Kimbrel. He lasted one day. More changes will likely be forthcoming. Harris' profile on the Linked In network reads: I am a current baseball player in the Atlanta Braves organization and am a graduate with a BBA from Georgia Southern University. I consider myself a very dedicated worker when the job sparks my interest, and I am very strong in communication skills, as well as teamwork. I know the importance of a strong team in a business, and also what it takes to be coachable. After being ignored in the 2022 MLB Draft, Harris wrote this message to Alan Butts, the Braves' area scout in Georgia: 'Hey Alan, wanted to reach out and introduce myself. I'm Hayden Harris. I'm looking for a pro opportunity. I'm up in the Draft League with the Frederick Keys. Finished up my five years at Georgia Southern. Just trying to get in contact with whoever I can. If you need data, video, contacts or references, don't hesitate. I'm a hometown guy from Augusta and would love an opportunity to play in the Braves organization. Thank you for your time.' Butts was familiar with Harris and suggested the Braves take a chance on the six-foot, 185-pounder. 'More than anything, he's got great makeup that fits the Braves organization,' Butts told Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in early 2024. Al Hrabosky's over-the-top confidence made him a fan favorite and successful reliever for the St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals and Braves from 1970 through 1982. He was built like Harris at 5-11, 185 pounds and basically threw only a good fastball and sinker. In 13 MLB seasons, he had a 64-325 record, 97 saves and 3.10 ERA. His best year was 1975: a 13-3 record, 22 saves and 1.66 ERA for St. Louis. Hrabosky got the nickname 'The Mad Hungarian' for his demeanor on the mound. Entering a game, he turned his back on home plate, pounded the ball repeatedly into his glove, then whirled around with the wild-eyed look of a crazed warrior ready for battle. Harris displays his confidence in subtler ways. He posted this two years ago: 'If you're not confident, how can you expect to be good at anything? Just like you build your body, build your mind. One step, one day at a time. You'll find it, you just have to be willing to look.' Harris does not dazzle anybody with his stuff, is inconsistent in throwing strikes, yet has fanned an astounding 13.7 batter per nine innings in his 108-game pro career. His fastball generally averages only 93 mph and does not have much movement. In 2024, however, hitters swung and missed at 42% of them, according to MLB which grudgingly ranks Harris as Atlanta's 29th best prospect overall. Scouts say Harris' low-angle delivery provides enough deception to get the whiffs. Some doubt if that will continue against more experienced hitters. Others say that if Harris can throw more strikes with it and a mid-80s slider and splitter that get grounders, he can be a good one-inning setup man, particularly against lefty batters. Harris really must develop a better changeup and split to go from Atlanta Braves prospect to Atlanta Braves relief pitcher. He will not be able to blow his fastball past big-leaguers expecting him to throw it. If he can throw low strikes with the other pitches, the heater fired up the ladder can succeed.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Drake Baldwin's solo home run (6)
Hawaii's Kanekoa Texeira selected to MLB All-Star Futures Game staff After logging time in the major leagues as a pitcher, Maui native Kanekoa Texeira is once again climbing the professional baseball ladder, this time from the dugout. Texeira, a Kamehameha Schools graduate from Kula, Maui, is in his second season as the Triple-A manager for the Gwinnett Stripers, the Atlanta Braves' top affiliate in the International League. The former big-league reliever, who pitched 67 innings across two seasons with the Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals from 2010 to 2012, has quickly gained respect as a rising managerial talent. That reputation has earned him a new honor, a spot on the coaching staff for the 2025 All-Star Futures Game, set for July 12 at Truist Park in Atlanta. "Hey, you know, it's fun," Texeira said. "It's always been part of my dream to stick in this game as long as I can. Reach out to lots of kids or players that I can share in the knowledge I've learned. I still get shocked sometimes, managing a Triple-A team, one step away from the big leagues. If it happens, it happens. If not, I'm still proud of what I've done and what I'm doing right now." Texeira's selection to the Futures Game staff came via a text from Braves legend Chipper Jones. "Chipper texted me and said, 'Hey, you want to coach third base?'" Texeira recalled. "I said, 'Of course.' Then he said, 'Good, because you're going to be with me in the Futures Game.' I told him, 'I'd be stupid to say no to Chipper Jones, man. I got you.'" 2:44 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ronald Acuña Jr. to rejoin the Braves as they take on the Padres on Friday
The Atlanta Braves announced late Thursday night that Ronald Acuña Jr. is back in the game and is expected to hit the field at Truist Park on Friday. This will be the 2025 debut for the Braves' all-star outfielder, who has been out for nearly a full season after tearing his ACL last May and having surgery. Advertisement Acuna started a rehab assignment last week with the Gwinnett Stripers, batting .400 with two homers and two RBIs in 15 at-bats over a six-game span. TRENDING STORIES: Acuna hit .250 with four homers, 15 RBIs and 16 steals in 49 games last season before the injury, ESPN reported. 'In 2023, Acuna was the unanimous MVP as he belted 41 homers and stole a major league-best 73 bases to post the first 40-70 season in MLB history. He batted .337 and led the majors with 149 runs, 217 hits and a .416 on-base percentage,' ESPN said. The Braves start a three-game series Friday night against the San Diego Padres at Truist Park.
