MLB Rebels Update, April 17 | A Look at How Pro Ole Miss Players are Doing at the Next Level

OXFORD, Miss. — (Release) The Major League Baseball season is just over three weeks old, and the Minor League Baseball season is just getting started, as plenty of former Rebels take to the baseball field once again for another season of playing the game at the highest level.

Ole Miss has five players competing at the Major League level and 19 in the Minor Leagues for a total of 24 professional former Rebels. Here is a snapshot of each of their performances so far:

Lance Lynn | Pitcher | St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 1-0 ERA: 2.18 G: 4 GS: 4 SV: 0 IP: 20.2 K: 19 BB: 7

Lynn has made four starts this season so far for the Cardinals, giving up one or less earned runs in three of the four. In his last start on April 16, Lynn threw seven innings against the Oakland Athletics, allowing just one earned run on five hits and a walk.

James McArthur | Pitcher | Kansas City Royals
Record: 1-0 ERA: 3.72 G: 9 GS: 0 SV: 4 IP: 9.2 K: 12 BB: 1

McArthur has solidified himself as a back-end piece in the Kansas City bullpen. He has four saves in the month of April and has not allowed a run in his last six outings for the red-hot Royals.

James McArthur with ICE in his veins 🧊 pic.twitter.com/G8mfaedytm

— Royals Daily (@RoyalsDaily_) April 10, 2024

Nick Fortes | Catcher | Miami Marlins
AVG: .097 AB: 31 H: 3 R: 1 2B: 1 3B: 0 HR: 0 RBI: 1 BB: 2 SB: 0 OPS: .305

Fortes was the Opening Day starter at catcher for the Miami Marlins and has since split time with Christian Bethancourt behind the plate, appearing in 12 of the Marlins’ 23 games.

Grae Kessinger | Infielder | Houston Astros
AVG: .000 AB: 9 H: 0 R: 1 2B: 0 3B: 0 HR: 0 RBI: 0 BB: 0 SB: 0 OPS: .000

Kessinger has played in just seven games for the Astros mostly in pinch-hit situations. He made his first-career Major League pitching appearance on April 11, throwing a near-perfect inning in a 13-3 blowout loss to the Kansas City Royals.

Three up, three down for MLB pitcher @Swagulater15#MLBRebs x #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/ZWmIAdFY3d

— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) April 11, 2024

Jacob Waguespack | Pitcher | Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 0-0 ERA: 6.30 G: 4 GS: 1 SV: 0 IP: 10.0 K: 11 BB: 10

Waguespack pitched in four games for the Rays, including his first Major League start since 2019 on April 12. He gave up just one run in four innings with four strikeouts against the San Francisco Giants. Waguespack was optioned down to Triple-A Durham on April 13.

Errol Robinson | Infielder | Norfolk Tides (Baltimore)
AVG: .289 AB: 45 H: 13 R: 9 2B: 1 3B: 0 HR: 1 RBI: 4 BB: 6 SB: 4 OPS: .751
Robinson has started 11 games at shortstop and one at second base for the Triple-A Norfolk Tides. He went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, and two runs scored on April 2 against the Charlotte Knights.

Mike Mayers | Pitcher | Buffalo Bisons (Toronto)
Record: 0-1 ERA: 7.71 G: 4 GS: 0 SV: 0 IP: 7.0 K: 5 BB: 6

Mayers signed with Toronto late into spring training and has started his season at the Triple-A level. He has made four appearances with the Buffalo Bisons as he ramps up after missing most of spring.

Doug Nikhazy | Pitcher | Akron RubberDucks (Cleveland)
Record: 0-0 ERA: 0.00 G: 2 GS: 2 SV: 0 IP: 10.0 K: 13 BB: 4

Nikhazy has made two starts at the Double-A level, throwing five scoreless innings in both. He did not allow a hit while striking out five batters in his first start and allowed just one hit while striking out eight in his second. Nikhazy was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week after his second start.

Doug was dealing tonight@Dougnikhazy 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K

First 2 starts: 10 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 13 K

END 5 | Akron 1 | Richmond 0 pic.twitter.com/VN7oi7VzLB

— Akron RubberDucks (@AkronRubberDuck) April 12, 2024

Kevin Graham | Outfielder | Amarillo Sod Poodles (Arizona)
AVG: .455 AB: 22 H: 10 R: 4 2B: 3 3B: 0 HR: 1 RBI: 7 BB: 1 SB: 0 OPS: 1.205

Graham has had a scorching hot start to his Double-A career, hitting .455 primarily as a corner outfielder for the Sod Poodles. He went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI on April 7 against San Antonio.

CLUTCH!

Kevin Graham collects his 3⃣rd hit and breaks the tie! pic.twitter.com/EHO2v1lhoG

— Amarillo Sod Poodles (@sodpoodles) April 12, 2024

Tim Elko | Infielder | Birmingham Barons (Chicago AL)
AVG: .281 AB: 32 H: 9 R: 3 2B: 2 3B: 0 HR: 2 RBI: 5 BB: 1 SB: 0 OPS: .834

Elko opened the season at the Double-A level as the starting first baseman for the Birmingham Barons. He has at least one hit in each game he has played in, including a three-RBI home run on Opening Day.

BOOM! Tim Elko crushes it outta here! 💥⚾️#bhambarons pic.twitter.com/uMgDbJpun4

— Birmingham Barons (@BhamBarons) April 14, 2024

Gunnar Hoglund | Pitcher | Midland RockHounds (Oakland)
Record: 1-0 ERA: 2.79 G: 2 GS: 1 SV: 0 IP: 9.2 K: 11 BB: 3

Hoglund has made two appearances for the Double-A Rockhounds, starting in one game. In his first start of the season he struck out eight batters and did not issue a walk over five innings.

Here are @GunnarHoglund‘s eight strikeouts in five innings tonight for Midland, with the leg kick finish for extra style points. pic.twitter.com/PMFKU6aWo4

— Jesse Goldberg-Strassler (@jgoldstrass) April 12, 2024

Houston Roth | Pitcher | Bowie Baysox (Baltimore)
Record: 0-0 ERA: 2.25 G: 3 GS: 0 SV: 0 IP: 4.0 K: 8 BB: 2

Roth has made three appearances for the Double-A Baysox so far this season, all in relief. He has allowed just one earned run and three hits. On April 10 Roth struck out five of the seven batters he faced against the Hartford Yard Goats.

Anthony Servideo | Infielder | Bowie Baysox (Baltimore)
AVG: .172 AB: 29 H: 5 R: 6 2B: 2 3B: 0 HR: 0 RBI: 4 BB: 4 SB: 1 OPS: .514

Servideo has started six games at third base and three at shortstop for the Double-A Bowie Baysox. He scored at least one run in five of the first six games of the season.

Cooper Johnson | Catcher | Frisco RoughRiders (Texas)
AVG: .182 AB: 11 H: 2 R: 2 2B: 1 3B: 0 HR: 0 RBI: 1 BB: 2 SB: 0 OPS: .630

Johnson has appeared in just four games this season for the Double-A RoughRiders, starting at catcher in all four of them.

Brandon Johnson | Pitcher | Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City)
Record: 2-0 ERA: 0.00 G: 3 GS: 0 SV: 0 IP: 5.0 K: 8 BB: 2

Johnson has made three relief appearances for the High-A River Bandits, picking up the win in two of them. He has allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out eight batters over his five combined innings.

Jacob Gonzalez | Infielder | Winston-Salem Dash (Chicago AL)
AVG: .278 AB: 36 H: 10 R: 3 2B: 2 3B: 1 HR: 1 RBI: 2 BB: 6 SB: 1 OPS: .867

Gonzalez opened the season at High-A with the Winston-Salem Dash as their starting shortstop. He is currently riding a seven-game hitting streak and hit his first home run of the season on April 12 against the Greensboro Grasshoppers.

Here are @GunnarHoglund‘s eight strikeouts in five innings tonight for Midland, with the leg kick finish for extra style points. pic.twitter.com/PMFKU6aWo4

— Jesse Goldberg-Strassler (@jgoldstrass) April 12, 2024

Justin Bench | Infielder | Eugene Emeralds (San Francisco)
AVG: .250 AB: 20 H: 5 R: 1 2B: 2 3B: 0 HR: 0 RBI: 4 BB: 1 SB: 0 OPS: .668

Bench has started games at second base, third base, and right field for the High-A Emeralds this season. He went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, and three RBI on April 13 against the Everett AquaSox.