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Anteater Pro Baseball Report 2024

| By: Alex Roberts-Croteau
IRVINE, Calif. --- Anteaters continue to flourish in numbers on a professional level with 18 'Eaters playing throughout all levels of Major, Minor, and Independent League Baseball.

Andre Pallante - St. Louis Cardinals | Pallante has is in his sixth year of pro ball and third year at the Major League level sticking in with the Cardinals' rotation. He's put up a 5-6 record, 4.07 ERA, 80 strikeouts, and 79,2 innings over 22 appearances and 13 starts including a win over the Dodgers from his fifth quality start of the year last week. Pallante was sent to Triple-A Memphis briefly earlier in the year, but returned directly into the starting rotation after beginning as a reliever in March and April.
 
 
 
Calvin Faucher - Miami Marlins | Faucher's new digs have boosted him into a prominent relief role after spending the first two weeks in Triple-A. He's made 46 appearances collecting a 2-3 record, 3.09 ERA, and 52 strikeouts in 46.2 innings. Faucher has also earned 11 holds, and starting just before the end of July assumed the closer's role for the Marlins picking up three in four chances to this point.
 
 
 
Troy Taylor - Seattle Mariners / Arkansas Travelers / Everett AquaSox | Just his second full pro season and Troy Taylor has zipped up the ranks starting the season in High-A Everett, collecting 16 saves in 29 appearances at Double-A Arkansas, and getting the call-up to the Seattle Mariners just two weeks ago in time to make his Major League debut closing out a 12-1 win on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball with two strikeouts.

The fireballer had a successful 2022 with the Anteaters going 2-3 with six saves and a 3.82 ERA to be drafted in the 12th round and pitched a total of 80 games and 88 innings before making it to The Show. Taylor becomes the 13th Anteater alum or signee to reach the MLB and is 1 of 5 to play in the MLB this season including four currently.

 
 
 
Keston Hiura - Los Angeles Angels / Salt Lake Bees / Toledo Mudhens | Hiura's last couple years have been a roller coaster which included a full 2023 season in Triple-A before becoming a free agent in the offseason. In the Spring, he signed with the Detroit Tigers and began year No. 8 of his pro career in Triple-A Toledo where he played 49 games and hit .232 with six home runs.

Hiura was picked up soon thereafter the Los Angeles Angels and sent to Triple-A Salt Lake where he went on a tear with 12 home runs in 20 games before getting the call, his first big-league action since 2022. His stint lasted 10 games with four hits and an RBI included before a return to Triple-A where he's returned to form blasting eight more HRs in 17 games.

 
 

 
Royce Lewis - Minnesota Twins | The Anteater NLI signee is back in the Majors and raking again. Injuries have again been part of his story this season, but through it all he's still managed 15 home runs and 38 RBIs as the primary third baseman for the Minnesota Twins in 50 games
 
Christian Koss - Sacramento RiverCats / Richmond Flying Squirrels | Koss continues to rise now with his third organization after being traded to the San Francisco Giants in the offseason, even played a second year in the Puerto Rican Winter League, and he's answered the call. After 25 games in Double-A Richmond hitting .386 with 15 extra-base hits, he jumped up to Triple-A Sacramento where he's hit the ground running with 30 hits in 30 games including three home runs as he's played around the infield.
 
 
 
Brandon Lewis - Tulsa Drillers | Lewis is back for a second season in Double-A Tulsa contributing nine home runs and 39 RBIs. The corner infielder continues to excel in a stacked farm system of the Los Angeles Dodgers as the Drillers strive for a postseason spot alongside three other Anteaters in the Texas League.

 
 

Taylor Rashi - Reno Aces / Amarillo Sod Poodles | Rashi is back after injuries cut into his 2023 year, his first with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization following his selection in the Rule 5 Draft. After a short stint in Triple-A where he threw three innings, he's settled in for Double-A Amarillo with 51 strikeouts in 41.1 innings and picking up four wins, three saves, and six holds in his fifth year of pro ball
 
Peter Van Loon - Bowie Baysox | Van Loon again dealt with injuries to start 2024, but once he's rejoined Double-A Bowie has been a bonafide starter. Eight runs allowed over 30.1 innings with 45 strikeouts has put the organization on notice of the 6-5 righty in his fourth season.

 
 
Trenton Denholm - Akron Rubber Ducks / Lake County Captains | Denholm was in the zone in High-A Lake County this year leading the league with nine wins, 106.2 innings, and top-4 marks in ERA and strikeouts, and that finally got him the call to join Double-A Akron earlier in August.

Somehow, Denholm has been even better since becoming a Rubber Duck especially in his last two starts where struck out five and allowed one run in five innings before following that up with eight one-hit innings and six strikeouts in the Guardians organization.

 
 
 
Nathan Church - Springfield Cardinals / Peoria Chiefs | Church continues to climb the ranks beginning 2024 a level higher than last at Double-A Springfield. He's done the job with 112 hits in 108 games so far with 22 doubles, nine home runs, and 61 RBIs on top of a Texas League-leading 69 runs scored.

 
Taishi Nakawake - Charlotte Knights / Birmingham Barons / Winston-Salem Dash | The undrafted free agent continues to defy the odds now in his third year of pro ball. After starting in High-A Winston-Salem once again, Nakawake has played 32 games for the Dash, four games in Double-A Birmingham, and seven games in Triple-A Charlotte for the White Sox affiliates. Nakawake's defense is championing his rise playing mostly shortstop among other infield spots.

 
 
Dillon Tatum - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels | The fourth-year pro baller has been stationed in High-A Cedar Rapids platooning behind the plate with a pair of home runs in 24 games.


Jacob King - Rookie Twins | An unfortunate offseason injury shelved King for most of the season to this point. He's been rehabbing with Minnesota's rookie squad and recently joined the Single-A Fort Myers club where he threw 0.2 IP in a opener role.

Caden Kendle - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels | Kendle is the first of the 2024 draft crew to see minor league action. Joining King on Fort Myers, Kendle is battling for playing time with a host of top Twins prospects, but has shone through with the numbers hitting .342 early on with eight RBIs
 
Ben Fitzgerald - Glacier Range Riders | Leading the charge in his second year of Independent ball for the team up in Montana is Fitzgerald. In 64 games, he's produced 65 hits with 12 home runs and 50 RBIs along with a .307 average. He's had big games including a 5-hit, 6-RBI game early in the year and two 2-HR games so far in August.

Ricky Tibbett - Glacier Range Riders | Joining Fitzgerald on the Range Riders following the 2024 Anteater season was the UCI closer. He's taken on that role in pro ball as well with four saves in five chances and 13 strikeouts in 12 outings

Thomas McCaffrey - Idaho Falls Chukars | McCaffrey clubbed his first pro home run this week as he's joined the same league as Fitzgerald and Tibbett

Jo Oyama - Kufu HAYATE Ventures Shizuoka | Oyama has returned to his home country of Japan after signing with a Western League squad, the farm league to Nippon Professional Baseball, in Shizuoka as the club makes its maiden voyage. In his first 12 games, he's hitting .345 with three RBIs and reached 12 times already via walk or HBP.
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