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'Eaters Move Up in Pro Ranks in 2025

| By: Alex Roberts-Croteau
IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine baseball alums experienced an historic year in the professional level as 24 Anteaters we playing pro ball across all levels, eight different 'Eaters play Major League Baseball in 2025, and five 'Eaters were in the bigs concurrently setting a record high for UCI baseball.

Andre Pallante - St. Louis Cardinals | Pallante continues to solidify himself on the big-league level in this his seventh year of pro ball and fourth year at the Major League level earning a spot in the rotation on opening day and never missing a start all year. He made all 31 starts posting six wins, a 5.31 ERA, and 11 strikeouts over 162.2 innings. Of his 31 starts, he completed five innings 23 times, registered eight quality starts, and had highs of 7.1 innings pitched in a win over Washington, eight strikeouts against the Yankees, and topped Paul Skenes in a pitcher's duel allowing one hit over seven shutouts innings.

 
 

Calvin Faucher - Miami Marlins | The closer for the Miami Marlins made a statement in 2025 in his fourth year on the MLB level. He made 65 appearances out of the bullpen, second on the squad, and finished a team-high 29 games to go with his team-best 15 saves in 20 opportunities. He added seven holds along with a 4-4 record, 3.28 ERA, and 59 strikeouts over 60.1 innings helping Miami stay in the postseason hunt up until the final week of the regular season.

 

 
Christian Koss - San Francisco Giants | Koss' hard work paid off with a call to the big-league club ahead of Opening Day scoring the final roster spot. He made the most of it spending the entire 2025 season with the Giants outside of on injured list stint and playing 76 games, 47 times in the field, and 39 starts as the club battled for a playoff spot into the final week of the regular season. Koss' debut came as a starter at Houston scoring once. He had to wait two weeks before his first career hit, an infield single at Yankee Stadium, and had 46 of them over the course of the season with 23 RBIs, 25 runs scored, four steals, and hit three home runs including his first a grand slam May 13 in Oracle Park.

 

 

 
 
Troy Taylor - Seattle Mariners / Tacoma Rainiers | Taylor was another Anteater on an Opening Day roster starting the year on the injured list. He made his season debut April 16, but injuries messed with him again as he went down to Triple-A Tacoma where he stayed the remainder of 2025 pitching 6.2 innings in nine appearances on the big-league level. His minor league numbers finished at 3-4 with seven saves and 54 strikeouts in 44.2 innings. The Rainiers topped the Pacific Coast League with 86 wins before falling in the Championship Series.

Taylor was put on the Mariners' taxi squad as the MLB playoffs begin giving him an outside chance to join the club as the playoffs progress.

 



Nathan Church - St. Louis Cardinals / Memphis Redbirds / Springfield Cardinals | Church was 1 of 3 Anteater call-ups this seasons and 1 of 2 making their MLB debut. He got the call after 86 games between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis making his debut August 17 in Yankee Stadium. It took church 17 at-bats for his first hit, and that same game he powered his first career home run against the Tampa Bay Rays. He finished his first taste of the pros with 10 hits, eight RBIs, and nine runs scored in 27 games played. along with countless sparkling plays on the defensive side.

 
 

Taylor Rashi - Arizona Diamondbacks / Reno Aces | Rashi followed Church with a debut 11 days later after 6+ minor league seasons and the 29-year-old made an immense impression. Rashi stepped right in against the best team in baseball and threw three shutout innings striking out three to close out a win and earn the save. He replicated that outing his second MLB appearance five days later earning a two-inning save. In his month in the big-leagues, Rashi made 10 appearances earning the two saves and striking out 22 in 16.1 innings.

 
 

Keston Hiura - Colorado Rockies / Albuquerque Isotopes | Hiura began his eighth professional season with his fourth ballclub as a member of the Colorado Rockies starting in Triple-A Albuquerque. As June came around, he got his shot with the big-league club, his sixth season at the Major League level. His 2025 stint lasted eight games pushing him above 300 career MLB games with four hits and an RBI in those games before returning to Triple-A where he would finish 2025 with a .272 average, 21 HR, and 67 RBI in 100 games

 
 

Royce Lewis - Minnesota Twins | The Anteater NLI signee got his fullest big-league season in 2025 playing 106 games with 13 home runs and 52 RBIs while hitting .237.

Peter Van Loon - Norfolk Tides / Chesapeake Baysox | Van Loon jumped into 2025 following an offseason in the Arizona Fall League. He had a handful with injuries but still pitched in 33 games across three different levels. He spent a majority of his time with Double-A Chesapeake where he made 26 of his appearances and his lone start to the tune of 42.2 innings, 3-4 record, 3.38 ERA, and a save while striking out 49. He made six appearances in Triple-A Norfolk going winless with 11 strikeouts.

 
 

Trenton Denholm - Akron Rubber Ducks / Columbus Clippers | Denholm experienced a stellar 2025 season, his fourth pro campaign, building off a 13-4 season and 3.09 ERA in 2024. Of his 27 appearances and 19 starts, 26 and 18 were in Double-A Akron where he went 11-7 with a 3.77 ERA striking out 109 in 126.2 innings, and added a save. He recorded six quality starts throwing shutout ball twice, once allowing just one hit, and topping out at seven strikeouts on three occasions.

Denholm's reward is a trip to the Arizona Fall League this offseason joining the Surprise Saguaros with the league starting up in the first week of October.

 
 

Caden Kendle - Cedar Rapids Kernels | Kendle is in year two of pro ball playing the entirety with High-A Cedar Rapids. The Kernels reached the Midwest League Championship Series finishing as runners-up. Kendle registered 76 hits in 97 games clubbing eight home runs, 39 RBIs, 52 runs scored, and 14 steals in addition to a 12-game hit streak.

 
 

Woody Hadeen - West Michigan Whitecaps / Lakeland Flying Tigers | Hadeen's first pro season in 2024 was shut down after four games from an injury. His first full season saw him play 106 games between Single-A Lakeland and High-A West Michigan, the club that won the Midwest League title over Kendle's bunch. Hadeen hit .235 at both clubs putting up 68 hits, six home runs, 42 RBIs, 70 runs scored, and stealing 38 bases while only getting caught six times. Hadeen found himself in a new role with 35 games played as an outfielders while getting time at 2B and SS in 69 games.

 

 
Myles Smith - Dayton Dragons / Daytona Tortugas | Smith got his first taste of pro ball in 2025 playing 79 games for Single-A Daytona and High-A Dayton. Still finding his footing, he recorded 33 hits with a home run at each level.


 


Dub Gleed - Pensacola Blue Wahoos / Jupiter Hammerheads / Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp | Gleed's first year seeing pro ball action was an odyssey playing at four different levels in the Marlins system. His 71 games were distributed between the Complex League (12), Single-A Jupiter (32, Double-A Pensacola (26), and even a game at Triple-A Jacksonville. On the year, he hit .252 with a pair of homers and 15 doubles of his 56 hits, 26 RBIs, and 29 runs. His one Triple-A game featured a walk in the ninth inning against Craig Kimbrel.

 

 
Nick Pinto - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers | Pinto suffered a season-ending injury resulting in Tommy John after five starts. He put up 18 strikeouts in 18.1 innings with a 5.89 ERA in Single-A Kannapolis.

 
 

Chase Call - Fayetteville Woodpeckers | Call led the crew of Anteater draftees in 2025 heading straight to Single-A Fayetteville. He homered twice, drove in 12, and even stole 12 bases while putting up 24 hits and 22 walks in 30 games

 
 

Colin Yeaman - Delmarva Shorebirds | Yeaman followed Call closely joining up with Single-A Delmarva along with a star-studded draft class by the Orioles. He had 10 hits in 17 games with a pair of RBIs in his first taste of the pros.

 
 

Jacob McCombs - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels | McCombs got eight games with Single-A Fort Myers smacking seven hits with three RBIs and five steals 

Anthony Martinez - Lynchburg Hillcats | Martinez hit a bit in Rookie League before going up to Single-A Lynchburg who he would win the Carolina League Championship with. In his seven games, he knocked six hits with a home run and five RBIs for the Hillcats

 
Max Martin - Quad Cities River Bandits | Martin quickly made it up to High-A Quad Cities and threw four games for the River Bandits. Martin threw shutout ball over 6.2 innings striking out six earning a win and a hold.
 

Jo Oyama - Arkansas Travelers / ACL Mariners / Ottawa Titans | After a season in Japan's farm system, Oyama returned to the states looking to journey through pro ball. It started with the Ottawa Titans of the Frontier League hitting .273 with three RBIs and four steals in 12 games before his contract was purchased by the Seattle Mariners. He emerged late in the season playing two games in the Complex League getting five hits and two RBIs and finishing off the year in Double-A Arkansas for their season finale where he collected two more hits to put up a .583 average with two RBIs, a steal, and two runs in his limited pro ball time

 
 


Riley Kelly - Complex League Rockies

Blake Penso - Complex League Rockies


Dillon Tatum - Oakland Ballers | Tatum played his first year of independent ball with his hometown Oakland Ballers. After an historic regular season by the club, they came from behind to win the Pioneer League Championship. He played 68 games hitting .338 with 23 home runs and 75 RBIs. His season featured six multi-homer games including four in a five-game span in June where he had 26 RBIs including 10 in a game.

 
 

Thomas McCaffrey - Idaho Falls Chukars | McCaffrey was on the other end of that Pioneer League Championship falling to Tatum and the Ballers after taking the first two of the five-game series. McCaffrey was behind the plate for 54 games in 2025 hitting .332 with eight home runs with 48 RBIs

Ricky Tibbett - Idaho Falls Chukars | Tibbett defected from Glacier to Idaho Falls alongside McCaffrey in 2025. He dealt with injuries causing some absences but still putting up a 4.35 ERA in 14 games out of the bullpen with a 2-0 record, a save, and 18 strikeouts in 20.1 innings


 
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