Sun Devil Baseball Continues to Excel in Professional Baseball

PHOENIX – Sun Devil Baseball continues to excel at the professional level with eight alumni current playing in Major League Baseball, four coaches on MLB coaching staffs, one Olympian, 13 Triple-A players that are just one call away from the majors, six Double-A alumni, five high-A alumni and 17 players spread across Low-A, Rookie League, International Leagues and MLB Partner Leagues.

The next generation of Sun Devils has impressed with some significant early returns with 2020 MLB Draft first overall pick Spencer Torkelson and fellow first rounder Alika Williams already climbing to the Triple-A Ranks, while fellow 2020 alumnus R.J. Dabovich has advanced to the Double A level. ASU has seen promotions of Fitz Stadler, Reagan Todd, Connor Higgins have also advanced to the penultimate level of professional baseball. 

Torkelson is the No. 4 overall prospect in the MLB according to MLB Pipeline and the top prospect in the Tigers organization while fellow 2020 draftee Gage Workman is the No. 14 prospect in the Tigers farm system. Williams is at No. 25 in the Tampa Rays organization. Trevor Hauver checks in at No. 13 in the Texas Rangers organization after being traded from the Yankees this year in the Joey Gallo trade. 

Alec Marsh (Draft Class of '19) is No. 15 in the Royals organization. Hunter Bishop ('19) is the No. 6 prospect in the Giants organization while recent signee Drew Swift is already the No. 30s prospect with the Athletics. 

Among ASU's 15 Triple-A players some standouts include:

• Seth Blair (Red Sox) is 3-2 with a 3.10 ERA in 32 appearances with two saves while striking out 51 in 40.2 innings. 
• Darin Gillies (Mariners) is 4-0 with a 3.00 ERA over 35 games with 10 saves and 48 strikeouts in 39.0 innings.
• Connor Higgins (Angels) was promoted to Double-A prior to the season and has since been called up to Triple-A. At Double-A, Higgins had eight saves and six holds, striking out 43 over 38.0 innings.
• Drew Maggi (Twins) has been consistent over 85 games with 15 homers and 47 RBIs, stealing 12 bases and posting .261 average and a .366 OBP.
• Seth Martinez (Astros) has been efficient in middle relief, with a 3.00 ERA over 54.0 innings with 72 strikeouts over 32 games.
• Brian Serven has made 54 starts behind the dish for the Isotopes in the Rockies organization, throwing out 33 percent of stolen base attempts while batting .247 with 13 homers and 33 RBI.
• Torkelson has continued to do Torkelson things, rapidly ascending from High-A to Triple-A in his first season of professional baseball. He has homered 26 times in 104 games, recording 78 RBIs with a gaudy .928 OPS as he's slugged .548. His batting average sits at .263 but he continues to draw walks at an elite rate en route to a .380 OBP. 
• Alika Williams was the most recently called up player, moving from Low-A to High-A to Triple-A in the span of about three weeks. He's batting .270 across the MiLB ranks with five homers, 4 RBIs, six stolen bases and 16 doubles. 

Other MiLB Highlights include:

• R.J. Dabovich (Giants) has been an elite strikeout guy with 56 Ks over 29.1 innings at High-A and Double-A, recording 10 saves and a 0.92 WHIP to go with his 3.07 ERA with opponents batting a paltry .136 average against.
• Trevor Hauver (Rangers) has showed plenty of pop with 15 homers and 70 RBIs with 21 doubles and a .270 average. Hauver was always had great discipline and it showed with his 81 walks over 94 games to boost his OBP to .416 and his OPS sits at .896.
• Gage Workman has been an extra-base machine with 35 doubles, six triples and 10 homers over 110 games with a .748 OPS.
• Drew Swift has done his part to get on base drawing 20 walks in 27 games and stealing 10 bases for a .378 OBP.

Sun Devils in Minor League Baseball (as of May 4, 2021)