Baseball Pac-12 Conference

Adley Rutschman’s first MLB Opening Day highlights 54 former Pac-12 stars on 2023 rosters

Former Oregon State standout and the 2019 No.1 overall pick Adley Rutschman may have made his MLB debut for the Baltimore Orioles in 2022, but Thursday marks his first Opening Day in the big leagues. Rutschman, who was recently named the No. 43 overall MLB Player heading by Baseball America , is one of 54 former Pac-12 stars to appear on 2023 Opening Day rosters. In 113 games in his rookie season, the Orioles catcher hit .254 with 42 RBI and 13 home runs in helping Baltimore make a run at the postseason that ultimately fell short. Expectations are high for Rutschman and the Orioles in 2023.

Of the 54, three are former overall No. 1 picks in Rutschman, Arizona State's Spencer Torkleson and UCLA's Gerrit Cole. Six Pac-12 alums - Aaron Boone (USC), Terry Francona (Arizona), A.J. Hinch (Stanford), Torey Lovullo (UCLA), Bob Melvin (California) and Dave Roberts (UCLA) - are current MLB managers.

The 54 are the second-most players from a conference behind only the SEC (SEC 89, Pac-12 54, ACC 42, WCC 21, American 20). Overall, Oregon leads the Pac-12 with eight players on MLB rosters.

Of the eight Oregon players in the big leagues, seven of them are pitchers, headlined by former Duck Tyler Anderson . After a breakout season with the Dodgers last year where he went 15-5 with a 2.57 ERA and was named an All-Star for the first time in his career, Anderson stayed in LA and cashed in with a three-year, $39 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels. Anderson and fellow Duck Garrett Cleavinger were Dodger teammates last summer until Cleavinger was traded to the Rays in August. Cleavinger quickly earned the clubs trust when the lefty struck out all four batters he faced late in a scoreless game two of the American League Wild Card Series in Cleveland last October and he figures to be a key part of the Tampa Bay bullpen this year.

Cole Irvin , who was acquired by Baltimore from Oakland in January, is set to be the Orioles third starter on opening weekend against the Red Sox. The New York Mets final rotation spot came down to a pair of former Pac-12-ers with former Duck David Peterson beating out Arizona alumnus Tylor Megill to make the Opening Day squad. Coming out of camp, righty Ryne Nelson won the fifth spot in Arizona Diamondbacks starting rotation, while 33-year-old Scott McGough will be in Arizonas bullpen after four seasons playing in Japan and last playing in the MLB in 2015. Veteran reliever Steve Nogosek signed with the Mets in the offseason and made the team as a bullpen option. The lone Duck position player is Spencer Steer , who is the Reds starting third baseman on Opening Day.

The Beavers have a total of seven on rosters to begin the year. In addition to Rutchman, Oregon States six other big leaguers include Nick Madrigal (Chicago Cubs), Steven Kwan (Cleveland Guardians), Matthew Boyd (Detroit Tigers), Drew Rasmussen (Tampa Bay), Trevor Larnach (Minnesota Twins) and Michael Conforto (San Francisco Giants). After a successful first season with the Cubs, Madrigal will make the move to third base with the Dansby Swanson signing at shortstop and the extension of fellow Pac-12 alum Nico Hoerner, who will be the Cubs starter at second. Kwan, Cleveland's leadoff hitter, is coming off an outstanding rookie campaign that saw him hit .298, steal 19 bases and earn a Gold Glove in left field for the Guardians.

After one year in San Francisco, veteran pitcher Boyd returns to the American League where he will be a member of the Detroit Tigers starting rotation. Rasmussen took a big step in 2022, transitioning from a reliever to a full-time starter with an 11-4 record and 2.84 ERA last summer, and is slotted to be third in the Rays 2023 rotation. Larnach was considered to be on the bubble heading into camp but earned his way onto the roster and the field as the Twins starter in left field and cleanup hitter on Opening Day. Conforto, the 2014 Pac-12 Player of the Year, will play in his first MLB game in over 18 months after shoulder surgery kept him out all of last season.

Any mention of former UCLA Bruins in the MLB starts with New York Yankees star pitcher Gerrit Cole , who made his fourth straight Opening Day start for the Yankees on Thursday and leads a group of seven Bruins on 2023 Opening Day rosters. Entering his 11th season, the five-time All Star was recently rated the No. 8 MLB Player by Baseball America . San Francisco Giants star shortstop Brandon Crawford begins his 13th season in the Bay Area and has played the eighth-most MLB games by a UCLA alum. Former Bruin standout pitcher James Kaprielian is slated to be a key part of the Oakland As rotation in 2023 after starting last season on the injured list.

A pair of players from UCLAs historic 2019 squad that won a school-record 52 games and was ranked No. 1 in the country for 12 straight weeks made their first Opening Day rosters. UCLA outfielder Garrett Mitchell , the No. 20 overall pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2020 MLB Draft and infielder Ryan Kreidler (Detroit Tigers), a fourth-round selection in the 2019 MLB Draft, will begin the season at the major league level. Infielder/outfielder Sean Bouchard (Colorado Rockies) and right-handed pitcher Griffin Canning (Los Angeles Angels) will both start the 2023 season on the injured list. In addition, two longtime MLB managers and UCLA alums return to their post for the new campaign in Dave Roberts (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Torey Lovullo (Arizona Diamondbacks).

Arizona State will also see six players suit up on Opening Day. The 2020 No.1 overall pick and Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson made his MLB debut on Opening Day a year ago and will look to build on a solid 2022 rookie campaign. Catcher Austin Barnes returns for his ninth season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, while veteran pitchers Merrill Kelly and Trevor Williams will both be in starting rotations for the Diamondbacks and Nationals, respectively, in 2023. Kelly, who is in his fifth season back in the desert, will start game two of Arizonas opening series against the Dodgers and Williams will make his Washington debut on Monday against Tampa Bay. Catcher Brian Serven made his MLB debut last May with the Rockies, hitting a two-run home run in his third career at-bat, and should have an expanded role in Colorado this season. Reliever Seth Martinez spent some time in the majors last summer with the Astros and earned a spot in Houstons bullpen to start the year.

Six former Wildcats dot 2023 MLB Opening Day rosters. Catcher Cesar Salazar was a surprise addition this week to the World Champion Houston Astros Opening Day roster. As a freshman at Arizona, he was part of the Wildcat team that made the College World Series Championship Series and went on to be selected by the Astros in the seventh round of the 2018 MLB Draft. Upon his MLB debut, Salazar will become the 93rd Wildcat in MLB history. Shortstop Kevin Newman enters his first season with the Reds after spending the first five years of his career with the Pirates and looks to return to full strength after battling injuries last summer. Veteran reliever Mark Melancon is beginning his 15th season, but will be on the 60-day DL to start his second year with the Diamondbacks. Coincidentally, the injury opened a bullpen spot for fellow Wildcat reliever Kevin Ginkel , who was superb in his spring training work for Arizona with a 1.74 ERA and nine strikeouts in 10.1 innings.

Lefty Andrew Nardi , who made his MLB debut last August for Miami, struck out 10 in 8.1 innings this spring to earn an Opening Day spot on the Marlins roster. After logging career highs in at-bats, hits, doubles, home runs and batting average with the Red Sox last year, eighth-year outfielder Rob Refsnyder made Bostons 2023 Opening Day roster, his first since the COVID-delayed 2020 season. Longtime MLB manager and current Guardians skipper, Terry Francona , is also an Arizona alumnus and won a College World Series title as a Wildcat in 1980.

Stanford has six former players on active rosters on Opening Day. Former Cardinal teammates Nico Hoerner and Tommy Edman now compete on rival teams, with Hoerner agreeing to a 3-year, $35 million extension with the Chicago Cubs this week and Edman, who has proven to be a top-of-the-line MLB infielder, starting at shortstop again in 2023 for the St. Louis Cardinals. With the Cubs signing of Dansby Swanson, Hoerner will make the move to second base for Chicago.

A pair of former Stanford pitchers will again face off in the American League Central with Kris Bubic slated to be the fifth starter in the rotation for the Kansas City Royals and rising star Cal Quantrill is thought to have Cy Young potential for the Cleveland Guardians after he went 15-5 with a 3.38 ERA and 128 strikeouts in 186.1 innings pitched a year ago. Outfielder Kyle Stowers made his MLB debut for the Orioles last June and earned a spot on the 2023 squad where he is projected to hit frequently in the designated hitter spot. San Francisco Giants outfielder Austin Slater will start his second season with the club on the injured list.

Former Cardinals and longtime MLB mainstays Jed Lowrie and Jason Castro retired in the offseason, with Lowrie hanging it up after a 14-year career and a seven-season run with the Oakland As and Castro ending his career as a World Champion with the Houston Astros after his 13th big league season. Castro and Lowrie finish their careers as two of just eight Stanford alums all-time to play in over 900 major league games. Additionally, former Cardinal A.J. Hinch currently manages the Detroit Tigers.

USC has five alums in the big leagues on Opening Day. Veteran reliever Ian Kennedy made the Texas Rangers 2023 opening day roster as a non-roster invitee and is entering his 16th big league season. World Baseball Classic star outfielder Lars Nootbaar begins his second full season with the St. Louis Cardinals. Nootbaar, who went viral with his celebrations as part of the WBC-winning Japan squad, should have a bigger role in 2023 after hitting 14 home runs and driving in 40 in 108 games played a season ago.

Former Trojan pitcher Brad Boxberger signed with the Cubs in the offseason and is expected to serve as the teams closer this year. Catcher Garrett Stubbs will be in his second year with the Philadelphia Phillies after playing in 50 games behind the plate in 2022. Outfielder Blake Sabol , a Rule 5 selection by San Francisco over the winter, will start his rookie season as the starter in left field. MLB great and current New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone represents the Trojans as well.

Four former Washington players start the year in the majors. Austin Voth , who has been primarily a bullpen pitcher, will begin the season on Baltimores 26-man roster and will be vying for an opportunity to join the starting rotation. Former Husky Adam Cimber has been a stud reliever for the Blue Jays after being traded to Toronto last June and led all of baseball in pitching appearances in 2022. Longtime Arizona Diamondback and former Husky star Jake Lamb grabbed a spot on the Los Angeles Angels' Opening Day roster as he enters his 10th MLB season. All-Star reliever Andrew Kittredge is recovering from Tommy John surgery and is starting the season on the 60-day DL for the Rays.

California's three MLB players are all expected to make big contributions in 2023. Standout second baseman Marcus Semien , who was ranked as ESPNs No. 65 player in the MLB, is entering his second year with the Rangers after hitting 26 home runs with 83 RBI and 25 stolen bases in 2022. The veteran has played in 697 games over the past five seasons, second only to Freddie Freeman. Former Cal slugger Andrew Vaughn , who was drafted third overall by the Chicago White Sox in 2019, was named one of Baseball Americas 10 Players Poised to Break Out in 2023 after making a legitimate All Star case during the first half of 2022.

Veteran first baseman Mark Canha , who spent his first seven seasons in Oakland, enters year two with the Mets after hitting .266/367/.403 with 13 home runs and 61 RBIs in 140 games during his first season in New York. Former Cal pitcher Daulton Jefferies was on Oaklands 2022 Opening Day roster, but underwent Tommy John surgery in September and is expected to be out all of 2023. Former Bear and current Padres manager Bob Melvin embarks on his second season in San Diego and 20th season overall as a major-league manager.

Colorado Rockies first baseman C.J. Cron , now in his 10th season, represents Utah on Opening Day. Cron enters his third season in the Mile High City after knocking 29 home runs and 102 RBIs last year.

Pac-12 Alumni On 2023 MLB Opening Day Rosters

Player School Team
Cesar Salazar Arizona Astros
Kevin Newman Arizona Reds
Mark Melancon Arizona Diamondbacks
Kevin Ginkel Arizona Diamondbacks
Andrew Nardi Arizona Marlins
Rob Refsnyder Arizona Red Sox
Terry Francona* Arizona Guardians
Spencer Torkelson Arizona State Tigers
Austin Barnes Arizona State Dodgers
Merrill Kelly Arizona State Diamondbacks
Trevor Williams Arizona State Nationals
Brian Serven Arizona State Rockies
Seth Martinez Arizona State Astros
Marcus Semien Cal Rangers
Andrew Vaughn Cal White Sox
Mark Canha Cal Mets
Daulton Jefferies Cal Athletics
Bob Melvin* Cal Padres
Tyler Anderson Oregon Angels
Garrett Cleavinger Oregon Rays
Cole Irvin Oregon Orioles
David Peterson Oregon Mets
Ryne Nelson Oregon Diamondbacks
Scott McGough Oregon Diamondbacks
Steven Nogosek Oregon Mets
Spencer Steer Oregon Reds
Nick Madrigal Oregon State Cubs
Steven Kwan Oregon State Guardians
Matthew Boyd Oregon State Tigers
Drew Rasmussen Oregon State Rays
Trevor Larnach Oregon State Twins
Michael Conforto Oregon State Giants
Adley Rutschman Oregon State Orioles
Gerrit Cole UCLA Yankees
Brandon Crawford UCLA Giants
James Kaprielian UCLA Athletics
Garrett Mitchell UCLA Brewers
Ryan Kreidler UCLA Tigers
Sean Bouchard UCLA Rockies
Griffin Canning UCLA Angels
Dave Roberts* UCLA Dodgers
Toery Lovullo* UCLA Diamondbacks
Ian Kennedy USC Rangers
Lars Nootbaar USC Cardinals
Brad Boxberger USC Cubs
Garrett Stubbs USC Phillies
Blake Sabol USC Giants
Aaron Boone* USC Yankees
Nico Hoerner Stanford Cubs
Tommy Edman Stanford Cardinals
Kris Bubic Stanford Royals
Cal Quantrill Stanford Guardians
Kyle Stowers Stanford Orioles
Austin Slater Stanford Giants
A.J. Hinch* Stanford Tigers
Austin Voth Washington Orioles
Adam Cimber Washington Blue Jays
Jake Lamb Washington Angels
Andrew Kittredge Washington Rays
C.J. Cron Utah Rockies

*Current MLB Managers