Tennessee Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – As the All-Star break concludes nation-wide, 22 Vols in pro baseball reflect on their first half performances and lock in for the remainder of the season, set to commence on Thursday, July 21.
The first pro baseball update of the year can be found below.
Vols in the MLB
Garrett Crochet – LHP, Chicago White Sox
Will not appear in 2022 season
Crochet had to undergo elbow surgery prior to Opening Day and will remain on the 60-day IL for the rest of the 2022 season.
Yan Gomes – C, Chicago Cubs
Season: 51 G, 164 AB, 11 R, 35 H, 51 TB, 7 2B, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 3 BB, 26 K, .213 AVG, .231 OBP, .416 SLG
Gomes has split time behind the plate with Willson Contreras and recently hit the milestone of 10 years in the big leagues. Gomes recorded a strong month of May before being sidelined with an oblique injury, he was 17-for-47 (.255) with 12 runs scored and a .362 slugging percentage in 15 contests. The native of Sao Paulo, Brazil finished the first half strong, going 2-for-3 with a double and a pair of RBIs against the Mets on July 16.
Nick Senzel – CF, Cincinnati Reds
Season: 64 G, 215 AB, 29 R, 55 H, 70 TB, 6 2B, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 16 BB, 47 K, 5 SB, .256 AVG, .315 OBP, .326 SLG
After a slow start to the season, Senzel caught fire in June and July, combining to go 39-for-132 (.295) and batting an impressive 15-for-44 (.341) going into the break. He kicked off July with a six-game hitting streak. He crushed two homers in the series against the Mets in early July, connecting on a solo blast on the 4th of July and a 2-run shot on July 6. Senzel had an excellent series against Tampa Bay, collecting two multi-hit games and walking-off the Rays in extra innings on July 9.
Vols in the MiLB
Justin Ammons – OF, Vancouver Canadians (High-A TOR)
Has not played in 2022 season
Chad Dallas – RHP, Vancouver Canadians (High-A TOR)
Season: 14 App, 14 GS, 1-5, 4.34 ERA, 56 IP, 56 H, 38 R, 27 ER, 31 BB, 56 K, 1.55 WHIP
Playing his first season of professional baseball and has been a solid contributor in the Canadiens rotation. Started to catch fire heading into the All-Star break, posting back-to-back starts allowing two or fewer earned runs. Racked up eight strikeouts and went six innings with just one run and three hits allowed in his final start before the break against Hillsboro (7/14).
Zach Daniels – LF, Asheville Tourists (High-A HOU)
Season: 56 G, 207 AB, 38 R, 51 H, 90 TB, 7 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, 32, 27 BB, 82 K, 15 SB, .246 AVG, .333 OBP, .435 SLG
Posted massive power numbers through the first half of the season, belting out 10 homers and posting 18 extra-base hits, even with a two-and-a-half-week stint on the IL. Daniels also has caught fire in June and July, securing 25 hits and a .379 average, adding four home runs, 16 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. The Tourist has collected three three-hit games in July, cranking a big fly in each of those contests.
Max Ferguson – 2B, Fort Wayne TinCaps (High-A SD)
Season: 82 G, 305 AB, 71 R, 69 H, 108 TB, 10 2B, 7 3B, 5 HR, 46 RBI, 72 BB, 89 K, 53 SB, .226 AVG, .354 OBP, .354 SLG
Was tearing up A-ball with the Lake Elsinore Storm before being promoted to Fort Wayne on June 28th. In 18 games in High-A, Ferguson has 10 hits, half of them for extra bases with a pair of homers and triples, along with a double. The VFL, in his first year in the pros, swiped 51-of-55 bases in A and is off to a 2-for-3 start in High-A.
Sean Hunley – RHP, Montgomery Biscuits (AA TB)
Season: 18 App, 3 GS, 3-1, 4 HLD, 2.11 ERA, 47 IP, 48 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 7 BB, 40 K, 1.17 WHIP
Started the season with High-A Bowling Green and made one appearance before earning a promotion to AA Montgomery. Has been lethal out of the Biscuits’ bullpen, holding a 2.20 ERA and punching out 38 in 45 innings. In his final three appearances, the righty started on the hill for the first time in pro ball. Currently ranks second on the team in ERA among pitchers who have made 15 appearances or more.
Jackson Leath – RHP, Down East Wood Ducks (A TEX)
Season: 17 App, 2-4, 1 SV, 6.98 ERA, 19.1 IP, 18 H, 19 R, 15 ER, 14 BB, 20 K, 1.60 WHIP
Assigned to Down East on May 17 and made his professional debut that day, tossing a perfect inning at Carolina. Made his first career save on July 10 at Fayetteville, throwing 1.1 perfect innings out of the bullpen and helping to shutout the Woodpeckers. Leath has allowed just three hits in five appearances in July and has held the opponent scoreless in four of those outings.
Andrew Lee – RHP, Rochester Red Wings (AAA WAS)
Season: 22 App, 3-2, 1 SV, 3.89 ERA, 37 IP, 34 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 20 BB, 43 K, 1.46 WHIP
Started the year in AA Harrisburg, but was promoted to AAA Rochester on July 14 and only made one appearance with the Red Wings before the All-Star break. Posted an impressive month of June where he made five appearances and logged eight innings. Lee did not give up a run in those contests and surrendered just five hits while striking out nine batters. The span included his first and only save of the season, a 1.1 inning appearance at Akron on June 26th where he stranded the tying run on base and halted the 4-run rally the RubberDucks were making in the eighth inning.
Zach Linginfelter – RHP, Rocket City Trash Pandas (AA LAA)
Season: 22 App, 2-1, 4 HLD, 6.67 ERA, 29.2 IP, 27 H, 22 R, 22 ER, 19 BB, 36 K, 1.55 WHIP
Played the entirety of the 2022 season with AA Rocket City, being a solid contributor out of the Trash Pandas’ bullpen. Recently transferred to the development list on July 12.
Andre Lipcius – 2B, Erie SeaWolves (AA DET)
Season: 78 G, 266 AB, 50 R, 75 H, 120 TB, 19 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 37 RBI, 55 BB, 48 K, 11 SB, .282 AVG, .409 OBP, .451 SLG
Having a strong season as an everyday player in the SeaWolves infield. Leads the team, of qualified players, in on-base percentage. Lipcius posted a massive month of June, going 28-for-73 (.384) at the plate with 18 runs scored, six doubles, three homers and 12 RBIs. Also tallied an impressive .505 OBP and a .589 slugging percentage.
Connor Pavolony – C, Aberdeen IronBirds (High-A BAL)
Season: 38 G, 108 AB, 15 R, 20 H, 29 TB, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 25 BB, 42 K, .185 AVG, .350 OBP, .269 SLG
Owns an impressive .350 on-base percentage and has six extra-base hits in his first season of High-A ball. Missed the final month leading up to the All-Star break.
Jake Rucker – 3B, Cedar Rapids Kernels (High-A MIN)
Season: 74 G, 268 AB, 44 R, 63 H, 94 TB, 12 2B, 5 3B, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 37 BB, 66 K, 13 SB, .235 AVG, .341 OBP, .351 SLG
Has just gotten better with time during the 2022 season and is already hitting at a higher clip with Cedar Rapids (.280) than he did with Fort Myers (.225). Five of Rucker’s 14 hits in High-A have gone for extra-bases, three of them doubles with one triple and one home run.
Andrew Schultz – RHP, Jersey Shore BlueClaws (High-A PHI)
Season: 27 App, 0-3, 1 SV, 7 HLD, 4.10 ERA, 26.1 IP, 17 H, 15 R, 12 ER, 15 BB, 43 K, 1.22 WHIP
Has had a solid season out of the Jersey Shore bullpen, accounting for high-leverage innings for the BlueClaws. Recorded his first save of the season on July 13 at Aberdeen throwing a clean inning and striking out one. After a tough start to the season, Schultz has been rock-solid in May, June and July holding monthly ERAs of 2.25, 1.13 and 1.80, respectively.
Alerick Soularie – OF, Cedar Rapids Kernels (High-A MIN)
Season: 72 G, 261 AB, 46 R, 57 H, 99 TB, 9 2B, 3 3B, 9 HR, 30 RBI, 35 BB, 87 K, 11 SB, .218 AVG, .317 OBP, .379 SLG
Has had a strong year for High-A Cedar Rapids, highlighted by a cycle on June 4 at Lansing. Also came on late with strong June and July performances after a slow start to the season, hitting six homers in those two months and driving in 19 runners.
Liam Spence – SS, ACL Cubs (Rookie CHC)
Season: 40 G, 108 AB, 18 R, 18 H, 27 TB, 6 2B, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 20 BB, 30 K, 2 SB, .167 AVG, .308 OBP, .250 SLG
Has split time this season between the ACL Cubs and A Myrtle Beach. Started to heat up in July, going 7-for-25 (.280) at the plate with three doubles and a home run. Also scored six runs and drove in five.
Andrew Schultz – RHP, Bowie Baysox (AA BAL)
Season: 16 App, 13 GS, 3-7, 1 CG, 7.77 ERA, 66 IP, 83 H, 58 R, 57 ER, 15 BB, 79 K, 1.48 WHIP
Been a consistent starter for the Baysox and posted back-to-back scoreless outings in his final two appearances before the All-Star break, both of which he went six innings and allowed four and two hits, respectively. Those outings, coupled with another strong outing to start the month, helped the righty post a miniscule 0.56 ERA in 16 innings leading up to the break.
Drew Steckenrider – RHP, Tacoma Rainiers (AAA SEA)
Season (MLB): 16 App, 2 SV, 0-2, 5.65 ERA, 14.1 IP, 21 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 5 BB, 10 K, 1.81 WHIP
Season (MiLB): 6 App, 0-0, 9.00 ERA, 6 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 6 BB, 4 K, 2.50 WHIP
Bounced between the big-league Mariners and AAA Tacoma. Had a brief stint on the IL in late June and early July but was activated on July 13. Posted two saves with Seattle earlier in the season.
Christin Stewart – SS, Worcester Red Sox (AAA BOS)
Season: 79 G, 269 AB, 40 R, 64 H, 124 TB, 12 2B, 16 HR, 45 RBI, 36 BB, 101 K, 8 SB, .238 AVG, .339 OBP, .461 SLG
Has swung a powerful bat for Worcester, tying for the team lead in home runs and ranking seventh in the International League. He has also been a clutch run scorer, ranking second on the team in RBIs with 45. Stewart has been consistent with his power figures all season, posting three or more home runs in each month thus far. He currently has three in July, with just over a week remaining.
Chase Wallace – RHP, Quad Cities River Bandits (High-A KC)
Season: 19 App, 1-0, 4 HLD, 6.90 ERA, 30 IP, 36 H, 25 R, 23 ER, 24 BB, 17 K, 2.00 WHIP
Started the season in A Columbia before earning a promotion to High-A on April 26. Earned his first victory of the season on June 21 at Wisconsin. He entered early in relief and picked up the fourth win of his minor league career.
Zach Warren – LHP, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA PHI)
Season: 22 App, 0-0, 4 HLD, 3.74 ERA, 21.2 IP, 18 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 11 BB, 25 K, 1.34 WHIP
Begun his season at AA Reading before earning a promotion on April 21 after 5.2 scoreless innings for the Fightin Phils. After an adjustment, Warren has settled in at the AAA level, entering the All-Star break with a 2.70 ERA during July.