University of North Carolina Athletics
Seven Tar Heels Open 2016 On MLB Rosters
April 6, 2016 | Baseball
Seven former North Carolina baseball standouts began the 2016 Major League Baseball season this week. Sixty-three Tar Heels have appearaed at the Major League level dating back to Bob Lawson, who spent two seasons with Boston and Baltimore in 1901 and 1902. Here's a look at the current crop of UNC big leaguers:
Dustin Ackley, New York Yankees
Ackley starts his sixth MLB season as a key bench piece for the Yankees. After almost five seasons in Seattle after being drafted second overall by the Mariners in 2009, Ackley moved to the Bronx at last year's trade deadline. The move seemed to pay off for the former national player of the year, as Ackley hit .288 with four homers and 11 RBIs in 23 games following the trade.
Matt Harvey, New York Mets
One of baseball's most exciting young stars, Harvey began his fourth Major League season by getting the Opening Day start for the Mets in a rematch of the 2015 World Series with the Royals. Harvey figures to anchor perhaps the sport's top rotation following a season in which he had a 2.71 ERA with 188 striketous in 189.1 innings.
Chris Iannetta, Seattle Mariners
After seeing both his production and his playing time dwindle in his final season with Los Angeles, Iannetta looks to have new life as the starting catcher for the Mariners. Acquired by Seattle in the offseason, Iannetta is in his 11th big league season.
Andrew Miller, New York Yankees
Miller rewarded the Yankees for his four-year, $36 million contract with a 2015 season that saw him earn the Mariano Rivera Award as the American League's top relief pitcher. Miller was stellar in his first season as a closer, logging 36 saves and finishing with a 2.04 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 61.2 innings.
Mike Morin, Los Angeles Angels
Morin had an up-and-down 2015 for the Angels, but the former Tar Heel closer has already logged more than 100 appearances since his Major League debut in the summer of 2014. Entering 2016, Morin had recorded 95 career strikeouts in 94.1 innings of work.
Kyle Seager, Seattle Mariners
Seager is one of the league's bright young stars for a Mariners team that is expected to content for the AL West crown after a disappointing 2015 season. Now in his sixth season with Seattle, Seager has established himself as one of the American League's top third basemen.
After 147 appearances with the Yankees over four seasons, Warren moved to Chicago in the offseason as part of a trade that saw Starlin Castro move to New York. Warren, who was 7-7 with a 3.29 ERA in 131.1 innings last season with the Yankees, will start the season in the bullpen for the Cubs.
