Four Aggies Help Propel Teams to MLB Playoffs

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – With the Major League Baseball regular season ending Wednesday, four players helped their teams reach the MLB Playoffs which start Friday with the wild card round.
 
A.J. Minter claimed a National League Eastern Division pennant with the Atlanta Braves. Tyler Naquin (New York Mets), Brooks Raley (Tampa Bay Rays) and Ross Stripling (Toronto Blue Jays) all nabbed wild card playoff spots.
 
Minter and the Braves open postseason play on Tuesday, October 11 when they host the Philadelphia Phillies or St. Louis Cardinals to begin a best-of-five National League Division Series.
 
Naquin and the Mets host the San Diego Padres in a best-of-three National League Wild Card Series starting Friday at Citi Field.
 
Both American League Wild Card Series begin Friday and feature an Aggie. Stripling and the Blue Jays host the Seattle Mariners. Raley and the Rays play a road series at the Cleveland Guardians.
 
The 2022 regular season wrapped up with seven Aggies seeing Major League action.
 
The Aggies seeing Major League action in 2022:
Ryan Hendrix, pitcher (Cincinnati Reds)
Hendrix pitched in nine games in his second season with the Reds. He posted a 0-0 mark with nine strikeouts in 8.1 innings. His two-year mark stands at 5-1 with 44 strikeouts in 40.0 innings.
 
Corbin Martin, pitcher (Arizona Diamondbacks)
Martin pitched in seven games, including two starts, in his second season with the Diamondbacks. He posted an 0-1 record with a 4.84 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 22.1 innings. His three-year mark stands at 1-5 with 53 strikeouts in 57.2 innings.
 
Daniel Mengden, pitcher (Kansas City Royals)
Mengden pitched in five games, including one start, in his first season with the Royals. He posted a 0-1 record with eight strikeouts in 7.0 innings. His six-year mark stands at 17-21 with a 4.65 ERA and 232 strikeouts in 309.2 innings.
 
A.J. Minter, pitcher (Atlanta Braves)
Minter has been one of the Braves' key relievers in 2022. He has notched season bests in wins (5), appearances (75), innings pitched (70.0) and strikeouts (94). He owns a 5-4 record with five saves, a 2.06 ERA and 0.914 WHIP. His six-year mark stands at 16-19 with 25 saves, a 3.24 ERA and 305 strikeouts in 249.2 innings.
 
Tyler Naquin, outfielder (Cincinnati Reds/New York Mets)
Naquin split time with the Reds and Mets this season, totaling 104 games. He batted .232 with 46 runs, 19 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs and 46 RBI. In his 48 games since joining the Mets, he has seven doubles, two triples, four home runs and 13 RBI. His seven-year totals include a .265 batting average with 439 hits, 97 doubles, 12 triples, 61 home runs and 237 RBI in 556 games.
 
Brooks Raley, pitcher (Tampa Bay Rays)
Raley has been a standout in the Rays' bullpen in 2022. He has logged season bests in appearances (60), innings pitched (53.2) and saves (6). He owns a 1-2 record to go with the half-dozen saves, 2.68 ERA, 0.969 WHIP and 61 strikeouts. His five-year MLB total stands at 4-8 with nine saves, a 4.64 ERA and 183 strikeouts in 161.0 innings.
 
Ross Stripling, pitcher (Toronto Blue Jays)
Stripling recorded career bests for wins (10), innings pitched (134.1), ERA (3.01) and WHIP (1.020) during his 2022 campaign. He pitched 32 games, including 24 starts, posting a 10-4 record with one save and 111 strikeouts. His seven-year mark stands at 38-38 with a 3.78 ERA and 622 strikeouts, as well as a 2018 MLB All-Star Game selection.
 
Michael Wacha, pitcher (Boston Red Sox)
Wacha had a resurgent season with the Red Sox. He pitched in 23 games, all starts, posting an 11-2 record with a 3.32 ERA, 1.115 WHIP, 104 strikeouts and one shutout in 127.1 innings. His 10-year mark stands at 74-50 with a 4.05 ERA and 1,021 strikeouts, as well as accolades as the 2013 National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player and a 2015 MLB All-Star Game selection.