The Journal region could have a few players reach the majors this season, but only one local starts the season on a Major League Baseball (MLB) roster: Mike Tauchman of the Chicago Cubs.
The Palatine native and Fremd alum is currently participating in his seventh season in MLB and his second with the historic Cubs franchise. He hit .252 with 85 hits, 8 HR, 48 RBI, 64 R, 18 2B and 7 stolen bases in 108 games last season, his first year with the Cubs.
He made his season debut on Easter Sunday, March 31, going 0 for 2 with 3 walks and 2 runs scored in a 9–5 victory over the defending World Series champions, Texas. Rangers. It was the Cubs’ first victory (1-2) of the season.
Tauchman played in 366 regular season games and is hitting .238 with 219 hits, 25 HR, 48 2B, 2 3B, 126 RBI, 159 R and 24 stolen bases at the highest level of baseball.
Before joining the Cubs, Tauchman played for the Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants.
In the minor leagues, Antoine Kelly, formerly of Maine East, begins the season in Triple-A for the Texas Rangers with the Round Rock Express. He’s made just one scoreless appearance so far and the lanky left-handed pitcher is hoping to make his MLB debut this year. He’s in his fifth season in the minors, but he’s coming off a strong 2023 season. He was 3-1 with a 2.04 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A last season.
Hersey alumnus Brett Harris opens the season as a top-15 prospect for the Oakland Athletics and is, according to some publications, expected to reach the majors this season. The third baseman opens the 2024 season in Triple-A with the Las Vegas Aviators. This is his second season in Triple-A after appearing in 36 games for the team last year, where he hit .271 with 35 hits, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 19 R, 7 2B and 4 stolen goals. The 2021 seventh-round pick has played in 247 minor league games as of Monday, April 1 and is hitting .280 (250-for-894) with 29 HR, 139 RBI, 153 R, 48 2B, 5 3B and 24 stolen bases.
Glenbrook South alum Fitz Stadler begins the season with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. He debuted in the minors in 2018 and pitched again in 2019, before the 2020 season was canceled. He returned to the minors in 2021, but missed the 2022 season due to injury. He returned again in 2023 and went 4-1 with a 3.96 ERA in 30 appearances between Single-A and Double-A. Before his injuries, he had already reached Triple-A in 2021.
Hersey alumnus Quinn Gudaitis begins the 2024 season with the Detroit Tigers’ Single-A affiliate, the Lakeland Flying Tigers. He went 5-4 with a 5.26 ERA in 38 appearances last season in his first full season in the minor leagues.
St. Viator alum Jack Mahoney enters his second season with the Colorado Rockies minor league organization after being drafted in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft. The right-handed pitcher opened 2024 in as a hope ranked n°28 by purplerow.com. He played in two games for the ACL Rockies last year, Colorado’s rookie league affiliate. Its mission for 2024 had not been announced as of April 1.
Maine West alumnus Emmett Olson, a left-handed pitcher, was drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins. He pitched in 1 game last season for the FCL Marlins after being selected 110th overall in the draft. The 2024 season will be his first full season, but like Mahoney, his assignment for 2024 has not yet been announced.
Niles Notre Dame alum Bryan Broecker was also selected in the 2023 MLB Draft and the second-year catcher begins the 2024 season with the Tampa Bay Rays’ Single-A affiliate, the Charleston RiverDogs. In 21 combined minor league games last year, he was hitting .152 (10-for-66) with 2 HR, 9 RBI, 9 R, and 3 stolen bases.
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