#MoragaMade takes a look at former SMC Gael baseball standouts who are continuing their careers at the MiLB and MLB levels.
 
CORBIN BURNES – MILWAUKEE BREWERS
The turnaround for former Gaels standout Corbin Burnes has been spectacular, as he has blossomed into one of the best pitchers in the National League. Through the 30^th of June, Burnes sports a 2.53 earned run average across 74.2 innings atop the Brewers rotation, making 13 starts. His numbers across the board have been stellar, striking out 115 and walking just 14 and holding hitters to a .200 batting average. When taking advanced metrics into account, he has a well-above-average ERA+ of 162 and a sterling 1.18 FIP, both that would rank among the leaders in the league.
 
The claim for fame for Burnes during the season was his historic streak without walking a batter to begin the 2021 campaign, where struck out 58 hitters before allowing his first walk of the year. The streak ended on May 14 against the St. Louis Cardinals, when he allowed a walk in the fifth inning. Since then, Burnes has walked 13 and struck out 57 in 40.1 innings, so his numbers have regressed, but he still ranks tied for seventh in the National League in strikeouts and WHIP (0.92). With the All-Star rosters being announced shortly, there is a good chance some combination of Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Freddy Peralta make the All-Star game in Colorado.
 
PATRICK WISDOM – CHICAGO CUBS
Another turnaround that has garnered a ton of attention during the 2021 MLB season is that of Patrick Wisdom, who is getting a chance to shine with the Chicago Cubs. After getting just 88 plate appearances in his first eight season of professional baseball, Wisdom has appeared in 32 games for the injury-riddled Cubs and has helped them stay in playoff contention. Wisdom has already hit 11 home runs (out of his 23 hits), while maintaining a slash line of .277/.341/.699, for an OPS of 1.039. He was called up on May 25 and it does not appear he will be heading down anytime soon.
 
In his first ten starts as a Chicago Cub, Wisdom belted eight home runs, tying Aristides Aquino for the most by any player in his first 10 games with a team since 1900. He found a lot of success hitting against California teams, as the Cubs played the Padres six times and the Giants four times during a 10-game stretch to begin June. During that run, Wisdom hit seven home runs and drove in 11 runs, helping him earn the National League's Player of the Week award on June 7. Despite a return to earth in recent weeks, Wisdom did hit his 11^th home run of the season while coming off the bench on June 28 in a loss to the Burnes' Brewers.
 
TONY GONSOLIN – LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Tony Gonsolin is back in the starting rotation for the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, as they try to chase down the San Francisco Giants for first place in the National League West. After battling through an injury to begin the year, Gonsolin has made four starts for the Dodgers in the month of June and sports a 2.77 earned run average in 13 innings. He's struggled with walks, allowing 10 free passes, but also has not been given the chance to work deep into games as he returns from injury.
 
In his most recent outing, against Wisdom's Cubs, Gonsolin worked four innings of one-hit baseball, while striking out seven and throwing just 69 pitches. It was his best outing of his brief 2021 season, but on track with what he has done in the past. Gonsolin owns a 2.62 ERA across 99.2 MLB innings, and earned three starts in the Dodgers postseason run last year, including two starts in the World Series against Tampa Bay. As the "dog days of summer" progress, expect Gonsolin to be an important piece to the Dodgers title defense.
 
KYLE BARRACLOUGH – ST. PAUL SAINTS
After spending five seasons at the major league level with the Miami Marlins, Washington Nationals, and San Francisco Giants, Kyle Barraclough is attempting to get back to the big leagues with the Minnesota Twins. Barraclough began the year in the New York Yankees organization, but was signed by the Twins earlier in June and assigned to their triple-A affiliate in St. Paul. Across 13 total outings at the AAA-level this year, Barraclough has posted a 3.86 ERA and struck out 26 in just 16.1 innings. With the Twins struggling and perhaps on the verge of trading players at the trade deadline, Barralough might get the call back to the majors soon.
 
DREW STROTMAN – DURHAM BULLS
Drew Strotman is one of seven Gaels to be drafted in the fourth round or higher (fourth round, 2017), and is now just one level away from his MLB debut. Strotman reached advanced-A in 2019, but has spent the entire 2021 season with the AAA Durham Bulls, affiliates of the American League champion Tampa Bay Rays. Pitching primarily out of the rotation, Strotman has made nine appearances (eight starts) and owns a 5-2 record with a 4.58 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 39.1 innings. The Rays have been dealing with injuries to their pitching staff, most notably to Tyler Glasnow, so a late-season call-up for Strotman could be in play.
 
NATE NOLAN – CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS
After spending the 2019 season across three levels within the Chicago White Sox system, Nate Nolan has found his home at the AAA-affiliate of the White Sox. With the Charlotte Knights, Nolan has four home runs in 21 games. His bat has started to come around over the last seven games, where he has a pair of home runs and has scored in five of his last seven games with three runs batted in. Nolan has thrown out 24% of attempted base stealers against him in 2021. While the White Sox have a former All-Star in Yasmani Grandal behind the plate, Nolan is not far away from a potential call-up.
 
KEN WALDICHUK – SOMERSET PATRIOTS
Few pitchers in affiliated baseball had starts to the 2021 season better than Ken Waldichuk. Pitching at A-Advanced in the New York Yankees system, the former Gael made seven starts for Hudson Valley and did not allow a single run (earned or unearned) in 30.2 innings. As if that wasn't impressive enough, he held opponents to a .120 batting average, while striking out 55, including one start where he struck out every out he recorded (10 total). This earned the Yankees fifth-round selection from 2019 a promotion to AA, where he is with the Somerset Patriots and has made two starts, striking out 17 in 10 innings.
 
JOE VRANESH – GREAT LAKES LOONS
Speed seems to be lost in a lot of levels of baseball, but Joe Vranesh is making an effort to bring it back. A member of the Great Lakes Loons, A-Advanced in the Los Angeles Dodgers system, Vranesh has swiped 11 bases in 31 games. That mark is good for second-best on the Loons roster, and ninth-best in the league. His average sits at just .229, but this is his first full-season of affiliated baseball after COVID-19 wiped away the entire 2021 season. He was hitting .320 with a .925 OPS in rookie ball during the 2019 season after he was drafted in the 15^th round by the Dodgers. Give hime some time, and Vranesh will be back to his mashing ways.