Former Gamecock to make Major League Baseball debut this week
A former South Carolina baseball player is headed to the major leagues.
Former Gamecock Jonah Bride is being called up by the Oakland A’s, he confirmed to The State on Monday. The news was first reported by The Athletic’s Melissa Lockhard. The move is likely to become official on Tuesday. Oakland was off on Monday.
Bride had been with the Las Vegas Aviators, Oakland’s Triple-A team, but was pulled from the game on Sunday.
Bride started the season in Double-A Midland but was promoted to Las Vegas. In 39 games this season combined, he is hitting .346 with five homers and 29 RBI.
Bride has played first, second and third base in the minors and has also seen time at catcher this year.
“It was first like, ‘Wow, OK, that’s a lot,’” Bride told The Athletic this spring on moving to catcher.. “But then, as I kind of thought about it, I made a couple of calls to people that I’m close with and are important to me and have always directed me, and it was like, ‘this is whatever it takes.’ And if they want me to do this and give this a shot, I’m all into it, I’m gonna give everything I have and see where it takes me.”
Bride was a 23rd-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft and was an all-star in the New York-Penn League during his first season in the minor leagues. He is ranked as the No. 26 prospect in the A’s organization by MLB Pipeline.
At South Carolina, Bride played three seasons after transferring from Neosho Junior College. He had a solid senior campaign, hitting .307 with four homers and 31 RBI.
Gamecocks in the MLB
A list of current former South Carolina players on Major League Baseball rosters: Stats as of June 13:
Jackie Bradley Jr., Boston Red Sox
2022 stats: .222, HR, 20 RBI
Jonah Bride, Oakland A’s
2022 stats: Called up this week
Will Crowe, Pittsburgh Pirates
2022 stats: 24 appearances, 2-3 2.35 ERA, 38 Ks in 36 IP
Whitt Merrifield, Kansas City Royals
2022 stats: 225, 3 HRs, 25 RBI, 7 SB
Jordan Montgomery, New York Yankees
2022 stats: 12 appearances, 2-1, 2.70 ERA, 51 Ks in 66 2/3 IP
Cody Morris, Cleveland Guardians
Injured, hasn’t played this season.
Max Schrock, Cincinnati Reds
Injured, hasn’t played this season.
Christian Walker, Arizona Diamondbacks
2022 stats: .207, 15 HRs, 31 RBI
The State’s Michael Sauls contributed to this report.
This story was originally published June 13, 2022 at 2:59 PM.
