MLB: Another season in the sun concludes for many local baseball products

For some Southwest Florida baseball products, the season ended in elation. For others, their season came to a close wondering if this year may be their last playing as a professional.

Florida Gulf Coast University product Michael Suchy ended his season hoisting a championship trophy in front of his hometown with the Bradenton Marauders, the Florida State League affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"It was a fun year," said Suchy who ended his season batting .246 with seven home runs and 47 RBIs. "Everyone always wants to end their season on a win. I'm glad we were able to accomplish that."

With Chicago White Sox All-Star Chris Sale leading the way, FGCU had another successful season of having its pitching products toe the rubber of Major League stadiums.

Sale, despite some off-field drama, is again putting together a Cy Young Award-worthy season on the mound. He currently leads the American League with a 3.08 earned-run average and has already reached the 200-strikeout plateau for a fourth consecutive season.

After a brief debut with the Major League club over the summer, Richard Bleier was recently recalled from the New York Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate in Scranton-Wilkes Barre after the end of the Barons’ season. In 18 games at the big-league level he has allowed five earned runs in 18 innings.

Jacob Barnes made his debut with the Milwaukee Brewers this season, going 0-1 with a 3.15 ERA and 19 strikeouts before soreness in his pitching shoulder forced him onto the disabled list in late July.  After completing a rehab assignment, Barnes should finish the year with the Brewers.

Another FGCU product, Casey Coleman, was hit with injuries near the end of the season that kept him from finishing the year on an active big league roster.

After opting out of his minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners organization in July, Coleman signed with the Tampa Bay Rays in August and reported to Triple-A Durham. He pitched well with the Bulls before a late-season injury ended  his season on a rehab assignment with the Charlotte Stone Crabs.

The Eagles are still waiting on their first position player to break through a Major League roster.

Utility player Stephen Wickens looked poised to become the first after starting the season with the Minnesota Twins’ Triple-A affiliate in Rochester. He hit .200 with three home runs and three stolen bases in 30 games and was released in July.

Another utility player from FGCU, Brandon Bednar, put himself in a position to make the San Francisco Giants’ big-league squad at some point in 2017 after a strong showing across two levels this season. Bednar hit .285 with 61 RBIs in 123 games with the Giants’ High-A and Double-A affiliates.

Other local products who were able to earn promotions this season include FGCU pitcher Brady Anderson (5-1, 1.89 ERA over two minor league stops), who made the jump from the Minnesota Twins’ Gulf Coast League team to Single-A Cedar Rapids, and the Brewers' Jordan Desguin who ended up with a 3.44 ERA over 70.1 innings combined in Rookie and Class A ball.

Righty Ricky Knapp might become the fifth pitcher from FGCU to reach the majors after being promoted all the way up to the New York Mets’ Triple-A affiliate in Binghamton after beginning the season in the Florida State League. He went a combined 13-6 with a 2.69 ERA in 24 starts this season.

"I'm really pleased with how things turned out this year," Knapp said. "Obviously getting to finish the year in Triple-A was a big step in the right direction for my career."

Knapp plans to take part in some instructional camps at the Mets' player development center in St. Lucie this winter with hopes of earning an invite to the big-league camp next spring training.

Former FGCU second baseman Jake Noll went from Rookie League to High-A with the Washington Nationals organization, batting .275 in 57 games over three levels. After batting .299 with the San Diego Padres’ Rookie League team, outfielder Tyler Selesky earned a promotion to Single-A where he finished the season with a .297 average.

LOCALS IN THE PROS (Through Sept. 15)
Batters
Brandon Bednar, 2B (FGCU) .285/6/61 with San Jose (SFG), A+/Richmond, AA
Dominic Blanco, C (Gulf Coast HS) .296/0/3 with Peoria AZ (SEA)/GCL Twins (MIN), RKL
Jake Noll, 2B (FGCU) .275/5/28 with Vero Beach, RKL/Auburn, A/Hagerstown (WAS), A+
Mike Reeves, C (FGCU) .244/3/16 with Dunedin (TOR), A+
Tim Roberson, C (FGCU) .247/4/18 with Portland (BOS), AA
Tyler Ross, C (Barron Collier HS) .224/4/38 with San Jose (SFG), A+
Tyler Selesky, 3B-OF (Estero/FGCU) .297/1/26 with Arizona, RKL/Fort Wayne (SDP), A
Michael Suchy, OF (FGCU) .246/7/47 with Bradenton (PIT), A+
Stephen Wickens, INF (FGCU) .200/3/5 with Rochester (MNT), AAA

Pitchers
Brady Anderson, RP (FGCU) 5-1/1.89/44Ks with GCL Fort Myers, RKL/Cedar Rapids (MIN), A
Jacob Barnes*, RP (FGCU) 0-1/3.15/19Ks in 20 IP with Milwaukee, MLB
Brandon Bixler, SP (FGCU) 0-2/17.18/1 with Lancaster (IND)
Richard Bleier*, RP (FGCU) 0-0/3.25/10Ks in 18 games with New York (AL), MLB
Casey Coleman, RP (FGCU) 4-1/2.59/58Ks with Tacoma (SEA)/Durham (TBR), AAA
Jordan Desguin, RP (FGCU) 5-4/3.44/70Ks with Helena, RKL/Wisconsin (MIL), A
Jason Forjet, SP (FGCU) 10-7/4.84/87 with San Jose (SFG), A+
Ricky Knapp. SP (FGCU) 13-6/2.69/115Ks with St. Lucie, A+/Binghamton, AA/Las Vegas (NYM), AAA
Kyle Miller, SP (Estero High) 5-2/2.57/56Ks with South Bend (CHC), A
Michael Murray, SP (FGCU) 5-4/4.86/62Ks  with Beloit (OAK), A
Matt Pearce, SP (Estero High) 9-12/3.08/103Ks with Palm Beach, A+/Springfield, AA (STL)
Joeanthony Rivera, RP (St. John Neumann High) 0-1/4.32/18Ks with Traverse City (IND)
Chris Sale*, SP (FGCU) 15-8/3.08/205Ks with Chicago (AL), MLB
Zach Tillery, RP (Barron Collier/FGCU) 1-1/8.10/12Ks with Cedar Rapids (MNT), A
Michael Zimmerman, SP (Gulf Coast HS) 1-8/6.52/16Ks with Boise (CHC), A-

*-season still active