FITP Update: Who’s In and Who’s Out in October?

Summer has officially ended, y’all, and that means baseball season is coming to an end. This season, eight former Frogs made appearances in the MLB: Jake Arrieta, Andrew Cashner, Matt Carpenter, Jason Coats, Taylor Featherston, Brandon Finnegan, Bryan Holaday, and Matt Purke. There were ups and downs all around, but there are two Frogs who will be going on to the postseason. Read more to find out.

Taylor Featherston (2B/Philadelphia Phillies) - Taylor Featherston made a brief appearance for the Philadelphia Phillies in July and August. In 19 games, he posted a .115 AVG before re-joining the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The Phillies finished 4th in the National League East, so their season is finished. We hope to see more of Featherston next year, but let’s be honest: If you have to play in the minors, then you want to play for a team called the IronPigs.

Matt Purke (P/Chicago White Sox) – We saw Matt Purke pitch for the White Sox back in May and June. He finished his MLB appearance with a 5.50 ERA and a 1.78 WHIP. As a relief pitcher, he walked into several messy situations and got the brunt of the emotions from White Sox fans. Hopefully a little more time in the minors will help with consistency issues and fine-tuning so he can be ready for his next appearance in the League.

Jason Coats (LF/Chicago White Sox) – Coats got off to a rocky start this year with the White Sox. He ended his first MLB game with stitches after a colliding with a teammate. This year also saw him hit his first MLB home run and 4 RBIs. He finished with a .200 AVG. The White Sox finished the season in 4th place in the AL Central. While Coats’ field performance was fine, I think his offseason will probably be focused on hitting. We’re excited to see how he does if given a full season with the White Sox in 2017.

Brandon Finnegan (P/Cincinnati Reds) – While Finnegan had a rough season, Reds fans need to have a come-to-Jesus moment and realize that it wasn’t just him. The Reds struggled as a whole, which is why they ended up in last place in the NL Central with 68 wins and 94 losses. Finnegan completed the season with a 3.98 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. He had a personal win/loss record of 10-11. When looking at his stats, he was definitely a lot more dependable. As a result, he pitched deeper into the game. While he was frequently pitching 2-5 innings in the beginning of the year, he was pitching 5-7 innings by the end. Here’s hoping that the Reds take a much needed vacation before hitting the batting cages this fall and winter if they hope to have a successful 2017.

Andrew Cashner (P/Miami Marlins) – After our All-Star Update, Cashner was traded. While everyone saw the trade coming, he didn’t go to the Rangers, like many thought he would. Instead, the Marlins snagged him. After a month of losses in August, September was a little more successful for him with a 50/50 record of wins and losses. On the season, he finished with a 5.25 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP, with a personal win/loss record of 5-11. The Marlins finished 3rd in the NL East with 79 wins and 82 losses. As long as Cashner doesn’t get blown away in his first hurricane this week, we should see him next year in the bright colors of Miami.

Matt Carpenter (3B/St. Louis Cardinals) – Carpenter had a busy year on and off the field. He became a dad and continued to be a top performer for the Cardinals. He ended the season with a .271 AVG, 21 HRs, and 68 RBIs. Unfortunately, the Cardinals finished 2nd in the NL Central and failed to clinch a Wild Card spot this year, totaling 86 wins and 76 losses. The Mets and Giants grabbed wild card spots, with each one having 87 wins. I’m guessing Carpenter isn’t too upset to have more time with his wife and little girl right now. We’ll be anxious to see him next year as the Cardinals look to be a contender for the 2017 postseason.

Bryan Holaday (C/Boston Red Sox) – I have to say I was really bummed when the Rangers traded Holaday to the Red Sox this season. He made it very clear that he’s always wanted to play for the Rangers, so it was frustrating to see him get moved. But I guess if you have to get traded, it might as well be to another team that’s headed to the postseason: the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox clinched the AL East with 93 wins and 69 losses. Holaday finished the regular season with a .231 AVG, 2 HRs, and 14 RBIs. The Red Sox will play away this Thursday, October 6 at 8 PM EST against Cleveland.

Jake Arrieta (P/Chicago Cubs) – The Cubs are headed to the postseason, which is no surprise to anyone. They clinched the National League with 103 wins and 58 losses. Arrieta hasn’t had as strong a season this year as he did last year, but he still ended the regular season with a 3.10 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. His win/loss record is 18-8. The Cubs will play at home on Friday, October 7 at 8:15 PM EST. They’ll play the winner of Wednesday’s game between the wild card Mets and Giants.

While we hate to see baseball season nearing and end, these former Frogs deserve a big break and a thank you for representing TCU so well this year. Now everyone don your Red Sox and Cubs hats for the postseason and cheer on our two remaining Frogs in the race to the World Series this year! GO FROGS!