Miami Hurricanes on 2021 Opening Day MLB rosters
Several former Miami Hurricanes baseball players are on the opening day rosters of Major League baseball teams. Led by Chicago White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal and his backup Zach Collins several former Miami baseball players began their MLB seasons on Thursday. Two other former Hurricanes are on MLB rosters.
Los Angeles Angeles veteran outfielder Jon Jay and Detroit Tigers pitcher Bryan Garcia round out the quartet of former Miami baseball players beginning the season on MLB rosters. Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun and San Francisco Giants pitcher Andrew Suarez also played in MLB in 2020
Braun is reportedly leaning towards retirement. Suarez signed with the LG Twins in the Korean Baseball League during the offseason. Braun had a borderline Hall of Fame career. Braun won the National League Rookie of the Year in 2007, Most Valuable Player in 2011 and has 352 career home runs.
Grandal has had a solid career with a .259 batting average, 100 home runs and 426 runs batted in during 11 MLB seasons. Grandal signed with Chicago during the 2020 offseason after previously playing in Milwaukee with Braun. In the White Sox season-opening loss to the Angels, Grandal was 0-3 with a strikeout and a walk.
We 👀🙌, @zackcollins0! Congrats on your first Opening Day start! https://t.co/L1EWMOusi9
— Miami Hurricanes Baseball (@CanesBaseball) April 1, 2021
Collins was three spots down in the order from Grandal hitting eighth as the Chicago designated hitter. The 2016 first-round by Chicago was 0-4. Jay was part of the winning side against Chicago but did not play in the season opener. Garcia did not pitch in the 4-3 season-opening win for Detroit over the Cleveland Indians.
Garcia was 1-0 with a 1.66 earned run average and four saves during his first full Major League season in 2020. Collins was an elite hitter at Miami but has yet to show similar prowess during his career in Chicago. In 106 career at-bats, Collins has a .160 batting average, .276 on-base percentage, and .302 slugging percentage.
Next. History of Miami Hurricanes in MLB All-Star Game. dark
The 2021 season is a pivotal one for Collins. Collins is arbitration-eligible in 2023 and will reach free agency in 2027. If Collins does not start to produce he might not reach those milestones. Chicago drafted Collins as a power-hitting catcher who gets on base. Collins has frequently drawn walks but not produced otherwise.