Photo by: Cincinnati Reds/New York Mets
Baseball Pro Update - 2019 Season Review
Nov 02 | Baseball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – With the World Series over, take a look back at the 2019 season for former Rutgers baseball players at the professional level. Todd Frazier, a recent inductee into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame, completed his ninth season in the big leagues, while Brian O'Grady broke into the ranks with a call-up to the Cincinnati Reds in August. Patrick Kivlehan wrapped up his eighth year in pro baseball and popped 29 home runs to rank fourth in the International League. Five other Scarlet Knights competed in affiliated ball, including Serafino Brito, who made his debut after being selected by the Cleveland Indians in June. In addition, both Nate Roe and Michael Lang played in independent leagues.
SCARLET KNIGHTS IN THE PROS
Todd Frazier – New York Mets
Brian O'Grady – Cincinnati Reds
Patrick Kivlehan – Buffalo Bison (Toronto Blue Jays, Triple-A)
Max Herrmann – Mobile BayBears (Los Angeles Angels, Double-A)
John O'Reilly – Altoona Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates, Double-A)
Nick Matera – Clearwater Thrashers (Philadelphia Phillies, A-Advanced)
Jawuan Harris – Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres, A)
Serafino Brito – Mahoning Valley Scrappers (Cleveland Indians, A-Short Season)
Nate Roe – Somerset Patriots (Atlantic League)
Michael Lang – St. Paul Saints (American Association)
TODD FRAZIER | BASEBALL-REFERENCE PAGE
Frazier completed his ninth season in the major leagues in 2019, hitting 21 homers to reach at least 20 for the fifth time. He is up to 214 career long balls. In addition, the third baseman knocked in 67 runs this season for the Mets to make it 624 career RBIs. The third baseman, who is a two-time all-star, has played in 1,186 MLB games overall and has over 1,000 hits.
One of the most accomplished players in Rutgers history, Frazier ranks first in the RU record book with 42 career home runs and 210 runs during his three seasons (2005-07) in Piscataway. He hit .377 with 93 hits, 24 doubles, 22 home runs, 65 RBIs, 62 walks and 25 stolen bases in a memorable All-America 2007 season that saw the Scarlet Knights win the Big East regular season and tournament. Frazier batted .520 (13-for-25) with three homers and seven RBIs in the tournament held in Brooklyn to help lead Rutgers to an NCAA Regional berth. He was selected by Cincinnati as the 34th overall selection in 2007 and was inducted into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame Oct. 18.
O'Grady earned a call-up to the Reds and made his MLB debut on Aug. 8. He played in 28 games in the big leagues and hit home runs at Seattle and at Pittsburgh. Appearing at five different positions at Triple-A Louisville, O'Grady was named the Reds' Minor League Player of the Year after belting a team-record 28 homers, tied for fifth in the International League, with 30 doubles 77 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and a .909 OPS.
A third-team all-conference pick as a senior in at Rutgers, he led or tied the team lead with 67 hits, five home runs, five triples, 104 total bases, 20 multiple-hit games and a .510 slugging percentage. O'Grady hit .328 for the season with an on-base percentage of .402, also recording 40 runs and 13 stolen bases. He hit a memorable walk-off home run in the bottom of the 14th inning against Temple to end a four hour, 10 minute game at Bainton Field. He finished his collegiate career ranked third in RU baseball history with 771 career at bats, seventh with 227 hits, ninth with 105 walks and tied for 10th with 46 doubles and 10 triples and was picked in the eighth round in 2014.
Kivlehan was traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Toronto Blue Jays in May and spent the majority of the year at Triple-A Buffalo. He ended up hitting a career-high 32 homers for the season, including 29 to rank fourth in the International League. Kivlehan drove in 84 runs in 2019 and added 49 walks. He owns 132 games of MLB experience.
After a four-year football career at safety for the Scarlet Knights, Kivlehan joined the baseball program as a walk-on for the 2012 season. Readjusting to the sport for the first time since high school, Kivlehan won the starting job at third base and won the first league triple crown in Big East history with a .402 average, 10 home runs and 36 RBIs. Overall, he batted .392 with 14 home runs and 50 RBIs overall, to go with a .693 slugging percentage and .480 on-base percentage to win Big East Player of the Year and Third Team All-America by Baseball America. The Mariners took selected him in the fourth round of the 2012 MLB Draft and he made his debut with the San Diego Padres in 2016, hitting a home run his in first game.
Herrmann spent most of the season at Double-A Mobile and pitched in 12 games with eight starts. The left-hander also made four appearances at Triple-A Salt Lake and permitted only five earned runs over 16.2 innings. Overall, Herrmann logged 71.1 innings on the season and is up to 57 minor league games over three seasons with 127 strikeouts.
Herrmann finished his time as a Scarlet Knight ranked second in school history with 86 appearances and third with 15 saves, notching 92 strikeouts in 128.0 innings. As a senior captain in 2017, he collected a 3.31 ERA and six saves with 29 strikeouts and a .242 batting average against. A native of Rutherford, New Jersey, Herrmann was a four-time academic all-conference honoree and twice picked up Big Ten Distinguished Scholar status.
O'Reilly played on three different teams in the Pirates' system, finishing with a 1.46 ERA in 30 games in 2019. Starting at A-Greensboro, he had a 2.15 ERA over 20 appearances. The right-hander moved up to A-Advanced Bradenton and permitted just one earned run and 15 hits in 19 innings for a 0.47 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. That included a pair of saves. O'Reilly stepped up to Double-A Altoona to work a scoreless frame to close the year.
O'Reilly finished his collegiate career ranked second in program history with 49 starts, fourth with 300.2 innings and seventh with 174 strikeouts. A three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, he started each of the 14 weekend series in 2018 as the staff ace, working at least six innings nine times with one complete game allowing no earned runs to beat Penn State in the Big Ten opener. The right-hander tied for first among conference pitchers with 54.1 innings in league play and ranked fourth overall after the regular season with 86.1 innings on the mound. O'Reilly struck out 43 and induced 11 double plays throughout the campaign.
Matera played at four different levels in 2019, including playing one game at Triple-A Lehigh Valley and going 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. The catcher played the most at A-Advanced Clearwater with six RBIs in 14 games. He added a pair of homers for A-Lakewood.
Matera, who batted third or fourth in the lineup in each game started, led the Scarlet Knights with 18 extra-base hits and 35 RBIs in 2018. He blasted five home runs, knocked in 22 with two outs and totaled 11 multiple-RBI games. In addition, the catcher reached base safely in each of the first 18 games of the season, including a 10-game hitting streak during that stretch. Defensively, Matera tied for fifth in the Big Ten following the 2018 regular season with 12 runners caught stealing. He threw out nine in conference play the previous year to rank second in the league. The Phillies selected the New Jersey native in the 34th round.
Harris spent the entire season as the starting centerfielder for A-Fort Wayne and put up a .346 on-base percentage. That included 16 doubles, five triples, eight homers and 63 walks, which ranked tied for sixth in the Midwest League. Harris' 29 stolen bases was third in the league and he was on base in 16 of the final 17 games of the season.
A member of both the baseball and football programs at Rutgers, Harris ranks third in school history with 82 stolen bases, a number that led all Division I players over his three seasons. At the plate, Harris produced 22 doubles, seven triples, 13 home runs, 98 runs and 76 RBIs during his career. The centerfielder drew 81 walks to help record a .373 on-base percentage, including a team-best .391 OBP in conference play in this past season, to go with a .418 collegiate slugging mark. One of his highlights was a three-homer performance in the nightcap of a doubleheader at USC Upstate in 2017. Harris played wide receiver and safety on the gridiron. The Padres selected Harris in the seventh round.
Brito was selected in the 28th round by the Indians this past June to become the highest drafted Rutgers pitcher since Jack Egbert went in the 13th round to the Chicago White Sox in 2004. The right-hander began with the organization's rookie league affiliate, AZL Indians Red, and permitted only two earned runs in 9.2 innings for a 1.86 ERA. He lowered that to 1.25 in nine games at A-Short Season Mahoning Valley, logging eight scoreless appearances with 17 strikeouts and a .127 batting average against. Overall, Brito had a 1.44 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP in his first professional season.
A workhorse for the Scarlet Knights the past four seasons, Brito served in all roles on the pitching staff from starter to closer with 225 innings of action. He finished his career ranked tied for second in RU history with 86 games pitched, tied for fifth with 13 saves and eighth with 171 strikeouts. Brito appeared in 29 games this past season, ranked third in the Big Ten following the regular season and also tied for third in a season in the school record books. The Oakland, New Jersey, native held a 3.40 ERA in relief after serving as the starter on Opening Day and struck out 44 overall in 47 innings. As the closer, Brito picked up eight saves, including five in Big Ten play. The season mark sits tied for fifth in program history. In addition, he stranded 22-of-32 inherited runners and induced five double plays.
Roe completed his seventh pro season and second with the Somerset Patriots in the Atlantic League in 2019. The right-hander worked in 43 games out of the bullpen. Pitching 49 innings, he totaled 40 strikeouts and picked up a save.
Roe, who went through Tommy John surgery, pitched in 61 games for the Scarlet Knights over three seasons. He collected five saves as a senior, including one in the 2013 Big East Tournament with the tying run on second base to advance the team to the semifinals. His 26 games worked in 2010 rank tied for ninth-most in a season in program history. Roe has also pitched in Australia and in the Canadian-American Association.
In the midst of seventh season for the Sioux City Explorers, where he is the team's all-time hits leader, Lang was traded to the St. Paul Saints prior to the trade deadline in late July. Lang helped the Saints win the American Association championship over his former team, hitting a go-ahead double in the ninth inning in game two of the series that led to a sweep. Overall, Lang hit .277/.344/.437 on the season with 11 homers, 36 RBIs and 21 stolen bases. He has played in 715 professional games over eight years, hitting .292/.360/.430 with 51 homers and 164 steals.
During his time as a Scarlet Knight, Lang, who had a .338 career average, finished his career tied for fourth in school history with 229 career hits. He also ranks in the top 10 in the RU record book in career triples (tied fifth, 13), career total bases (fifth, 372), career runs (sixth, 176), career doubles (tied seventh, 48) and career home runs (tied 10th, 23). He capped his run by earning All-Big East status as a senior in 2011.
SCARLET KNIGHTS IN THE PROS
Todd Frazier – New York Mets
Brian O'Grady – Cincinnati Reds
Patrick Kivlehan – Buffalo Bison (Toronto Blue Jays, Triple-A)
Max Herrmann – Mobile BayBears (Los Angeles Angels, Double-A)
John O'Reilly – Altoona Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates, Double-A)
Nick Matera – Clearwater Thrashers (Philadelphia Phillies, A-Advanced)
Jawuan Harris – Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres, A)
Serafino Brito – Mahoning Valley Scrappers (Cleveland Indians, A-Short Season)
Nate Roe – Somerset Patriots (Atlantic League)
Michael Lang – St. Paul Saints (American Association)
TODD FRAZIER | BASEBALL-REFERENCE PAGE
Frazier completed his ninth season in the major leagues in 2019, hitting 21 homers to reach at least 20 for the fifth time. He is up to 214 career long balls. In addition, the third baseman knocked in 67 runs this season for the Mets to make it 624 career RBIs. The third baseman, who is a two-time all-star, has played in 1,186 MLB games overall and has over 1,000 hits.
One of the most accomplished players in Rutgers history, Frazier ranks first in the RU record book with 42 career home runs and 210 runs during his three seasons (2005-07) in Piscataway. He hit .377 with 93 hits, 24 doubles, 22 home runs, 65 RBIs, 62 walks and 25 stolen bases in a memorable All-America 2007 season that saw the Scarlet Knights win the Big East regular season and tournament. Frazier batted .520 (13-for-25) with three homers and seven RBIs in the tournament held in Brooklyn to help lead Rutgers to an NCAA Regional berth. He was selected by Cincinnati as the 34th overall selection in 2007 and was inducted into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame Oct. 18.
BRIAN O'GRADY | BASEBALL-REFERENCE PAGETHE TODDFATHER TIES IT. pic.twitter.com/ZGf1tObQJn
— MLB (@MLB) August 10, 2019
O'Grady earned a call-up to the Reds and made his MLB debut on Aug. 8. He played in 28 games in the big leagues and hit home runs at Seattle and at Pittsburgh. Appearing at five different positions at Triple-A Louisville, O'Grady was named the Reds' Minor League Player of the Year after belting a team-record 28 homers, tied for fifth in the International League, with 30 doubles 77 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and a .909 OPS.
A third-team all-conference pick as a senior in at Rutgers, he led or tied the team lead with 67 hits, five home runs, five triples, 104 total bases, 20 multiple-hit games and a .510 slugging percentage. O'Grady hit .328 for the season with an on-base percentage of .402, also recording 40 runs and 13 stolen bases. He hit a memorable walk-off home run in the bottom of the 14th inning against Temple to end a four hour, 10 minute game at Bainton Field. He finished his collegiate career ranked third in RU baseball history with 771 career at bats, seventh with 227 hits, ninth with 105 walks and tied for 10th with 46 doubles and 10 triples and was picked in the eighth round in 2014.
PATRICK KIVLEHAN | BASEBALL-REFERENCE PAGEBrian O'Mygoodness!#BornToBaseball pic.twitter.com/HcMn1jZtiV
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 11, 2019
Kivlehan was traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Toronto Blue Jays in May and spent the majority of the year at Triple-A Buffalo. He ended up hitting a career-high 32 homers for the season, including 29 to rank fourth in the International League. Kivlehan drove in 84 runs in 2019 and added 49 walks. He owns 132 games of MLB experience.
After a four-year football career at safety for the Scarlet Knights, Kivlehan joined the baseball program as a walk-on for the 2012 season. Readjusting to the sport for the first time since high school, Kivlehan won the starting job at third base and won the first league triple crown in Big East history with a .402 average, 10 home runs and 36 RBIs. Overall, he batted .392 with 14 home runs and 50 RBIs overall, to go with a .693 slugging percentage and .480 on-base percentage to win Big East Player of the Year and Third Team All-America by Baseball America. The Mariners took selected him in the fourth round of the 2012 MLB Draft and he made his debut with the San Diego Padres in 2016, hitting a home run his in first game.
MAX HERRMANN | BASEBALL-REFERENCE PAGEWith this 2nd inning homer run, Patrick Kivlehan became the 11th #Bisons player to hit 25 home runs in a season and the first since DH Mauro Gomez hit 29 in 2013. 👏👏👏#BlueJays pic.twitter.com/uyu2DpGOz5
— Buffalo Bisons (@BuffaloBisons) August 29, 2019
Herrmann spent most of the season at Double-A Mobile and pitched in 12 games with eight starts. The left-hander also made four appearances at Triple-A Salt Lake and permitted only five earned runs over 16.2 innings. Overall, Herrmann logged 71.1 innings on the season and is up to 57 minor league games over three seasons with 127 strikeouts.
Herrmann finished his time as a Scarlet Knight ranked second in school history with 86 appearances and third with 15 saves, notching 92 strikeouts in 128.0 innings. As a senior captain in 2017, he collected a 3.31 ERA and six saves with 29 strikeouts and a .242 batting average against. A native of Rutherford, New Jersey, Herrmann was a four-time academic all-conference honoree and twice picked up Big Ten Distinguished Scholar status.
JOHN O'REILLY | BASEBALL-REFERENCE PAGEOn vacation in Salt Lake City and just happened to catch @RutgersBaseball alum Max Herrmann pitching for the @SaltLakeBees. Go RU! pic.twitter.com/Ysssg85VRQ
— Julie Huebsch (@jahuebsch) June 22, 2019
O'Reilly played on three different teams in the Pirates' system, finishing with a 1.46 ERA in 30 games in 2019. Starting at A-Greensboro, he had a 2.15 ERA over 20 appearances. The right-hander moved up to A-Advanced Bradenton and permitted just one earned run and 15 hits in 19 innings for a 0.47 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. That included a pair of saves. O'Reilly stepped up to Double-A Altoona to work a scoreless frame to close the year.
O'Reilly finished his collegiate career ranked second in program history with 49 starts, fourth with 300.2 innings and seventh with 174 strikeouts. A three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, he started each of the 14 weekend series in 2018 as the staff ace, working at least six innings nine times with one complete game allowing no earned runs to beat Penn State in the Big Ten opener. The right-hander tied for first among conference pitchers with 54.1 innings in league play and ranked fourth overall after the regular season with 86.1 innings on the mound. O'Reilly struck out 43 and induced 11 double plays throughout the campaign.
NICK MATERA | BASEBALL-REFERENCE PAGE.@johnoreilly414 moves up to Double-A after allowing only one earned run in 19 innings (0.47 ERA) for Bradenton! https://t.co/rOG7pVXexK
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) September 1, 2019
Matera played at four different levels in 2019, including playing one game at Triple-A Lehigh Valley and going 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. The catcher played the most at A-Advanced Clearwater with six RBIs in 14 games. He added a pair of homers for A-Lakewood.
Matera, who batted third or fourth in the lineup in each game started, led the Scarlet Knights with 18 extra-base hits and 35 RBIs in 2018. He blasted five home runs, knocked in 22 with two outs and totaled 11 multiple-RBI games. In addition, the catcher reached base safely in each of the first 18 games of the season, including a 10-game hitting streak during that stretch. Defensively, Matera tied for fifth in the Big Ten following the 2018 regular season with 12 runners caught stealing. He threw out nine in conference play the previous year to rank second in the league. The Phillies selected the New Jersey native in the 34th round.
JAWUAN HARRIS | BASEBALL-REFERENCE PAGECongrats to Nick Matera, the first @RutgersBaseball alum to play for the Claws, who homered in his first BC at bat! Claws down 5-1 in the third. pic.twitter.com/ua5ltWXKv9
— Lakewood BlueClaws (@BlueClaws) July 4, 2019
Harris spent the entire season as the starting centerfielder for A-Fort Wayne and put up a .346 on-base percentage. That included 16 doubles, five triples, eight homers and 63 walks, which ranked tied for sixth in the Midwest League. Harris' 29 stolen bases was third in the league and he was on base in 16 of the final 17 games of the season.
A member of both the baseball and football programs at Rutgers, Harris ranks third in school history with 82 stolen bases, a number that led all Division I players over his three seasons. At the plate, Harris produced 22 doubles, seven triples, 13 home runs, 98 runs and 76 RBIs during his career. The centerfielder drew 81 walks to help record a .373 on-base percentage, including a team-best .391 OBP in conference play in this past season, to go with a .418 collegiate slugging mark. One of his highlights was a three-homer performance in the nightcap of a doubleheader at USC Upstate in 2017. Harris played wide receiver and safety on the gridiron. The Padres selected Harris in the seventh round.
SERAFINO BRITO | BASEBALL-REFERENCE PAGEThe craziest moment of my baseball career...so far. I thank god that I was able to have the opportunity and that my parents were there to watch...what a night🙏🏽☄️🔥 https://t.co/kJTsRVSdFf
— KING J (@JayHarris_1) July 19, 2019
Brito was selected in the 28th round by the Indians this past June to become the highest drafted Rutgers pitcher since Jack Egbert went in the 13th round to the Chicago White Sox in 2004. The right-hander began with the organization's rookie league affiliate, AZL Indians Red, and permitted only two earned runs in 9.2 innings for a 1.86 ERA. He lowered that to 1.25 in nine games at A-Short Season Mahoning Valley, logging eight scoreless appearances with 17 strikeouts and a .127 batting average against. Overall, Brito had a 1.44 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP in his first professional season.
A workhorse for the Scarlet Knights the past four seasons, Brito served in all roles on the pitching staff from starter to closer with 225 innings of action. He finished his career ranked tied for second in RU history with 86 games pitched, tied for fifth with 13 saves and eighth with 171 strikeouts. Brito appeared in 29 games this past season, ranked third in the Big Ten following the regular season and also tied for third in a season in the school record books. The Oakland, New Jersey, native held a 3.40 ERA in relief after serving as the starter on Opening Day and struck out 44 overall in 47 innings. As the closer, Brito picked up eight saves, including five in Big Ten play. The season mark sits tied for fifth in program history. In addition, he stranded 22-of-32 inherited runners and induced five double plays.
NATE ROE | BASEBALL-REFERENCE PAGE#Indians 22yr old RHP prospect Serafino Brito has not allowed a run over 12.2 innings since his promotion to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.
— Indians Prospective (@indiansPro) August 10, 2019
- 5G 12.2(IP) 6H 0R 0ER 2BB 11SO 0.00 ERA pic.twitter.com/SYY4GxEDoE
Roe completed his seventh pro season and second with the Somerset Patriots in the Atlantic League in 2019. The right-hander worked in 43 games out of the bullpen. Pitching 49 innings, he totaled 40 strikeouts and picked up a save.
Roe, who went through Tommy John surgery, pitched in 61 games for the Scarlet Knights over three seasons. He collected five saves as a senior, including one in the 2013 Big East Tournament with the tying run on second base to advance the team to the semifinals. His 26 games worked in 2010 rank tied for ninth-most in a season in program history. Roe has also pitched in Australia and in the Canadian-American Association.
MICHAEL LANG | BASEBALL-REFERENCE PAGEBALLGAME!!!
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) August 30, 2019
Nate Roe ⬇️⬇️⬇️ shuts the door for his first save of the season! Patriots win 5-3 pic.twitter.com/G6aHDMEOx5
In the midst of seventh season for the Sioux City Explorers, where he is the team's all-time hits leader, Lang was traded to the St. Paul Saints prior to the trade deadline in late July. Lang helped the Saints win the American Association championship over his former team, hitting a go-ahead double in the ninth inning in game two of the series that led to a sweep. Overall, Lang hit .277/.344/.437 on the season with 11 homers, 36 RBIs and 21 stolen bases. He has played in 715 professional games over eight years, hitting .292/.360/.430 with 51 homers and 164 steals.
During his time as a Scarlet Knight, Lang, who had a .338 career average, finished his career tied for fourth in school history with 229 career hits. He also ranks in the top 10 in the RU record book in career triples (tied fifth, 13), career total bases (fifth, 372), career runs (sixth, 176), career doubles (tied seventh, 48) and career home runs (tied 10th, 23). He capped his run by earning All-Big East status as a senior in 2011.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding baseball, follow the program on Twitter (@RutgersBaseball), Instagram (@rutgersbaseball) and Facebook (/BaseballRU). For additional updates, please download the Scarlet Knights App.Fun fact: Michael Lang started Woodstock. And now he's hitting @ticasino home runs for the Saints.#Woodstock50thAnniversary pic.twitter.com/ERKlV68Plr
— St. Paul Saints (@StPaulSaints) August 10, 2019
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