The buildup to the 2023 Major League Baseball season has been nothing short of eventful. From the Spring Training fields in Arizona and Florida to the packed stadiums around the globe during the World Baseball Classic, there’s an abundance of excitement around the new season.
This offseason has been particularly active for Long Beach natives, with more than 20 players getting to showcase their talents either in Spring Training or the WBC.
Long Beach State’s Jeff McNeil was right in the middle of the action during the title game of the World Baseball Classic. McNeil drew a tough walk against superstar Shohei Ohtani in the top of the ninth inning to represent the potential tying run for Team USA, but a double play and a momentous strikeout of Mike Trout secured the gold medal for Japan.
McNeil was one of a few former Dirtbags making their mark at the WBC. In fact, McNeil’s first at bat came against another LBSU product in pitcher Vance Worley of Great Britain. Worley, 35, had an eight-year MLB career, but hasn’t pitched in a big league game since 2017. He got the start in pool play against Team USA’s vaunted lineup, and worked 2.2 innings allowing two unearned runs on three hits.
Also out of Long Beach State, Jarren Duran made it to the WBC semifinals with Team Mexico. The speedy young outfielder appeared in six games, scoring a pair of runs and tying for the team lead with two stolen bases. He’ll look to carve out playing time with the Boston Red Sox this season, and has shown what he can do during Spring Training with an impressive .333 average and 1.122 OPS in his nine games this spring.
Long Beach had a particularly large contingent of athletes in this year’s Spring Training, from seasoned veterans all the way down to the young prospects looking to make their debut in The Show.
Former Dirtbag Evan Longoria is now with his third big league organization, and is set to play third base for the Arizona Diamondbacks this season. Fellow LBSU product Bryan Shaw is also with a new organization, posting a 1.08 ERA in 8.1 innings of relief this spring for the Chicago White Sox.
Another third baseman with a new club is former Lakewood Lancer and Long Beach State Dirtbag Matt Duffy. The Duff Man has hit .293 this spring with the Kansas City Royals, playing with his seventh different organization since 2016. Utilityman Garrett Hampson is now with Miami after spending his first five seasons in Colorado. The former Dirtbag got 38 at-bats this spring and stole a pair of bases.
Long Beach native Justin Turner moved to the American League where he’ll be the DH for the Boston Red Sox in 2023. It was a bumpy spring for the 38-year-old veteran who was hit by a pitch during an at-bat and was forced to have 16 stitches in his face. He was able to return from the scary incident and is hitting .348 through 11 games this spring.
Lakewood High alums J.P. Crawford (Seattle) and Travis d’Arnaud (Atlanta) remain stalwarts with their organizations and are in line to be key pieces for possible playoff teams in 2023.
Wilson High will also continue to have big league representation in 2023. Outfielder Aaron Hicks has gotten a ton of reps this spring with the New York Yankees, preparing for his eighth season in the Bronx. Fellow Bruin Chase De Jong remains with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he’ll look to play a key role in their bullpen once again. De Jong has worked 11.2 innings in Spring Training as he looks to build off his career year from 2022 when he posted a 2.64 ERA in 42 relief appearances.
This year also saw two generations of Millikan High grads competing in Spring Training. First baseman Jon Singleton is a remarkable comeback story in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. The 31-year-old hasn’t played in a big league game since 2015, but he’s gotten some solid playing time this spring appearing in 16 games while posting a .308 average and a solid .400 on-base percentage.
Meanwhile, youngster Spencer Steer is looking to carve out an everyday role at third base for the Cincinnati Reds. The Millikan product has an .864 OPS in 48 spring at-bats, smacking five doubles and a pair of home runs while collecting nine RBIs.
There were also some young Lakewood Lancers looking to showcase their skills at the big league level, including outfielder Brendon Davis. He made his MLB debut late last season for the Detroit Tigers and has hit .269 this spring while appearing in 22 games.
But fellow Lakewood grad Ricky Tiedemann could be the next MLB superstar out of the Moore League, given his rapid development and limitless upside. Tiedemann turned heads early in Spring Training with a dominant debut against the Tigers. At just 20 years old, the left-handed hurler worked a 1-2-3 inning with a pair of strikeouts, getting All-Star shortstop Javier Baez swinging on a 99.4 mph fastball.
“That was the first time I’ve ever hit 99 in a game,” Tiedemann told reporters after the game. “If I can have that in my back pocket, I’ll be pretty successful.”
Tiedemann only made one more appearance in Spring Training before shoulder soreness shut him down, but he’s already shown his elite stuff and he’ll remain a big part of Toronto’s future as well as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball this season.
A handful of other Long Beach State alums have gotten to compete in Spring Training this season, including right-handed pitcher Darren McCaughan, who made his big league debut with Seattle in 2021, and is hoping to get another look in The Show. McCaughan has been terrific this spring, making the most of his three relief appearances. He’s posted a 1.29 ERA in 7.0 innings, allowing just one run and one walk while racking up a pair of saves.
There’s also a handful of Dirtbags in search of their first big league promotion who received Spring Training invites this season. Lefthander Clayton Andrews posted a 2.70 ERA with six strikeouts in just 3.1 innings of work for the Milwaukee Brewers. Right-hander Nick Avila struck out 12 batters in 10 innings of work for the Chicago White Sox, including a start on the mound.
The defensively stout David Banuelos appeared in seven games behind the plate for the Minnesota Twins. Outfielder Connor Kokx, fresh out of the 2021 MLB Draft class, hit .300 in 10 at-bats for the Cleveland Guardians. And finally, reliever Eli Villalobos made four relief appearances for the Miami Marlins, posting a 3.86 ERA in 4.2 innings.
The 2023 Major League Baseball season will get underway on Thursday, Mar. 30, with all 30 MLB teams in action.
