MLB Opening Day Rosters: As the 2024 Major League Baseball season kicked off on Thursday, the UCLA baseball program celebrated a significant achievement, with ten alumni making the Opening Day rosters of various teams.
Four UCLA stars have secured spots on their teams’ active rosters. These include Jake Bird, a right-handed pitcher for the Colorado Rockies; Griffin Canning, another right-hander with the Los Angeles Angels; Brandon Crawford, an infielder now with the St. Louis Cardinals; and Michael Toglia, an infielder/outfielder also with the Rockies.
Two distinguished MLB managers and UCLA graduates, Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Torey Lovullo of the Arizona Diamondbacks are back to lead their teams, showcasing UCLA’s unique contribution to MLB leadership.
Additionally, four Bruins alumni begin the season on the Major League Injured List, including right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole (New York Yankees), infielder Matt McLain (Cincinnati Reds), outfielder Garrett Mitchell (Milwaukee Brewers), and right-handed pitcher Zack Weiss (Minnesota Twins).
This year is a milestone for Bird and Toglia, marking their first participation in Opening Day festivities. It’s also Crawford’s inaugural Opening Day with the Cardinals after his long tenure with the San Francisco Giants.
Bird is entering his third season with the Rockies, having made 108 bullpen appearances over the past two years and showing improvement in his sophomore year with a 4.33 ERA and 117 ERA+.
Canning is about to start his fifth season with the Angels, coming off a year with personal bests in strikeouts, innings pitched, wins, FIP, and walks allowed per nine innings.
Crawford joins the Cardinals for his first year after a series of consistent Opening Day starts with the Giants, nearing career milestones in hits, home runs, RBIs, and games played.
Toglia, making his Opening Day debut, has already had two seasons with the Rockies, showing promise this spring and expecting to contribute both at first base and in the outfield.
Reference
https://uclabruins.com/news/2024/3/28/baseball-ten-bruin-alums-named-to-2024-mlb-opening-day-rosters