Bader, Maddox, Zunino Headline Gators in the Pros

GAINESVILLE, Fla.—With the close of the 2017 MLB regular season on Sunday, it's time to take a look at how the Gators faired in pro ball during the past season. The year featured three MLB debuts -- Harrison Bader (Cardinals), Nolan Fontana (Angels) and Austin Maddox (Red Sox).

Maddox and the Red Sox are still alive in the MLB Playoffs and will begin postseason play on Thursday against the Houston Astros.

Peter Alonso (First Base, New York Mets, 2016 Draft Class)

Alonso made a big impression in the minor leagues this season, rising all the way up to No. 7 on the Mets' top prospects list on MLB.com. The first baseman spent most of his season in Single-A with the St. Lucie Mets of the Florida State League where he had the second-most home runs (16) and 10th-most RBIs (58). He was promoted to Double-A Binghamton on August 24 and continued to perform at a high level, posting a slash line of .311/.340/.578 in 11 games.

Harrison Bader (Outfield, St. Louis Cardinals, 2015 Draft Class)

Bader (pictured right) was another Gator to make his Major League debut this season. After mashing 20 home runs and stealing 15 bases at Triple-A Memphis, the Cardinals called up Bader on July 25 and he had a memorable opening night. After doubling to start off the ninth inning, the rookie came around to score the winning run. The 23-year-old finished the season with the big club, notching three home runs, three doubles and 10 RBI in 85 at-bats.

Dane Dunning (Pitcher, Chicago White Sox, 2016 Draft Class)

After being traded in the offseason from Washington to the Chicago White Sox, Dunning made a quick impression at Low-A Kannapolis and was promoted to Winston-Salem. The former first-round pick totaled eight wins and a WHIP of 1.15. During his stay in Winston-Salem, Dunning finished high in the Carolina League rankings with an ERA of 3.51 (fourth), 135 strikeouts (fourth) and a 1.27 WHIP (fifth). Baseball America rated him the 10th overall prospect in the Carolina League.

Nolan Fontana (Shortstop, Los Angeles Angels, 2012 Draft Class)

Fontana made his MLB Debut on May 22 as a call-up to the Los Angeles Angels. He saw limited action with the Angels the remainder of the season, playing in 12 games, but had a solid year at the Triple-A level with the Salt Lake Bees. He hit .271 with 26 doubles and four homers while scoring 82 runs in 105 games. He had 51 RBIs and 14 stolen bases for the Bees.

Austin Maddox (Pitcher, Boston Red Sox, 2012 Draft Class)

Maddox spent time in Double-A and Triple-A before making his Major League debut on June 17. The right-hander was shuttled between Triple-A Pawtucket and Boston four times before settling in with the big club for good on September 1. Maddox tallied 13 appearances for the Red Sox, pitching a total of 17.1 innings with an ERA of 0.52. He struck out more batters (14) than he allowed hits to (13) and kept his WHIP below one (0.87).

Darren O'Day (Pitcher, Baltimore Orioles, 2008 Draft Class)

O'Day continued to be a regular in the Orioles bullpen in 2017, playing in 64 games and posting a 3.43 ERA over 60.1 innings. He had a 1.08 WHIP and limited opponents to a .193 batting average.

A.J. Puk (Pitcher, Oakland Athletics, 2016 Draft Class)

Puk split time between Single-A Stockton and Double-A Midland in 2017. The big southpaw logged 125 innings over 24 starts while striking out 184, third-most in the minor leagues. He led the minors with 13.2 strikeouts per nine innings and was rated as the No. 2 prospect in the California League by Baseball America. On top of a solid season, Puk also pitched for Team USA in the MLB Futures Game on All-Star Weekend as Oakland's lone representative in the game.

Mike Zunino (Catcher, Seattle Mariners, 2012 Draft Class)

Zunino (pictured right) had his best season as a major leaguer in 2017. The former Golden Spikes winner put up career-highs in home runs (25), batting average (.251), RBI (64), doubles (25) and walks (39). He played in 124 games for the Mariners as their primary catcher.

Other stand out performances of note:

Taylor Gushue (Catcher, Washington Nationals, 2014 Draft Class) was traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates organization to the Nationals last September and he hit 18 home runs with 67 RBIs for the Single-A Potomac Nationals.
Scott Moss (Pitcher, Cincinnati Reds, 2016 Draft Class) spent the year with the Single-A Dayton Dragons of the Midwest League. The Reds' 29th-ranked prospect led the league with 156 strikeouts, finished second with 13 wins and seventh with a WHIP of 1.19.
Brian Johnson (Pitcher, Boston Red Sox, 2012 Draft Class) was called up to the big club from Triple-A Pawtucket to make five starts. The Red Sox's 14th-ranked prospect went 2-0 in those starts, including a complete game shutout against Seattle on May 27.
Josh Tobias (Infield, Boston Red Sox, 2015 Draft Class) hit .345 for the Single-A Salem Red Sox before getting called up to the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs. The Red Sox's 27th-ranked prospect finished the season with 119 hits and a slash line of .284/.341/.382.
Preston Tucker (Outfield, Houston Astros, 2012 Draft Class) had 24 home runs and 96 RBIs in 128 games for the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies this season.

For a complete list of all former Gators in the professional ranks, click here.

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