Austin Nola with a solo HR today

Man, he looks different. I've checked in on his stats from time to time, since he graduated, but that video is the first time I've actually seen him in 7 years. He stands taller, has a much quicker looking swing, and just physically looks nothing like I remember.

Good for him. Think about how many players from that '09 team that have made the big leagues, and some have had notable success there. And the most talented guy on the team is the one who hasn't made it yet, thanks in part to injuries.

Ranaudo, Coleman, Schimpf, Lemahieu, Nola, and Mahtook have all made it, for sure. And to think of the guys who haven't made it, like Mitchell, Dean, Gibbs and even Ochinko was a very solid college hitter. What a team; especially offensively. Didn't have much pitching depth, but it had the horses it needed to get by.

He looks like he belongs out there. Wish it had happened sooner for him

My wife and I caught him in a game on Wednesday at Comerica Park in Detroit. He started in right field and came in at first late in the game. He is the leading hitter on the Mariners. After all these years, he looks like he fits in the majors.

quote:

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Who?

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I assume he’s referring to Jared Mitchell. He had a pretty gruesome Achilles injury a year or two after he was drafted.