UNC, Campbell, Duke, ECU, UNCW, Wake Forest
Lead Huge Group Of NC College Products In MLB
(Details, 2025 Midseason Stats Below)
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
(last updated July 17, 2025)
Approximately 50 baseball players who came through North Carolina-based major college programs competed for Major League Baseball teams prior to this year’s All-Star break, with products of UNC, Campbell, Duke, East Carolina, NC State, UNC Wilmington and Wake Forest leading the way.
The Tar Heels, Camels, Blue Devils, Pirates, Wolfpack, Seahawks and Demon Deacons each had five or more of their former players (please see stat lines below) compile MLB-level statistics as of the Mid-Summer Classic.
Appalachian State, Elon, Gardner-Webb and Western Carolina were the other Division One programs in North Carolina represented in the 2025 MLB ranks as of mid-July.
2025 MLB Players—NC-Based University
(Through All-Star Break)
7—North Carolina
6—Campbell, Duke, East Carolina, UNC Wilmington, Wake Forest
5—NC State
3—Elon
2—Gardner-Webb
1—Appalachian State, Western Carolina
Two North Carolina collegiate products were 2025 All-Stars, in both cases representing the American League: New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon (NC State) and Chicago White Sox pitcher Shane Smith (Wake Forest).
Other 2025 MLB standouts who previously starred for Old North State college programs include Texas Rangers pitcher Shawn Armstrong (ECU), Chicago Cubs infielder Michael Busch (UNC; pictured above), Oakland A’s first baseman Nick Kurtz (Wake Forest), Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Brendon Little (UNC), Oakland A’s pitcher Mason Miller (Gardner-Webb), Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto (Campbell), Cincinnati Reds pitcher Emilio Pagan (Gardner-Webb), San Francisco Giants pitcher Landen Roupp (UNCW), Oakland A’s pitcher Jeffrey Springs (App State) and Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (NC State).
2025 MLB PLAYERS FROM NC UNIVERSITIES
(Division One Only)
Appalachian State, Sun Belt (1)
Pos. Name, Age, MLB Team (MLB Seasons) — Key 2025 Statistics (Through All-Star Break)
SP Jeffrey Springs, 32, Athletics (8) — 18 starts, 8-6 W-L, 3.93 ERA, 110 IP, 92 H, 38/86 BB/SO
Campbell, CAA (6)
P Tom Harrington, 24, Pirates (1) — 2 G, 0-1 W-L, 10.13 ERA, 8 IP, 11 H, 5/7 BB/SO
RP Seth Johnson, 26, Phillies (2) — 3 G, 0-0 W-L, 1.80 ERA, 5 IP, 2 H, 1/3 BB/SO
CF Cedric Mullins, 30, Orioles (8) — 79 G, .218 BA, .302 OBP, .411 SLG, 13 HR, 41 RBI, 13 SB, 32/73 BB/SO
SS Zach Neto, 24, Angels (3) — 77 G, .279 BA, .326 OBP, .492 SLG, 15 HR, 33 RBI, 17 SB, 16/87 BB/SO
RP Ryan Thompson, 33, Diamondbacks (6) — 36 G, 2-2 W-L, 4.45 ERA, 32.1 IP, 36 H, 12/30 BB/SO, 1 save
P Allan Winans, 29, Yankees (3) — 2 G, 0-1 W-L, 8.53 ERA, 6.1 IP, 8 H, 2/3 BB/SO
Charlotte, American (0)
none
Davidson, Atlantic-10 (0)
none
Duke, ACC (6)
OF Griffin Conine, 28, Marlins (2) — 20 G, .281 BA, .352 OBP, .438 SLG, 7 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 7/19 BB/SO
RP Bryce Jarvis, 27, Diamondbacks (3) — 8 G, 0-0 W-L, 4.40 ERA, 14.1 IP, 13 H, 7/13 BB/SO, 1 save
OF Joey Loperfido, 26, Blue Jays (2) — 5 G, .357 BA, .400 OBP, .571 SLG, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1/2 BB/SO
1B Matt Mervis, 27, Marlins (3) — 42 G, .175 BA, .254 OBP, .383 SLG, 7 HR, 14 RBI, 11/50 BB/SO
INF Graham Pauley, 24, Marlins (2) — 29 G, .200 BA, .258 OBP, .271 SLG, 6 2B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 7/21 BB/SO
SP Marcus Stroman, 34, Yankees (11) — 6 starts, 1-1 W-L, 6.66 ERA, 24.1 IP, 28 H, 12/15 BB/SO
East Carolina, American (6)
RP Zach Agnos, 24, Rockies (1) — 24 G, 1-3 W-L, 5.33 ERA, 27 IP, 26 H, 11/16 BB/SO, 4 saves
RP Shawn Armstrong, 34, Rangers (11) — 40 G, 3-3 W-L, 3.21 ERA, 42 IP, 24 H, 14/42 BB/SO, 3 saves
1B/OF Alec Burleson, 26, Cardinals (4) — 85 G, .293 BA, .340 OBP, .466 SLG, 17 2B, 11 HR, 43 RBI, 22/42 BB/SO
RP Jeff Hoffman, 32, Blue Jays (10) — 41 G, 6-2 W-L, 5.03 ERA, 39.1 IP, 33 H, 11/53 BB/SO, 22 saves
INF Connor Norby, 25, Marlins (2) — 72 G, .241 BA, .289 OBP, .364 SLG, 11 2B, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 7 SB, 14/72 BB/SO
SP Gavin Williams, 25, Guardians (3) — 19 starts, 5-4 W-L, 3.70 ERA, 97.1 IP, 82 H, 57/95 BB/SO
Elon, CAA (3)
RP Ty Adcock, 26, Mets (3) — 3 G, 0-0 W-L, 3.00 ERA, 3 IP, 2 H, 2/5 BB/SO
RP John Brebbia, 35, Tigers (8) — 19 G, 1-0 W-L, 7.71 ERA, 18.2 IP, 22 H, 11/20 BB/SO (now with ATL)
SP George Kirby, 27, Mariners (4) — 10 starts, 4-4 W-L, 4.50 ERA, 54 IP, 50 H, 12/56 BB/SO
Gardner-Webb, Big South (2)
RP Mason Miller, 26, Athletics (3) — 35 G, 1-2 W-L, 4.04 ERA, 35.2 IP, 21 H, 17/57 BB/SO, 19 saves
RP Emilio Pagan, 34, Reds (9) — 40 G, 2-2 W-L, 2.93 ERA, 40 IP, 22 H, 13/50 BB/SO, 20 saves
High Point, Big South (0)
none
North Carolina, ACC (7)
INF Michael Busch, 27, Cubs (3) — 90 G, .290 BA, .375 OBP, .550 SLG, 15 2B, 19 HR, 59 RBI, 35/77 BB/SO
RP Ben Casparius, 26, Dodgers (2) — 28 G, 7-3 W-L, 4.45 ERA, 62.2 IP, 62 H, 12/59 BB/SO
RP Cooper Criswell, 28, Red Sox (5) — 6 G, 1-0 W-L, 5.06 ERA, 10.2 IP, 16 H, 3/5 BB/SO
SP Zac Gallen, 29, Diamondbacks (7) — 20 starts, 7-10 W-L, 5.40 ERA, 115 IP, 113 H, 45/110 BB/SO
RP Brendon Little, 28, Blue Jays (3) — 45 G, 4-1 W-L, 2.03 ERA, 44.1 IP, 29 H, 28/65 BB/SO
C Jacob Stallings, 35, Rockies/Orioles (10) — 36 G, .143 BA, .217 OBP, .179 SLG, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 5/31 BB/SO
RP Trent Thornton, 31, Mariners (7) — 28 G, 2-0 W-L, 4.67 ERA, 34.2 IP, 30 H, 14/25 BB/SO
North Carolina A&T, CAA (0)
none
North Carolina State, ACC (5)
C Patrick Bailey, 26, Giants (3) — 76 G, .203 BA, .267 OBP, .297 SLG, 11 2B, 2 HR, 26 RBI, 20/78 BB/SO
C Andrew Knizner, 30, Giants (7) — 15 G, .146 BA, .167 OBP, .220 SLG, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1/6 BB/SO
SP Carlos Rodon, 32, Yankees (11) — 20 starts, 10-6 W-L, 3.08 ERA, 119.2 IP, 79 H, 41/135 BB/SO
SS Trea Turner, 32, Phillies (11) — 94 G, .289 BA, .343 OBP, .433 SLG, 19 2B, 11 HR, 40 RBI, 24 SB, 29/70 BB/SO
INF Will Wilson, 26, Guardians (1) — 29 G, .159 BA, .243 OBP, .206 SLG, 3 2B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 6/29 BB/SO
Queens, Atlantic Sun (0)
none
UNC Asheville, Big South (0)
none
UNC Greensboro, SoCon (0)
none
UNC Wilmington, CAA (6)
OF Brooks Baldwin, 24, White Sox (2) — 54 G, .227 BA, .271 OBP, .357 SLG, 8 2B, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 9/48 BB/SO
C Ryan Jeffers, 28, Twins (6) — 77 G, .247 BA, .344 OBP, .398 SLG, 17 2B, 7 HR, 34 RBI, 32/51 BB/SO
OF Greg Jones, 27, Astros (2) — 3 G, .000 BA, .000 OBP, .000 SLG, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0/2 BB/SO
RP Evan Phillips, 30, Dodgers (8) — 7 G, 0-0 W-L, 0.00 ERA, 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2/6 BB/SO, 1 save (injured)
SP Landen Roupp, 26, Giants (2) — 19 starts, 6-6 W-L, 3.27 ERA, 96.1 IP, 99 H, 41/89 BB/SO
RP Austin Warren, 29, Mets (5) — 4 G, 1-0 W-L, 1.69 ERA, 5.1 IP, 3 H, 3/4 BB/SO
Wake Forest, ACC (6)
SP Chase Burns, 22, Reds (1) — 4 starts, 0-1 W-L, 6.19 ERA, 16 IP, 17 H, 9/25 BB/SO
OF Stuart Fairchild, 29, Braves (5) — 28 G, .216 BA, .273 OBP, .333 SLG, 4 2B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 4/15 BB/SO
1B Nick Kurtz, 22, Athletics (1) — 58 G, .257 BA, .333 OBP, .558 SLG, 9 2B, 17 HR, 44 RBI, 25/78 BB/SO
OF Gavin Sheets, 29, Padres (5) — 92 G, .265 BA, .324 OBP, .451 SLG, 15 2B, 14 HR, 50 RBI, 27/68 BB/SO
RP Jared Shuster, 26, White Sox (3) — 12 G, 0-0 W-L, 8.04 ERA, 15.2 IP, 27 H, 5/12 BB/SO
SP Shane Smith, 25, White Sox (1) — 18 starts, 3-7 W-L, 4.26 ERA, 86.2 IP, 76 H, 37/81 BB/SO
Western Carolina, SoCon (1)
SP Zebby Matthews, 25, Twins (2) — 4 starts, 1-1 W-L, 5.21 ERA, 19 IP, 20 H, 8/25 BB/SO
