University of North Carolina Athletics

The 2024 Major League Baseball season has reached the All-Star Break and eight Tar Heels have played in the big leagues this year.

Michael Busch is having a terrific rookie season with the Cubs after being traded from the Dodgers during the off-season, and Trent Thornton has helped the Mariners ascend into first place in the American League West.

Carolina has produced 74 Major League players – nearly half of whom were coached by former head coach Mike Fox and current head coach Scott Forbes. Since 2002, 34 former Tar Heels have made it to The Show.

Daniel Bard | RHP | Colorado Rockies | UNC 2004-06

2024: 60-Day IL

Bard began the season on the 15-day injured list because of a procedure on his right knee that he underwent at the beginning of Spring Training. He was later placed on the injured list with a flexor strain in his right elbow and underwent season-ending surgery to repair the tendon.

 

J.B. Bukauskas | RHP | Milwaukee Brewers | UNC 2015-17

2024: 6G, 1.50 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 6.0 IP, 6K

Bukauskas was transferred to the 60-day injured list on May 10 due to a right triceps strain. He made his last MLB appearance on April 13 at Baltimore. He made a minor league appearance on June 13 but experienced a setback and has not pitched in a game to date.

 

Michael Busch | 1B | Chicago Cubs | UNC 2017-19

2024: 91G, .271/.357/.466, 12HR, 36RBIs, 19 2B, 1 3B, 39BB

Busch was traded from the Dodgers to the Cubs in the off-season. From April 10 to April 15, Busch homered in five straight games, tying a franchise mark that put his name in the record books alongside Chicago icons Sammy Sosa and Ryne Sandberg. Busch hit safely in eight consecutive games from June 11 to June 19. He entered the All-Star break ranked among the top 20 in the National League in on-base percentage (13^th/.357), OPS (16^th/.823) and slugging percentage (20^th/.466).

 

Cooper Criswell | RHP | Boston Red Sox | UNC 2018

2024: 13G, 12GS, 3-4, 4.03 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 58.0 IP, 50Ks

Criswell was recalled from Triple-A Worcester on July 12 to start against Kansas City.  He began the season in Boston and was optioned to Worcester in mid-June. He was named International League Pitcher of the Week for July 1-7 after tossing 6.0 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts and one hit allowed against Syracuse on July 6.

 

Kent Emanuel | RHP | Miami Marlins | UNC 2011-13

2024: 5G, 0-0, 6.75 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 9.1 IP, 6Ks

Emanuel was designated for assignment on June 26 and then sent outright to Triple-A Jacksonville two days later. He made his last appearance for the Marlins on June 24 against Kansas City. Emanuel made two appearances for Miami in April and three in June.

 

Zac Gallen | RHP | Arizona Diamondbacks | UNC 2014-16

2024: 15G, 15GS, 6-5, 3.87 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 76.2 IP, 76 Ks

Gallen spent nearly a month on the injured list (May 31 to June 29) with a right hamstring strain. He won his first three decisions of the year and five of nine before going on the injured list. Gallen struck out 10 in 5.0 innings against Colorado on April 8 and then fanned 10 versus Detroit in 6.2 innings on May 18.

 

Ryder Ryan | RHP | Pittsburgh Pirates | UNC 2015-16

2024: 13G, 1-0, 5.29 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 17.0, 16Ks

Ryder was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on July 12. He tossed a season-high 3.0 innings against the Mets on July 6 after eight of his first 11 appearances were 1.2 innings or less.

 

Jacob Stallings | C | Colorado Rockies | UNC 2009-12

2024: 51G, .254/.316/.343, 4HR, 19RBIs, 9 2B, 18BB

Stallings signed with Rockies as a free agent after spending the 2022 and 2023 seasons with Miami. Stallings tied a Rockies franchise record against Washington on June 22, throwing out three runners. He hit a two-out, pinch-hit, game-tying homer in the bottom of the ninth against the Phillies on May 24. Stalling hit safely in a season-long seven games from June 10 to June 19, batting .391 (9-for-23).

 

Trent Thornton | RHP | Seattle Mariners | UNC 2013-15

2024: 42G, 3-1, 1Sv, 3.77 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 43.0 IP, 45K

Thornton has made a career-best 42 appearances this season and is holding opposing hitters to a .205 batting average for the AL West-leading Mariners. He has only thrown more than 1.2 innings once this season, tossing two scoreless innings against Cleveland on April 3. Thornton struck out all three batters faced against Houston on May 29 and at Miami on June 23.