Bruins Well-Represented in MLB Postseason
October 02, 2017 | Baseball
A total of six UCLA baseball alums will be playing or managing in this year's Major League Baseball playoffs as their teams officially advanced to the postseason starting on Tuesday, Oct. 3.
While not all 25-man playoff rosters have been finalized, the following four ballplayers earned playing time on these postseason-bound teams โ Trevor Bauer (Cleveland Indians), Matt Grace (Washington Nationals), Chase Utley (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Pat Valaika (Colorado Rockies).
In addition, former UCLA players Dave Roberts and Torey Lovullo have each managed their respective MLB teams to postseason play โ Roberts as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Lovullo as manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Roberts, Utley and the Los Angeles Dodgers hold the best record in the MLB this season with 104 wins and earned home-field advantage throughout the entire postseason. Their record of 104-58 is the franchise's best record since moving to California from Brooklyn in 1958. Roberts, who played for UCLA from 1991-94, helped lead the Dodgers to their fifth-straight National League West title in just his second year at the helm and is the reigning NL Manager of the Year.
Utley played for the Bruins from 1998-2000 and batted .236 this season, totaling eight home runs, 20 doubles, 34 RBIs and a .324 on-base percentage in 127 games. The former standout at Long Beach Poly will play in MLB's postseason for the eighth year in 15 major-league seasons. He was a major contributor to the Philadelphia Phillies winning the 2008 World Series. The Dodgers will face the winner of Wednesday's National League wild-card game between Colorado and Arizona.
Bauer, who starred in UCLA's pitching rotation from 2009-11, had his best year in the Major Leagues this season and helped the Cleveland Indians to the best record in the American League at 102-60 as the team set the MLB record with a 22-game winning streak. The right-hander from Valencia, Calif., had a career-best 17-9 record in 2016, posting a 4.19 ERA with 196 strikeouts in 176.1 innings. Bauer, along with fellow starters Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco are the first trio in MLB history to each have at least 17 wins and over 190 strikeouts.
Grace, who was called up to the National League East Division Champion Washington Nationals in late April, hade 40 relief appearances and one start this season. He finished the regular season with a 4.32 ERA in 50.0 innings with 31 strikeouts. In his only start this year, the UCLA standout from 2008-10 tossed 4.1 shutout innings at San Diego on Aug. 18 scattering just two hits with one strikeout. Washington will face the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs in the National League Division series.
Lovullo is in his first season as the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks and led the team to the National League's Wild Card game as Arizona is making its first postseason appearance since 2011. He starred at UCLA from 1984-87 before being selected in the fifth round of the 1987 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers. The Diamondbacks will play Colorado in the NL Wild Card game on Wednesday.
Valaika is in his first full season with the Colorado Rockies after being called up in September last season. Valaika, a shortstop who played for the Bruins from 2011-13 and was a part of the 2013 National Championship team, hit .258 this season with 13 home runs, 11 doubles, 40 RBIs and 28 runs scored. Earlier this season, he set the all-time single-season RBI record for a rookie pinch hitter with 16 and also hit .328 coming off the bench. The Rockies earned the final National League Wild Card spot with a record of 87-75 and will make their first postseason appearance since 2009.