Drive Alums Highlight MLB Postseason Rosters

The MLB postseason is officially underway, and the postseason rosters through the Wild Card and Division Series rounds have featured 17 Drive alums representing seven of the 10 teams. The Boston Red Sox, the AL East champions and major league affiliate of the Drive, have selected nine Greenville alums to be part of the 25-man Division Series roster.
The starting outfield of Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi and Jackie Bradley, Jr. has been a key piece of the Red Sox puzzle all year. Betts (2013) is a leading candidate for the AL MVP award thanks to his MLB-best .346 batting average, 32 homers, 80 RBI, 30 stolen bases and a .438 on-base percentage. Betts joined Jacoby Ellsbury as the only players in Red Sox history with 30 homers and 30 stolen bases in a season.
Benintendi (2015) also put together a terrific all-around season in 2018, sporting a .290 average with 16 homers, 87 RBI and 21 stolen bases. Bradley, Jr. (2011) finished the season with 13 homers and 17 steals while hitting .269 after the All-Star Break.
Shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2011) put up big numbers for the Red Sox as well, as he drove in 103 runs for his first 100-RBI season while hitting .288 with 23 homers.
Third baseman Rafael Devers (2015) and catchers Blake Swihart (2012) and Christian Vazquez (2010-11) round out the position players on the Boston postseason roster. Devers belted 21 homers and drove in 66 runs in his first full season with the Red Sox. Swihart has seen action at six positions this season and provided valuable bench depth, while Vazquez missed much of the season with an injury but provides valuable catching depth.
The Red Sox pitching staff includes Matt Barnes (2012)and Brandon Workman (2011). Barnes pitched his way into a valuable October role with 96 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings this season. Workman went 6-1 with a 3.27 ERA over 43 relief appearances.

Eight other Drive alums made postseason rosters in 2018.
The Houston Astros, AL West champions, have Josh Reddick (2007-08) in right field and Ryan Pressly (2010) in their bullpen. Reddick hit 17 homers and collected 47 RBI this season. Pressly was acquired at the trade deadline from the Minnesota Twins and posted a 0.77 ERA in 26 appearances after being traded to Houston.
Andrew Miller, who made a rehab appearance for the Drive in 2012, is a member of the Cleveland Indians, who won the AL Central. Miller struck out 45 hitters in 34 innings in 2018.
The NL Central-winning Milwaukee Brewers have Travis Shaw (2011) as a starting infielder. Shaw belted a career-high 32 homers this season, marking his second straight 30-homer campaign, while driving in 86 runs.
Rich Hill, who like Miller, rehabbed in Greenville in 2012, posted another strong season in the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation. Hill went 11-5 with a 3.66 ERA and 150 strikeouts in 132 2/3 innings.
The playoff rosters for the teams eliminated in the Wild Card Round included Jon Lester (2007 rehab) and Anthony Rizzo (2008-09) for the Chicago Cubs and J.B. Wendelken (2013) for the Oakland Athletics.