By R.L. Bynum
Michael Busch’s season has started to turn in the direction the Chicago Cubs expected, and Friday offered a clear snapshot of why.
After a slow first month, the former UNC first baseman has found his hitting rhythm with two home runs and 10 RBI in the last two weeks. He went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI in Chicago’s 6–5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, a game that also put Busch across the diamond from another Carolina alum, Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen.
Those two, along with Seattle reliever Cooper Criswell, are in the major leagues. There are 24 other Tar Heels in the minor leagues, along with seven others in non-affiliated leagues. See the complete list below.
Meanwhile, first-year Atlanta manager Walt Weiss has the Braves off to a 23–10 start, leading the NL East by four games entering Saturday’s play. As Bob Nightingdale wrote in USA Today, Weiss, who played at UNC from 1983 to 1985, is a “different breed.” This is his first season as an MLB manager since the fourth of his seasons as the skipper for the Colorado Rockies in 2016.
Busch’s two-run hit in the first inning helped set the tone, and it came against Gallen, who took the loss after allowing six earned runs in 3⅔ innings with three walks and three strikeouts.
Gallen’s season numbers have taken a hit after Friday’s start, now sitting at 1–3 with a 5.50 ERA in 36 innings, along with 23 strikeouts and a 1.64 WHIP.
Criswell has a 2.51 ERA with 13 strikeouts and a 0.98 WHIP in 14⅓ innings, and he has already picked up a save in his first month of work. For a pitcher in a relief role, that WHIP is a good early-season indicator of command.
In the minor leagues, several Tar Heels are off to good starts.
Triple-A
Danny Serretti has been the standout at Reno. He is hitting .373/.513/.763 (average/OBP/slugging percentage) with a 1.276 OPS, five homers, 12 RBI and two steals in 59 at-bats.
Aaron Sabato has two homers and a .735 OPS in 42 at-bats for St. Paul.
Tyler Baum remains on the 60-day injured list for Rochester, and J.B. Bukauskas is listed as injured for Nashville.
Double-A
Parks Harber has been scorching early for Richmond in the San Francisco Giants system, hitting .357/.357/.429 in 14 at-bats for the Flying Squirrels.
Mac Horvath has been productive in a broader stretch for Montgomery in the Tampa Bay Rays system, posting a .270/.325/.446 line with two homers, eight RBIs and seven steals in 74 at-bats. He’s one promotion away from playing for the Durham Bulls.
Jake Knapp is 0–1 with a 5.68 ERA across 19.0 innings for Knoxville, but had his best start of the season Friday. He went 4⅓ innings, allowed one hit and one unearned run, walked three, hit a batter, and struck out four for the Chicago Cubs affiliate.
Max Carlson has a 12.56 ERA and a 2.23 WHIP through 14⅓ innings at Portland in the Boston Red Sox system, even with 16 strikeouts that show his stuff can still miss bats.
Austin Love has been steadier in Springfield, carrying a 3.27 ERA with 16 strikeouts and a 1.00 WHIP in 11.0 innings, and he has a save for the St. Louis Cardinals affiliate.
Tomas Frick is on the 7-day IL at Somerset.
Class A and High A
Luke Stevenson has been one of the most productive bats in the group, hitting .341/.483/.545 with a 1.028 OPS, a homer, seven RBI and a steal in Everett. Friday was quieter but still included hard contact, as Stevenson went 1-for-5 with a double and two strikeouts for the Seattle Mariners affiliate.
Kane Kepley has reached base at a .460 clip with 14 steals for high-A South Bend, the Chicago Cubs’ affiliate.
Vance Honeycutt has flashed the power-speed combo that made him so valuable at UNC, with four homers, 13 RBIs, and seven steals for high-A Frederick, even as the batting average (.190) and on-base numbers (.695) remain a work in progress in the Baltimore Orioles’ chain. As the website Birds Watcher reported, his hot spring hasn’t translated to the regular season.
On the pitching side at High-A, Dalton Pence has delivered one of the cleanest early profiles: 25 strikeouts in 20⅓ innings with a 0.79 WHIP at Hub City in the Texas Rangers chain.
Ben Peterson has handled late innings, going 1–0 with a 2.25 ERA and three saves while striking out 12 in eight innings at Eugene in the San Francisco Giants system.
Casey Cook is on the injured list at Hub City.
Anthony Donofrio has four steals, but the overall production is still building, as he sits at .178/.302/.178 with seven RBI at Everett.
Seven other Tar Heels are playing in unaffiliated leagues, including two players from last year: Hunter Stokely in the Frontier League and Jackson Van De Brake in the American Association.
Subscribe to read Tar Heel Tribune ad-free
Subscribe for a cleaner, smoother reading experience without the flashing banners, slow-loading elements, or those especially annoying pop‑up ads that interrupt the flow of the story. You’ll also get the first version of each story emailed to you. The only ads you’ll see are static, non-intrusive ads for UNC‑related books, and there are none currently on the site.
Tar Heels in pro baseball
Major leagues
Michael Busch (Chicago Cubs), UNC 2017–19: .203/.301/.297, 2 HR, 13 RBI (118 AB). Friday: Busch went 2-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI against Arizona
Cooper Criswell (Seattle Mariners), UNC 2018: 1 SV, 2.51 ERA, 14.1 IP, 13 K, 0.98 WHIP (11 G).
Zac Gallen (Arizona Diamondbacks), UNC 2014–16: 1–3, 5.50 ERA, 36.0 IP, 23 K, 1.64 WHIP. Friday: Gallen took the loss at Chicago, allowing 6 earned runs in 3⅔ innings with three walks and three strikeouts
Triple-A
Tyler Baum (Washington Nationals, Rochester), UNC 2017–19: Status: Injured, 60-day IL.
Austin Bergner (Texas Rangers, Round Rock), UNC 2017–19: 0–0, 4.50 ERA, 4.0 IP, 4 K, 1.00 WHIP (1 G/1 GS).
J.B. Bukauskas (Milwaukee Brewers, Nashville), UNC 2015–17: Injured (7-day IL shown).
Ryder Ryan (Los Angeles Dodgers, Oklahoma City), UNC 2015–16: 2–0, 5.06 ERA, 21.1 IP, 11 K, 1.78 WHIP (5 GS).
Aaron Sabato (Minnesota Twins, St. Paul), UNC 2019–20: .238/.283/.452 (.735 OPS), 2 HR, 5 RBI (42 AB). Friday: 2 AB, 1 R, 0 H, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 0 K
Danny Serretti (Arizona Diamondbacks, Reno), UNC 2019–22: .373/.513/.763 (1.276 OPS), 5 HR, 12 RBI, 2 SB (59 AB).
Trent Thornton (Chicago Cubs, Iowa), UNC 2013–15: 0–0, 2.45 ERA, 3.2 IP, 4 K, 1.36 WHIP (2 G, 1 GS listed).
Double-A
Max Carlson (Boston Red Sox, Portland), UNC 2021–23: 0–1, 12.56 ERA, 14.1 IP, 16 K, 2.23 WHIP (6 G). Friday impact: he added one appearance, moving from 11.2 IP to 14.1 IP and from 15 K to 16 K, with the ERA rising from 11.57 to 12.56.
Tomas Frick (New York Yankees, Somerset), UNC 2021–23: Injured (7-day IL).
Parks Harber (San Francisco Giants, Richmond), UNC 2024: .357/.357/.429, 0 HR, 1 RBI (14 AB).
Mac Horvath (Tampa Bay Rays, Montgomery), UNC 2021–23: .270/.325/.446 (.771 OPS), 2 HR, 8 RBI, 7 SB (74 AB).
Jake Knapp (Chicago Cubs, Knoxville), UNC 2023–25: 0–1, 5.68 ERA, 19.0 IP, 18 K, 1.47 WHIP (5 GS). Friday: 4⅓ IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 3 BB, 1 HBP, 4 K
Austin Love (St. Louis Cardinals, Springfield), UNC 2018–21: 0–2, 3.27 ERA, 11.0 IP, 16 K, 1.00 WHIP (8 G, 1 SV).
Alex Madera (Chicago Cubs, Knoxville), UNC 2024–25: .184/.392/.184 (.576 OPS), 0 HR, 5 RBI, 3 SB (38 AB).
Davison Palermo (Colorado Rockies, Hartford), UNC 2019–22: 0–2, 9.39 ERA, 7.2 IP, 8 K, 1.83 WHIP (6 games, 1 save).
Class A (A and High-A)
Aidan Haugh (Tampa Bay Rays, Charleston, A), UNC 2024–25: 0–2, 9.18 ERA, 16.2 IP, 19 K, 1.92 WHIP (4 GS).
Casey Cook (Texas Rangers, Hub City, High-A), UNC 2022–24: Injured (60-day IL)
Anthony Donofrio (Seattle Mariners, Everett, High-A), UNC 2024: .178/.302/.178 (.480 OPS), 0 HR, 7 RBI, 4 SB (45 AB).
Vance Honeycutt (Baltimore Orioles, Frederick, High-A), UNC 2022–24: .190/.282/.413 (.695 OPS), 4 HR, 13 RBI, 7 SB (63 AB).
Kane Kepley (Chicago Cubs, South Bend, High-A), UNC 2025: .220/.460/.322 (.782 OPS), 0 HR, 5 RBI, 14 SB (59 AB).
Dalton Pence (Texas Rangers, Hub City, High-A), UNC 2022–24: 0–1, 3.10 ERA, 20.1 IP, 25 K, 0.79 WHIP (4 GS).
Ben Peterson (San Francisco Giants, Eugene, High-A), UNC 2023–24: 1–0, 2.25 ERA, 8.0 IP, 12 K, 1.00 WHIP (6 G, 3 SV).
Shea Sprague (Boston Red Sox, Greenville, High-A), UNC 2024: 1–1, 4.61 ERA, 13.2 IP, 14 K, 1.02 WHIP (3 G, 2 GS).
Luke Stevenson (Seattle Mariners, Everett, High-A), UNC 2024–25: .341/.483/.545 (1.028 OPS), 1 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB (44 AB). Friday: 5 AB, 0 R, 1 H (double), 0 RBI, 0 BB, 2 K
Other leagues
Sam Angelo (New Jersey Jackals, Frontier League), UNC 2025.
Trevor Kelley (Leones del Escogido, Dominican League), UNC 2012–15.
Brian Moran (Toros del Este, Dominican winter ball), UNC 2007–09.
Alberto Osuna (Sioux City Explorers, American Association), UNC 2022–24.
Hunter Stokely (Washington Wild Things, Frontier League), UNC 2021–25.
Jackson Van De Brake (Sioux City Explorers, American Association), UNC 2023–25.
Colby Wilkerson (Missoula Paddleheads, Pioneer League), UNC 2021–24
Photo via @WatchMarquee
