South Texas- Two former NAIA Ball standouts get promoted to the big leagues entering this week! The Angles have recalled former Westmont product Michael Stefanic to make another stint at the major league level. Also in the AL West the Astros have called up former Georgetown star Shawn Dubin from Triple-A to join the big league club.
Stefanic is an undrafted free agent signing who is making another stint in the big leagues in 2023, after Gio Urshela was placed on the 10-day Injured List. In his 4 year Westmont career Stefanic held a .364 average with 275 hits, 123 runs batted in, and scored 157 times for the Warriors, while only striking out 33 times in 756 at-bats. In 2022 Stefanic got into 25 games with the Angels where he hit for a .197 average in 61 at-bats. This season at Triple-A Salt Lake City Stefanic was hitting for a .347 average with an OPS of .895. On Sunday Stefanic would go 2-4 with a double and an RBI against Kansas City. The Angels take on the Dodgers for two in the midweek before headed to Colorado.
That same year in 2018 the Astros took Shawn Dubin in the 13th round of the draft out of Georgetown College in Kentucky. Dubin put together a 2.09 earned run average that year going 9-1 in 14 starts over 94.2 innings pitched, Dubin held opponents to a .190 average and punched out 128. MLB.com has Dubin as the Astros #23 prospect, meanwhile Benjamin Zeidman of Apollohou.com ranked Dubin as the Astros #15 overall prospect entering the season which can be read HERE. According to Ben he profiled Dubin as having “late explosive life” on his fastball and a “elite slider”. While Dubin has been in Triple-A since 2021 he has largely been blocked by the Astros depth in it’s pitching staff. With the amount of injuries in Houston this year, Dubin gets his opportunity. The Astros take on the Mets for three in Houston before taking off to face the Dodgers in Los Angeles.
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