Minter and Raley Headed to World Series

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M baseball will have a representative in the winning locker room when 2021 World Series trophy is hoisted, as both the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros boast an Aggie in their bullpen.

A.J. Minter of the Braves and Brooks Raley of the Astros are making their first World Series appearances this season. The best-of-seven World Series is set to begin at Minute Maid Park in Houston on Tuesday.

Texas A&M and Arkansas are the only two NCAA squads to have multiple representatives at the World Series.

Minter has not yielded a run in 7.1 innings of relief work this postseason, striking out eight while scattering two hits and two walks in five appearances. The southpaw pitched in 61 games out of the bullpen during the Braves’ AL East pennant drive. Minter registered a 3-6 record with a 3.78 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 52.1 innings during the regular season. His five-year mark stands at 11-15 with 20 saves, a 3.71 ERA and 211 strikeouts in 179.2 innings.

Raley has worked in four playoff games this season, including pitching in two AL Championship series wins. The left-hander pitched in 58 games out of the bullpen in his first full season with the Astros. Raley posted a 2-3 record with two saves, a 4.78 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 49.0 innings. His four-year MLB total stands at 3-6 with three saves, a 5.62 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 107.1 innings.

The duo joins nine former Texas A&M players to play in the World Series, including Ross Stripling, Tyler Naquin, Michael Wacha, Chuck Knoblauch, Mark Thurmond, Doug Rau, Davey Johnson, Wally Moon and Rip Collins. Three Aggies have won a combined nine World Series titles, including Knoblauch (four), Johnson (three) and Moon (two).

Stripling is the most recent Aggie to appear in the World Series, not yielding a run in three outings for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017.

Naquin played in five games for the Cleveland Indians the 2016 World Series.

Wacha was 1-1 in two starts for the St. Louis Cardinals who lost to the Boston Red Sox in the 2013 World Series.

Knoblauch leads all Aggies with five World Series appearances and four titles. He won a crown with the Twins in 1991 and three consecutive championships with the Yankees from 1998-2000. He also lost a World Series with the Yankees in 2001.

Thurmond was the starting pitcher in the first World Series game in San Diego Padres history in the 1984 edition of the fall classic.

Johnson appeared in four World Series, winning the 1966 edition with the Dodgers and the ‘70 and ‘71 titles with the Baltimore Orioles. He lost the ‘69 World Series as a member of the Orioles. He also won the ‘86 World Series as the manager of the New York Mets.

Moon won world titles with the Dodgers in 1959 and ‘65.

Doug Rau was on the losing end of the World Series with the Dodgers in 1977 and ‘78.

Rip Collins was the first Aggie to appear in a World Series, as a member of the 1921 Yankees, who lost to the New York Giants.