Follow along with us this season as we keep up with current and former Baseball Factory players who are making an impact on their team’s success. We will keep you up-to-date on the latest standout performances at the major league, collegiate and high school levels.

Major Leagues

Jake Marisnick – (2008 Under Armour All-American) Marisnick was dealt to the Houston Astros at last year’s trade deadline by the Miami Marlins and is having a nice spring, going 7-for-18, with a double, triple and six RBI in eight games. Marisnick is battling to become Houston’s starting centerfielder, but could also play both corner outfield positions this season.

AJ Cole – (2009 Under Armour All-American) The Washington Nationals are completely stacked with starting pitchers, but Cole – who won 13 games last season with a 3.16 ERA between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse – received a spot start against the New York Mets early in spring training, so he’s in the Nats plans long-term. Cole needs to start every 5^th day, so he’ll begin 2015 at Syracuse.

Garin Cecchini – (2009 Under Armour All-American) The older Cecchini from Lake Charles, LA has received a good amount of play time for the Red Sox this spring as they figure out where he’ll fit best. In eight games, Garin is hitting .261 with two doubles and seven RBI. He’s talented enough that he’ll play somewhere, despite being blocked at third base by newly added free-agent, Pablo Sandoval.

Kris Bryant – (2008 Pre-Season All-American) What can be said this spring about the start for Bryant that hasn’t already been said? He’s hit six homeruns in nine games for the Chicago Cubs and has become the talk around baseball. His talent is certainly making it difficult to send him back to Triple-A as his bat is doing all the talking. It will be one of the more closely watched moves this spring whether he’ll be on the Cubs 25-man roster to begin April. One thing to remember, Bryant isn’t currently on the Cubs 40-man roster.

College

Alex Lange – (2013 Under Armour All-American) Lange was named the SEC Freshman of the Week for his performance against Ole Miss, allowing just three hits, striking out 13 batters in his eight innings of work. The former All-American is off to a fast start for LSU, sporting a 4-0 record with a 1.45 ERA in five starts with 39 strikeouts in 31 innings. Opponents are hitting just .185 against Lange in 2015.

KJ Harrison – (Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout and Premium Video Program, Honolulu, HI, 2011 Team One Futures West) Harrison has had a fantastic season for the Oregon State Beavers, with his most recent feat being a walk-off home run on March 6th against Fresno State in a 2-1, 11 inning victory that gave the Beavers their sixth straight victory. The freshman won Pac-12 Player of the Week honors in late February as he went 10-for-22 (.455) with two doubles, one triple, two home runs and 10 RBIs, hitting safely in all five contests. KJ leads the Beavers in average (.413) with six homers and 24 RBI this season.

David Thompson – (2011 Under Armour All-American) The junior from Miami, Florida was named ACC Player of the Week last week for the 17th-ranked Hurricanes last week hitting .524 with two doubles and three home runs, one of which, a walk-off winner against N.C. State during a five-game stretch. This season, Thompson is hitting .354, leading the Hurricanes with four home runs, 26 RBI and a .608 slugging percentage.

Connor Jones – (2011 Team One Futures East, 2012 Team One South Showcase, 2012 Under Armour All-American) Jones has started five games for the Virginia Cavaliers, leading the ‘Wahoos’ with four wins (4-1) and a 1.57 ERA in 28 2/3 innings this season. The sophomore is holding opponents to a .221 average and has recorded 33 strikeouts.

Kel Johnson – (2012 Team One Futures East) Kel is off to a hot start, starting all 19 games so far as a freshman for the Ramblin’ Wreck. Johnson’s bat is the anchor in the middle of Georgia Tech’s lineup, hitting .367 with eight doubles, a triple, six home runs and 22 RBI and a team-leading .722 slugging percentage.

James Kaprielian – (2010 Ryan Lemmon Sophomore Showcase, 2011 Pre-Season All-American) Kaprielian tossed a ten strikeout performance on Friday, March 13th against the Washington Huskies in a 2-0 UCLA victory. Kaprielian pitched into the seventh inning, throwing seven scoreless innings and only allowing five hits. In five starts this season, the Junior is 4-1 with a 2.59 ERA, leading the team in strikeouts with 39.

High School

Josh Naylor – (2014 Under Armour All-American) Naylor hails from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and is on the Canadian National Team that began their season this week in Florida. Josh has gotten off to a hot start, hitting a home run and an RBI single in the team’s first game in a comeback victory over Puerto Rico. He followed that up with a single off Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher R.A. Dickey in a game against the Jays at the team’s spring training complex in Dunedin, Florida.

Ryan Mountcastle – (2013 Under Armour Futures Series East, 2014 Under Armour All-American) Mountcastle is a senior at Hagerty High in Oviedo, FL and the University of Central Florida commit is hitting over .500 to start the season, chipping in with nine doubles, three triples and a home run. He’s also been solid on the bases, stealing 16 bags in 2015.

Cesar Salazar – (2014 Pre-Season All-American) Salazar, an Arizona University commit, is leading the way for his Sahuaro High School baseball team this season, hitting .636 with four doubles, three triples, three home runs and 12 RBI.

Kyle Muller – (2014 Under Armour Showcase- Futures Texas) Muller is getting it done both with his arm and the bat for Jesuit College Prep School this season. He’s a University of Texas commit and is 1-0 with a 0.70 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 10 innings pitched. The junior has a .458 average with five doubles, two triples, three home runs and 14 RBI. He’s a complete player with one more year of high school left to go.