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Five Trojans to watch as the 2026 MLB season begins
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- Five Trojans to watch as the 2026 MLB season begins
2026 MLB Opening Day is here! While the current USC baseball team is off to a historic start to the season , there are also numerous Trojans who will be competing at the professional level this year.
Who are some of the biggest such names? Here are five Trojans for USC fans to watch this MLB season:
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Tyler Gilbert
After starting his career at the junior college level, Gilbert pitched just one season at USC in 2015 before being selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the sixth round of that year's MLB Draft. In 2021, he threw a no-hitter in his first career start with the Arizona Diamondbacks . He is currently a member of the Chicago White Sox .
Lars Nootbar
Nootbar is USC's biggest MLB star right now. An outfielder with the Trojans from 2016-2018, he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the eighth round of the 2018 MLB Draft and made his MLB debut with the team in 2021. He has been a key player for St. Louis over the past five years, but will begin the 2026 season on the 60-day injured list.
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Kyle Hurt
Hurt pitched at USC from 2018-2020 and was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the fifth round of the 2020 MLB Draft. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021 and made his MLB debut with the team in 2023. In 2024, however, he underwent Tommy John surgery that kept him out for each of the team's World Series titles over the past two years. Hurt will look to return to the mound in 2026.
Garrett Stubbs
An All-American catcher at USC from 2012-2015, the Houston Astros selected Stubbs in the eighth round of the 2015 MLB Draft. He made his MLB debut with Houston in 2019 and played in the 2021 World Series with the team before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies ahead of the 2022 season. After spending the past four years with Philadelphia, Stubbs was designated for assignment this week, and is currently a free agent. He recently played for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic.
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Rylan Thomas
Thomas played outfield at USC from 2020-2022—meaning that unfortunately, fans had limited opportunities to watch him play for the Trojans due to COVID. The New York Mets selected him the 11th round of the 2022 MLB Draft, but traded him to the Seattle Mariners in 2024. He made his MLB debut with Seattle last season, but will begin 2026 in Triple-A.
Bonus: Marcelo Mayer
Unlike the previous five players, Mayer never actually played for the Trojans. The infielder was committed to USC out of high school, but instead signed with the Boston Red Sox , who selected him fourth overall in the 2021 MLB Draft. Mayer made his major league debut with the Red Sox last season, and will look to emerge as a star for the team in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Five USC baseball alumni to watch this MLB season
