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Duke in MLB: Loperfido makes his debut for the Astros, Jarvis settles into a relief role

Theo

As Duke baseball nears the end of the season, former Blue Devils remain busy in the professional leagues. The Blue Zone takes a look at some successful former Duke stars:

Marcus Stroman, P, New York Yankees

As the season progresses, Stroman’s tumultuous start to the campaign continues. The former Blue Devils ace hasn’t gone past six innings in his last three starts, as he continues to find a way to extend outings. However, the Medford, NY native’s last two appearances have been solid in competitive matches. On May 3, in a home contest against the Tigers, Stroman pitched 5.1 innings while allowing only three hits and one run, helping the Yankees to a 2–1 victory. However, the right-hander’s next start ended in a close loss, as he allowed four runs en route to a 4-3 loss to the Astros. Overall, Stroman now has a 3.80 ERA and 40 strikeouts in eight starts.

Joey Loperfido, LF, Houston Astros

After an impressive run in AAA, Loperfido was finally called up to the big leagues by the Astros, making his debut on April 30 against the Guardians in what proved to be an extra-inning thriller. In that first contest, the Philadelphia native burst onto the scene with a sensation, notching his first MLB hit and racking up two RBIs that helped propel Houston to victory. Although he hasn’t scored a run since, Loperfido has always been solid at the plate. He currently sports a .316 batting average and a .381 on-base percentage.

Matt Mervis, 1B, Chicago Cubs

Like Loperfido, Mervis is another young former Blue Devil new to the big leagues in 2024. After spending some time in Chicago last season, the 26-year-old was recently recalled. Unfortunately, Mervis has largely struggled thus far, with a current batting average of .115 in 26 at-bats. As the season progresses, the Washington native will likely need to increase his production or risk being sent down to the minor leagues.

Bryce Jarvis, P, Arizona Diamondbacks

After initially projecting himself as a starter, Jarvis continues to try to settle into a new reliever role, with mixed success so far this season. The Lexington, Kentucky native currently holds a 5.14 ERA in 21 innings, accumulating 18 strikeouts while issuing 15 walks. The former Duke ace had his best outing of the season on April 30 against a loaded Dodgers lineup, entering the contest in relief and going three scoreless innings while allowing just one hit, helping the Arizona to win in extra innings. The Diamondbacks continue to call Jarvis’ number, so the 26-year-old will continue to settle into his new role in the bullpen later in the campaign.

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