Daniel Ponce de Leon recorded a 4.47 ERA when he pitched for the Cougars in 2013 | File photo
The 2020 MLB regular season, which was shortened to 60 games due to COVID-19, wrapped up on Sunday afternoon.
While this season looked different than any other due to the many rule changes and the fact that no fans were allowed in MLB stadiums, there were a few familiar faces in former UH baseball athletes who took the field for their respective teams.
Here is a look at how some of the former Cougars fared this season:
Aaron Fletcher
The 6-foot-1-inch left-handed pitcher, who pitched for UH from 2015-18, made his MLB debut this season as a member of the Seattle Mariners.
In his debut on Aug. 22 against the Texas Rangers, Fletcher threw one inning of shutout baseball and picked up his first career strikeout in the big leagues.
Fletcher went on to make five more appearances for Seattle and ended the season with a 12.46 ERA and had seven strikeouts.
Daniel Ponce de Leon
The 6-foot-3-inch right-handed pitcher, who pitched for the Cougars in 2013, played a key role for the St. Louis Cardinals’ starting rotation.
Ponce de Leon pitched in nine games, starting eight of them. The 28-year-old finished the regular season with a 1-3 record, posting a 4.96 ERA and striking out 45.
The Cardinals begin their playoff run on Wednesday, but whether Ponce de Leon will be a starter or come out of the bullpen is still up in the air.
John King
The 26-year-old lefty, who pitched for UH during 2016-17, is another one of the former Cougars who made their MLB debuts this season.
King, a member of the Rangers, made his first big league appearance on Sept. 4 against the Mariners, in which he pitched two innings, allowing two runs on three hits.
The 6-foot-2-inch left-hander appeared in five more games, pitching a total of 10.1 innings and posting a 6.10 ERA on the season.
Patrick Weigel
Entering the season as one of the Atlanta Braves most highly regarded prospects, Wiegel, who pitched for UH in 2016, got his first taste of The Show this season.
The 6-foot-6-inch right-hander made his MLB debut on Sept. 4 in the second game of the Braves doubleheader against the Washington Nationals.
Weigel entered the game in the seventh inning and pitched two-thirds of an inning, allowing two runs.
After the game, Weigel was optioned back down to Atlanta’s alternative training site and did not make another appearance in 2020.
