From the Plains to the Big Leagues: Four former Auburn Tigers make Opening Day rosters

Auburn baseball has produced many top talents throughout the MLB’s history and the new era of Tigers in the big leagues is upon us as four former Auburn athletes have made their respective teams' opening day rosters. Veteran Casey Mize will make the starting rotation for his fifth season while young up-and-comers such as Edouard Julien, Ryan Bliss and Richard Fitts will be looking to continue to prove themselves throughout their 2025 campaign as opening day is set for Thursday. 

Casey Mize went from being an Auburn Tiger to a Detroit Tiger in 2018 as he was the first overall pick, and the pitcher quickly became a young face for his franchise just as he did while on the plains. Mize showcased a 2.96 ERA during his time under Butch Thompson and has since posted a 4.36 ERA while in the major leagues. 

Mize helped lead the Detroit Tigers to a playoff berth last year and will look to build on this performance this season as the Tigers have another talented roster. The right hander has performed extremely well in spring training this year by recording a 1.89 ERA over 19 innings of work. Mize will begin the season in the fourth spot of the starting rotation as Detroit gets set to face the Dodgers for a three-game set starting Thursday. 

Edouard Julien, former teammate of Mize in 2018 where he led the team in home runs and RBIs, is also set to begin his third season in the majors with the Minnesota Twins as he will look to bounce back from a mediocre season in 2024 while he batted .199 with a .292 OBP and .323 slugging. 

The second baseman showed flashes of success while in Florida for spring training this year as he batted .281/.349/.456 and will likely start the season for the Twins by sharing time in the infield while also having the possibility of joining the starting lineup while at designated hitter. Minnesota will begin their season on the road against the St. Louis Cardinals as Julien looks to earn his spot within the team. 

Another player fighting for a starting position is Ryan Bliss who has made the opening day roster for the Seattle Mariners. Bliss was an Auburn Tiger from 2019-21 where he highlighted the team with a .328 batting average and .514 slugging, leading to a second-round selection by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2021 draft. Bliss was then traded to the Mariners in 2023 and made his debut the following season while batting .222/.290/.397 in just 33 games in the majors.

Despite his little experience in the majors, the infielder caught attention this spring while in Arizona as he posted a .308/.325/.462 slash, making a strong case to become the starter for Seattle. Bliss and the Mariners will commence their season against the Athletics at home on Thursday night.  

After making his Major League debut last year, right-handed pitcher Richard Fitts is yet another former Tiger to make the opening day roster as Fitts will start the regular season in the Boston Red Sox’s rotation. Fitts spent three seasons on the plains and held a 5.23 ERA, leading to being drafted in the sixth round by the New York Yankees. Following a two season stint in the Yankees minor league system, Fitts was involved in the Alex Verdugo trade and was moved to the Yankee’s rivals, the Red Sox. 

The righty was impressive in his twenty innings of service as he tossed a 1.74 ERA in 2024 during his debut season in the majors. Fitts pitched well this year in the grapefruit league and will look to continue this momentum into the regular season as the Red Sox begin their season in Texas versus the Rangers. 

Opening day will commence on Thursday, March 27 as the Auburn alumnus in the big leagues look to make a powerful impact with their professional ball clubs.