Path to the Majors: LHP Cody Ege

2011 Mountaineer Cody Ege was called up last night by the Miami Marlins and made his major league debut, throwing an inning in relief against the San Francisco Giants. Ege faced four batters and gave up a run. Here's the first of a recurring feature, looking at Ege's path to the majors.

College

Ege celebrates the Vanderbilt win.

A star at Cherokee High School in Iowa, Ege was a prized recruit and moved on to perennial D-I power Louisville. He had mixed results out of the bullpen in his first two years, only accumulating 24 innings, but really excelled in his junior year. Ege set a Cardinals record with 38 appearances out of the bullpen, and was crucial in leading his team to a College World Series berth.

Ege had a 4-1 record and a microscopic 1.04 ERA over 34 2/3 innings of work, piling up 52 strikeouts. He struck out the last batter in Louisville's Super Regional clinching win against Vanderbilt, recording his first career save at the same time. The picture to the right captures the moment afterwards, which Ege recalled in an interview with the Sioux City Journal.

"I took my hat off and took my glove off and threw it in the air and I just dropped to my knees, and it felt like I was there for 10 seconds before anyone got to me," Ege said. "I looked up and here comes the whole dugout and they dogpile-tackled me."

Louisville had a short stay in Omaha, losing their first two games to Indiana and Oregon State, but the experience was memorable. He pitched in both losses.

Vermont Mountaineers (2011)

Ege came to Vermont in 2011 after throwing just nine innings as a freshman at Louisville. He split time between the rotation and bullpen for the Mountaineers, appearing in 13 games. He started seven and made six relief appearances, posting a 3.04 ERA with 25 strikeouts over 46 2/3 innings of work. Ege had some command issues, walking 21, but worked in and out of trouble.

In his second start of the year, Ege, who went 3-2, tossed a seven-inning gem. He struck out two and allowed just one run on five hits in a narrow 2-1 win over divisional rival Keene. Ege had three other quality starts over the course of the season, and retired the only two batters he faced in the postseason.

Draft

Ege decided to forego his senior season at Louisville, going out on a high note. The Texas Rangers selected the left-handed specialist in the 15th round of the 2013 draft, going 460th overall.

Minor League Stint with Texas

Ege made his minor league debut with the Short-Season Class-A Spokane Indians in Washington, and made five appearances with them before to Class-A Hickory and Class-A Advanced Myrtle Beach before the 2013 season was over.

In 2014, Ege made 37 appearances at Myrtle Beach, posting a decent 3.88 ERA. The impressive part, however, was 76 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings, while walking just 17. He stayed at the level in High Desert to start the 2015 campaign, but his dominance in nine outings- 25 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings- earned a promotion to Double-A Frisco. In Frisco, Ege struck out 37 in 31 2/3 innings before suddenly being traded at the deadline.

The Rangers sent him and catcher Tomas Telis to the Marlins for Sam Dyson. A two-time Reliever of the Month for Texas, Ege described the trade as a 'wild experience,'

"I had no idea I was going to be involved in any trades," Ege told Baseball Essential. "I got a phone call on the way to the ballpark one day saying I had been traded. They said I no longer played with the Rangers organization. After that phone call, I was officially part of the Miami Marlins."

Minor League Stint with Miami

After being traded, Ege headed to Double-A Jacksonville, where he only made five appearances before earning a promotion to Triple-A New Orleans. Ege didn't skip a beat, striking out 13 in 12 innings of work, issuing just two walks while posting a 0.75 ERA. It was an impressive transition for the left-hander, setting up his 2016 season well.

He appeared in his third spring training earlier this year, but got significant work. Over 10 outings, Ege threw 6 2/3 innings and struck out seven, posting a 1.35 ERA. After five appearances in Triple-A following camp, he was up in the majors when Martin Prado went on maternity leave.

Major League Debut

Ege made his debut yesterday, April 23rd. He faced four batters in the eighth, allowing a run on 12 pitches. He gave up a one-out triple to Gregor Blanco, who later scored on a sacrifice fly. Ege threw three pitches, showing a 86 mph sinker, a 78 mph changeup, and a 73 mph slider.