Georgia Tech Professional Athletes

Hurter Back on the Mound for Detroit

Brant Hurter's season looked like it might be over before September arrived. The Georgia Tech left-hander hit the 60-day injured list in late May with a lumbar injury, and Detroit managed just fine without him — right up until a pennant race demanded every arm available. The Tigers activated Hurter on September 6, and he wasted no time proving the comeback was real.

In his first outing back, Hurter threw 1.1 innings against the Twins on September 8, striking out one and posting a 2.70 ERA. He followed that up Friday against Colorado — 0.2 innings, one earned run — but the ERA ticked up only slightly to 2.96, a figure that still looks strong for a September bullpen piece. For a team managing a roster in flux (Detroit also moved Matt Vierling to the 60-day IL to make room), Hurter's return gives manager A.J. Hinch a proven left-handed option out of the bullpen as the Tigers push toward October.

The 6-foot-6 righty-killer is back, and at a time when it matters most.

Campbell's Triple-A Brilliance Goes Unrewarded — For Now

No Georgia Tech alum has generated more chatter this week than Kristian Campbell, which is notable given that he hasn't thrown a pitch or taken a swing in the majors. The Red Sox second-base prospect has been scorching at Triple-A Worcester, raking alongside Romy González at the top of the WooSox lineup — and Boston's front office has so far declined every invitation to call him up.

When Ceddanne Rafaela went down with an injury last week, fans immediately asked the obvious question: Why not Campbell? The Red Sox opted for Nate Eaton instead, citing roster construction and positional fit. Then, midway through a Tuesday game, Campbell and González were lifted early from the Worcester lineup — triggering a wave of speculation that a big-league promotion was imminent. It turned out to be a false alarm.

Campbell remains in Worcester, waiting. But the attention itself is meaningful. In a league increasingly fixated on service-time manipulation and prospect readiness, the fact that Campbell's name is a standing topic of debate in Boston's front office — rather than a future conversation — speaks to where he stands. The Red Sox are heading to the postseason, and Campbell appears to be one front-office decision away from being part of it.

Around the Rest of the Jacket Alumni

Elsewhere in the league, Xzavion Curry saw indirect roster movement this week — the Mets designated veteran Chris Devenski for assignment after noting that Curry had thrown just two innings when Devenski was originally added to the roster in late August. Curry's workload is a factor in how the Mets are managing their September bullpen decisions.

Chandler Simpson (Rays) has been a quiet bright spot throughout the week, going 6-for-his-last-stretch with multiple multi-hit games and carrying a .306 batting average into the weekend. Connor Thomas (Royals) has had a rougher September out of the 'pen, posting a 9.72 ERA across three appearances, though his workload remains limited to single innings.

The Yellow Jackets have no shortage of names on MLB rosters this September. The two to watch heading into the final weeks are Hurter, back and dealing in Detroit, and Campbell, one phone call away from Boston's biggest stage.

Georgia Tech in MLB | Aug. 30 – Sept. 5, 2026

If the Tampa Bay Rays are going to make a postseason run, they may have a Yellow Jacket to thank for it.

Chandler Simpson, the former Georgia Tech outfielder now playing left field in Tampa Bay, has been one of the more quietly compelling stories of the final stretch of the MLB regular season. The lefty hitter batted .308 or better every day of the tracked period, finishing Saturday at .311 on the year — a number that reflects a sustained hot stretch, not a single-game spike.

The signature moment came Saturday, Aug. 30, when Simpson delivered a tiebreaking RBI single in a four-run seventh inning as the Rays rallied from behind to defeat the San Diego Padres 7-6. Yandy Diaz had started the rally with a bases-loaded single that knocked in three, but it was Simpson's follow-up knock that put Tampa Bay ahead for good. It was the kind of at-bat — pressure situation, late innings, game on the line — that playoff scouts circle in their notebooks.

That clutch hit wasn't an isolated moment. Over the full week, Simpson went multi-hit in three separate games: twice against the Mets (Aug. 31 and Sept. 3, picking up an RBI in the former) and again against the Rangers on Saturday, Sept. 5 (2-for-the-day, average ticking up to .311). He also crossed the plate himself twice during the Mets series. For a Rays team managing the chaos of a playoff race, Simpson has emerged as a reliable offensive presence at the bottom or middle of the lineup — someone who doesn't beat himself and comes through when the situation demands it.

Sports Illustrated has already floated the question directly: why Simpson could be a legitimate postseason X-factor for this Rays club. The answer sits in the stat line. A .311 average, consistent contact, and a demonstrated ability to deliver in a tiebreaking spot against a contending opponent is the résumé of a player who belongs in October conversations.

Also Tracking

Jose Alvarado (Phillies, P) made three appearances across the week for Philadelphia, logging 2.2 innings total with three strikeouts. His ERA sits at 5.51 — not a number that inspires confidence — but the Phillies have continued to deploy him in live-game situations as they manage their own postseason positioning. Alvarado's best outing of the stretch came Tuesday, Sept. 1 against Arizona: a clean inning with a strikeout in a 2-1 Philadelphia win.

Connor Thomas (Royals, P) had a rougher go of it. The lefty logged just 3.1 innings across three outings between Aug. 30 and Sept. 5, giving up two earned runs with an ERA hovering north of 11.00. Kansas City's rotation situation has been fluid, and Thomas hasn't been able to seize a consistent role.

The headline this week belongs to Simpson, though. He's not making highlight reels with exit velocity or home run trots — he's making them the Georgia Tech way: hard contact, smart at-bats, and showing up when it matters most.

Georgia Tech Alumni Report: MLB, Aug. 23–29

Chandler Simpson is making a strong argument to be the hottest bat in the Tampa Bay Rays' lineup — and maybe one of the more quietly productive hitters in the American League right now.

The Georgia Tech alum rattled off multi-hit games in four of his last five appearances this week, going 2-for-2 with an RBI and a walk Sunday against Baltimore, adding two hits Monday against Detroit with an RBI, and then delivering two-hit performances in back-to-back games against San Diego to close the week. He finished the stretch batting .311, up from .308 mid-week as the hits kept coming.

The Baltimore game was particularly emblematic of what Simpson brings. With Nick Martinez dealing — six innings, four strikeouts — Simpson chipped in two hits and an RBI in a 3-1 Rays victory, the kind of complementary offensive performance that turns a quality start into a win. He didn't generate gaudy power numbers across the week, but his ability to make consistent contact and work walks (he drew one Tuesday against Detroit in a hitless game) signals the approach of a hitter who understands how to string together an at-bat.

For a Rays team that has long prided itself on player development and manufacturing runs, Simpson fits the mold. A .311 average over a sustained stretch is no small thing for a left fielder on a roster built around versatility.

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Around the Horn

While Simpson was the week's clear headliner, two other Yellow Jackets made appearances worth noting.

Xzavion Curry had a busy week navigating the Mets' bullpen carousel. He was optioned to Triple-A earlier in the period to make room for Chris Devenski, then recalled again as New York continued to shuffle its roster — the team's own description called it "another roster move in a season full of them." When he did appear Thursday against Milwaukee, Curry worked 2.1 innings with two strikeouts and two earned runs, holding his ERA at 3.44. That's a respectable number for a reliever bouncing between the majors and the minors, and the Mets' willingness to keep calling him back suggests they see real value in the arm.

Jose Alvarado made two appearances for Philadelphia, pitching a scoreless inning Tuesday against Seattle while striking out two, then working another frame Saturday against the Angels in a Phillies loss. His ERA sits at 5.81 on the season — a number that reflects some turbulence for a reliever who, when right, can be one of the more electric arms in the National League. The strikeouts Tuesday were a reminder of that upside.

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The week belonged to Simpson, full stop. Four multi-hit games in a five-game window, a .311 average, and a supporting role in a Tampa Bay win — it's the kind of stretch that should have Yellow Jacket fans paying close attention to the AL East standings the rest of the way.