Gonzaga Professional Athletes

With September rosters locked and playoff races elsewhere stealing headlines, four Gonzaga alumni are grinding through the final weeks of a long season — two on the same Colorado team, one in Tampa Bay, and one trying to stick in San Francisco.

Hughes Still Searching, Then Optioned

The week encapsulates Gabriel Hughes's 2026 in a single sentence: he started Sunday against Detroit with an 0-7 record and a 5.81 ERA, lasted two innings, allowed five earned runs in an 8-1 loss, and by mid-week the Rockies had optioned him to Triple-A Albuquerque to make room for a reinstated Jose Quintana. Hughes did get one more crack at a first win — a Saturday start against Seattle, where he pitched 4.2 innings, struck out six, and allowed three earned runs in a 5-4 Colorado loss — but the elusive "W" remains out of reach. The righty finishes this stretch at 0-7 with a 6.33 ERA, still winless in the big leagues despite flashing the swing-and-miss stuff (six K's against the Mariners) that made him a prospect worth watching.

Johnston Quietly Builds a Case

While Hughes struggled, Rockies teammate Troy Johnston quietly put together the most compelling individual performance of the week for any Gonzaga alum. The 29-year-old outfielder went 3-for-something with two RBI and a run scored in Colorado's 9-3 win over San Diego on Wednesday, pushing his average to .285 on the day. The number dipped slightly by Thursday — two separate game entries show him settling at .279–.282 — but the overall arc is positive for a player who, by his own account, is navigating the unusual role of being both a rookie by service time and a seasoned clubhouse presence by age. Johnston's reflective tone in a recent interview underscores someone who understands exactly where he fits on a rebuilding club.

Legumina Steady in Tampa

Casey Legumina continued to pitch his way into Tampa Bay's plans. The righty worked one inning Thursday against Oakland, gave up a run, but bounced back Friday against Boston with a clean two-inning, four-strikeout outing that brought his ERA down to 3.89. Over the three appearances tracked this week — Houston, Oakland, Boston — Legumina logged four total innings and showed enough late-season reliability to suggest he's auditioning for a bullpen role in 2027.

Harris Scrapping for Average

Brett Harris's week with San Francisco was defined by the grind. The infielder went hitless in back-to-back games to open the stretch against San Diego and St. Louis, then strung together three consecutive games with a hit — including a run scored Tuesday — to climb his average to .143. It's a thin line to walk with the Giants' season already effectively over, but Harris is getting consistent at-bats and that counts for something at this stage of a young career.

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The broader picture here is worth noting for Gonzaga fans: four alumni on active MLB rosters in the same week is not an accident. The Zags' pipeline into professional baseball is real, even if the teams they're playing for are mostly watching October from home. Hughes needs a win, Johnston needs more games like Wednesday, Legumina needs a contract, and Harris needs reps. All four are in the right place to get them.

Brett Harris Finds a New Home — Again

Gonzaga infielder Brett Harris is no stranger to roster shuffles, and the week of August 30 brought another one. The Red Sox designated Harris for assignment Tuesday to make room for right-hander Jedixson Paez, and he didn't linger on the waiver wire for long. The San Francisco Giants claimed him, though Harris was optioned to Triple-A rather than added to the active roster. San Francisco also used the corresponding move to shift Keaton Winn to the 60-day IL.

It's another chapter in a journeyman arc for the former Bulldog — Harris has now suited up for multiple organizations in a short stretch, and the Giants represent yet another shot at sticking in the big leagues. Whether he forces his way onto San Francisco's September roster remains to be seen, but the claim signals the organization sees something worth a look.

Hughes and Johnston Keeping Busy in Colorado

On the field, two Gonzaga alumni are grinding through a brutal Rockies season together. Right-hander Gabriel Hughes started Wednesday's home game against the Baltimore Orioles and held up reasonably well — 4.2 innings, four strikeouts, one earned run — in a 4-2 Colorado win that snapped a 10-game losing streak at Coors Field. Hughes carries a 6.19 ERA on the year, but that outing was a step in the right direction.

Outfielder Troy Johnston has been a quiet bright spot in an otherwise forgettable Rockies campaign. He logged hits in three of his four appearances during the period, including a multi-contribution game Saturday against the Cardinals (1-for-the-day, a run scored, a walk), and is hitting .287 on the season. For a team that's lost more games than it can count, Johnston's consistency at the plate stands out.

Legumina Steadies the Rays' Bullpen

Tampa Bay's Casey Legumina worked in three appearances across the week, including a three-inning outing Friday against the Rangers where he struck out two and allowed two earned runs. His ERA ticked up slightly but sits at a respectable 3.84 — solid enough for a reliever asked to eat innings on a rebuilding club. The former Gonzaga Bulldog has been one of the more reliable arms in a Rays bullpen that's leaned hard on its depth all season.

Gabriel Hughes and Troy Johnston Are Making Gonzaga's MLB Presence Known in Denver

The Colorado Rockies may be playing out a tough 2026 season, but two Gonzaga alumni are giving the Bulldogs faithful something to watch in the final weeks of the summer.

Gabriel Hughes: Still Hunting Win No. 1

Rookie right-hander Gabriel Hughes continued to build his MLB résumé this week, making two starts for Colorado — and drawing a milestone moment in the process.

On Sunday, Aug. 23, Hughes turned in five innings against the Cleveland Guardians, allowing three earned runs and striking out two in a 3-4 Rockies loss. His ERA crept up slightly to 6.54 following the outing — not the birthday gift he was hoping for. The 25-year-old then took the hill again Thursday, Aug. 27, against the Washington Nationals, going another five innings with three strikeouts and four earned runs, nudging his ERA to 6.61.

The quality of Hughes' raw stuff isn't what's in question — his ability to limit damage is. Two straight five-inning outings show the Gonzaga product can eat innings at the big-league level, but he's been bitten by costly run-scoring frames. Per a Yahoo Sports game preview, Hughes entered his Aug. 23 start against Cleveland explicitly chasing his first MLB win on his birthday. He's still chasing it.

He's scheduled to get another crack at it before the week closes out, facing Cleveland again in what Yahoo Sports billed as a second notable matchup for the young Zag. The ceiling is real — the wins column just hasn't caught up yet.

Troy Johnston: Quietly Raking in the Outfield

While Hughes works through early-career growing pains, Johnston is quietly putting together one of the more productive stretches by a Gonzaga alumnus in recent MLB memory.

The outfielder went 7-for-the-week by the numbers, including a signature Wednesday, Aug. 26 performance against the Nationals: two hits, a home run, two RBI, and a run scored. He followed that with a hit Thursday and another on Saturday against the Braves, pushing his batting average from .282 on Monday to .287 by Saturday — a steady, upward tick that reflects real contact consistency, not noise.

Johnston's .287 average isn't a fluke line built on one hot series. He's been grinding hits across every game he's appeared in this week, showing patience at the plate (two walks logged across the week) and pop when he gets his pitch. The home run Wednesday was a reminder that his bat has more than gap power.

Notably, Johnston also logged a pitching appearance on Monday, Aug. 24 — throwing a clean inning against Washington — which underscores his value as a versatile roster piece in Colorado's fluid lineup construction.

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Two Zags, one roster, one very long summer in the Rockies organization. Hughes is still looking for the breakthrough result to match his effort; Johnston is steadily making the case that he belongs. Both are worth tracking as September approaches — and both are reason enough for Gonzaga fans to keep a Colorado box score open.