NC State Professional Athletes

Pack Alums on Opposite Ends of the Postseason Drama

NC State's October story has two chapters, and they couldn't be more different. One Wolf Pack alum is lighting up the ALCS. The other is fighting to hold his position on a $300 million contract.

Patrick Bailey Is Cleveland's Unlikely Postseason Weapon

With the Guardians trailing the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 in the seventh inning of ALCS Game 1 on October 13, Patrick Bailey led off with a solo home run off Drew Rasmussen to tie the game. Cleveland didn't stop there — the Guardians went on to win 7-3, and the NC State product was at the center of the rally.

It wasn't a one-night act. Bailey is hitting .368 through the Guardians' October run, adding a hit and a run scored in Game 3 (a 3-2 Cleveland win on October 15) as the series tilts in the Guardians' favor. His bat in the bottom of the order has become a genuine weapon, and the numbers are backing it up.

The only wrinkle: Bailey wasn't in the lineup for Game 2 (a 3-1 Cleveland loss on October 14) when manager Stephen Vogt opted for veteran Austin Hedges, a decision that drew sharp criticism. Sports Illustrated argued this week that Bailey has proven he should start regardless of pitching matchup — a case his postseason average is making loudly on his behalf.

For a player who entered the postseason as an "unlikely hero," Bailey is looking less unlikely by the game.

Trea Turner Gets a Very Public Warning

While Bailey thrives, former NC State standout Trea Turner is navigating a very different kind of October conversation — one that's happening in press conferences rather than box scores.

Following the Phillies' early playoff exit, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski went public with a pointed message: Turner "did not have a good year," and it is "mandatory" that his defense improves if he wants to keep the shortstop job. With seven years and roughly $300 million remaining on his contract, Turner isn't going anywhere — but his position on the field is suddenly negotiable.

Dombrowski stopped short of moving Turner off short immediately, instead framing spring training as a proving ground. The Phillies also announced the hiring of a new infield coach — a former Mets manager — specifically tasked with overhauling the infield defense. The message is clear: Turner has an offseason to fix it, or Philadelphia starts exploring alternatives.

Those alternatives aren't clean. MLB Trade Rumors noted the Phillies already reshuffled their infield at the trade deadline to accommodate Luis Arraez, moving Bryson Stott to third and Bryce Harper to right field. Turner was the one constant in that overhaul. Moving him again raises more roster questions than it answers.

Whether Turner responds to the public pressure or the Phillies are forced into an awkward repositioning of a marquee contract, it's a storyline that will carry through the winter and into Clearwater next spring.

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Two NC State alumni, two dramatically different Octobers — one catching postseason lightning in Cleveland, the other catching heat in Philadelphia.

Patrick Bailey, October Unlikely Hero

NC State has produced its share of MLB talent, but few Wolfpack alumni have chosen a bigger moment to announce themselves than Patrick Bailey did in ALDS Game 4.

With the Cleveland Guardians down two runs and their season teetering on elimination, Bailey came off the bench in the fifth inning and launched a pinch-hit solo home run against the Chicago White Sox — a swing that cracked open the floodgates. After Bailey's blast, Cleveland outscored Chicago 9-2 the rest of the way, rolling to a 9-5 win to extend the series.

The homer wasn't Bailey's only contribution to the decisive rally. He also drove in a run during the Guardians' six-run sixth inning — a frame that also featured RBI hits from Travis Bazzana, Jose Ramirez, Chase DeLauter, and Jo Adell — that put the game out of reach at 9-4. Bailey finished Game 4 slashing 2-for-2 with a homer, two RBIs, and two runs scored, lifting his ALDS batting average to .417. For a catcher whose reputation is built almost entirely on his glove, the offensive eruption was a genuine surprise — and one that kept Cleveland breathing.

After the game, Bailey was generous with the credit, calling teammate Jose Ramirez — who also homered in the fifth — the "best player" he's ever seen. Ramirez contributed two hits, a home run, and three RBIs in the win, but the spark, by all accounts, came from the Wolfpack alumnus stepping out of the dugout with the season on the line.

The moment had extra weight given Game 2. In that contest, Chicago outfielder Brenton Doyle made a leaping catch at the wall to rob Bailey of extra bases and cap a White Sox victory — a near-miss that made Game 4's redemption arc all the sharper.

Trea Turner's Uncertain Future in Philadelphia

The postseason spotlight also flickered, less flatteringly, on fellow NC State alum Trea Turner. After the Philadelphia Phillies were bounced in the NL Wild Card Series by the Atlanta Braves, Turner's place in Philadelphia has become a genuine question mark heading into the offseason.

Multiple reports indicate the Phillies are at least entertaining conversations about moving Turner from shortstop — or potentially trading him outright — as the front office confronts a closing championship window. The complications are considerable: Turner's contract makes a trade extremely difficult to execute, and the market for his services may not be what Philadelphia would hope. The organization's next manager, whoever that turns out to be, will inherit the Turner situation as one of the most pressing items on the agenda.

Turner's situation stands in stark contrast to Bailey's October triumph — one Wolfpack alum riding high, another facing an uncomfortable offseason reckoning.

Carlos Rodón in the Mix

NC State's Carlos Rodón factored into a Yankees postseason subplot as New York faced Tampa Bay in their own ALDS. With Max Fried slotted to start a must-win Game 3, Rodón was squarely in the conversation as a contingency option should Fried be unavailable. Personal news surrounding Fried briefly elevated Rodón's chances of getting the ball, though the Yankees ultimately stayed with Fried for the start.