San Diego Professional Athletes

Chase Meidroth didn't just hit a home run last week. The University of San Diego product hit one for the history books.

The White Sox second baseman crushed a no-doubt, three-run blast to deep center field in the sixth inning of Game 2 against the Houston Astros on September 30, turning a tight Wild Card series into a statement. Chicago won 7–3 to complete a 2–0 series sweep and punch their ticket to the ALDS — and Meidroth's homer was the knockout punch that made it official.

It wasn't just the moment; it was the player. Meidroth went 2-for-4 in the clincher with the home run, three RBI, a run scored, and a walk. Over the two-game Wild Card series, he slashed .571/.571/1.000, drove in four runs, and scored twice. FanGraphs credited the homer — alongside a four-run first inning and a dominant Jordan Hicks outing — as one of three defining moments that catapulted the Sox into the next round. Sports Illustrated placed the blast among the most memorable home runs in White Sox franchise lore.

Meidroth also appeared in early postseason action against the Cleveland Guardians on October 3, carrying a .364 average into that contest — a number that suggests his Wild Card series wasn't a fluke but the continuation of a scorching stretch.

For a program that has quietly developed big-league talent for decades, Meidroth's moment is the kind of validation San Diego fans have been waiting for.

Meanwhile, on the Other Side of the Field

San Diego can claim a complicated rooting interest in that same Wild Card series: Josh Hendrickson, a fellow Torero, pitched for the Houston Astros. Hendrickson took the mound in Game 1 on September 29, working 1.2 innings and allowing one earned run in what became a 3–6 loss. The Astros' series loss means the alumni rivalry ends with Meidroth firmly ahead.

Around the Rest of the League

Elsewhere, Paul Sewald threw a scoreless inning for the Blue Jays in a 5–1 win over Cincinnati on September 27, keeping his season ERA at 4.73 in a Toronto campaign that never quite found its footing. Shay Whitcomb went 1-for-3 with a run scored for the Giants in a 1–5 loss to the Dodgers on the same day, a quiet finish to San Francisco's regular season. Kris Bryant, meanwhile, spent all of 2026 on the 60-day injured list with the Rockies — a difficult year for the former MVP that will have San Diego alumni hoping for a healthier 2027.

But this week belongs to Meidroth. A three-run homer in a winner-take-all moment, a series for the ages, and a hometown school that just got a very loud shoutout on the national stage.

Chase Meidroth is doing something the White Sox haven't had much reason to talk about this decade: making September matter.

The University of San Diego product put together one of the week's best individual performances in MLB, going 3-for-4 with a three-run homer, five RBI, and two runs scored in Chicago's wild 14-11 slugfest over Kansas City on Tuesday. Meidroth and Randal Grichuk combined for eight RBI in the win, but it was the Toreros alum who provided the early knockout punch. The two teams combined for 25 runs in what Yahoo Sports aptly described as "chaos in Kansas City."

That wasn't a one-off. Meidroth also homered in Sunday's 8-0 shutout of Detroit — going 1-for-3 with two RBI and two runs in that one — and has been one of the White Sox's most consistent producers down the stretch. His average climbed from .268 to .276 across the week, with multi-hit efforts in three of his four appearances. The only blemish: he was held out of Saturday's lineup against Colorado, an absence notable enough that it generated its own coverage.

For a San Diego program that has quietly produced a steady pipeline of big-leaguers, Meidroth is making the loudest noise right now.

Also Worth Watching

Shay Whitcomb (Giants, 3B) had a productive stretch at the plate for San Francisco, going 2-for-4 in Saturday's loss to the Dodgers and posting back-to-back multi-hit games Wednesday. Whitcomb's average climbed from .175 at the start of the week to .202 by week's end — a meaningful surge for a player fighting for big-league standing heading into the offseason.

Chris Murphy (White Sox, P) had a rougher week in Chicago. The left-hander was optioned to Triple-A to make room when right-hander Huascar Brazoban was activated off the injured list ahead of the Tigers series. Murphy and Meidroth are San Diego teammates turned MLB teammates — though for now, only one of them is in the majors.

Kris Bryant (Rockies, 1B/OF) remains on the books in Colorado through 2028 at $52MM guaranteed, per MLB Trade Rumors' offseason outlook. The Rockies, who won't be competing in 2027, face big questions about how aggressively they'll move major-league talent this winter. Bryant's name figures to come up.

Paul Sewald (Blue Jays, P) made two brief appearances for Toronto, throwing 1.0 inning Wednesday and 0.1 inning Sunday. His ERA sits at 4.82 with the season winding down.

Brycen Mautz (Cardinals, P) logged 1.1 innings Friday and 1.0 inning Thursday, striking out one batter in each outing. His ERA stands at 5.87 as St. Louis closes out the year.

The week belonged to Meidroth — and it wasn't particularly close.

San Diego Alumni in MLB | Sept. 6–12, 2026

Two Toreros made noise in the majors this week — one delivered the biggest moment of his career, the other put up a standout performance that his team couldn't capitalize on.

Whitcomb's Walk-Off Moment

Shay Whitcomb has been grinding through a rough offensive season, but on Monday, Sept. 8, none of that mattered. The Giants third baseman chopped an infield single in the bottom of the 11th inning to plate the winning run, lifting San Francisco over St. Louis 5-4 at Oracle Park. It was the first walk-off RBI of Whitcomb's career.

The game itself was a gem wasted for starter Logan Webb, who punched out eight Cardinals over six innings only to leave with nothing to show for it — his winless stretch extending to four starts. Bryce Eldridge picked up the offensive slack earlier, going 2-for-the-night with three RBI, before Whitcomb delivered the dagger. The Giants, sitting at 60-85, are playing out the string, but moments like this give fans something real to hold onto.

Whitcomb followed up the walk-off with another productive line on Saturday, going 1-for-1 with a home run, an RBI, and a run scored against San Diego, nudging his average to .163. It was a week that showed the flashes of ability that got him to the bigs in the first place.

Meidroth's Effort Wasted in Chicago

Meanwhile on the South Side, Chase Meidroth had the kind of game a struggling franchise desperately needed — and still came away with an L. On Saturday against the Cardinals, Meidroth went 2-for-2 with two home runs, two RBI, two runs scored, and a walk, finishing the day with a .269 average. The White Sox, however, dropped the contest 7-3, wasting Meidroth's career-best performance and losing more ground in the AL Central.

It's been a recurring theme in Chicago: Meidroth contributes, the team doesn't follow. He also drew two walks in Sunday's game against Minnesota and recorded a hit in Wednesday's loss to Pittsburgh, making him one of the more consistent bright spots on a roster that's given fans little to celebrate. His .268–.269 average throughout the week reflects a player who has quietly settled into a functional big-league role, even if the wins haven't followed.

Around the Diamond

Brycen Mautz, a Cardinals pitcher and fellow USD alum, tossed two innings in St. Louis's 10-7 loss to Colorado on Sept. 6, striking out one while allowing runs in an already-lost cause. His ERA sits at 9.00, a rough stretch for the right-hander as the season winds down.

Paul Sewald continued his inconsistent run with the Blue Jays, making appearances on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday — logging a combined 2.1 innings with one earned run allowed. His ERA settled at 5.11 by week's end, a far cry from the dominant reliever he was in his Seattle days.

The week's defining image, though, belongs to Whitcomb: a slow chopper to the infield, a sprint down the line, and a first career walk-off. For a team finishing far out of contention, it was a reminder that individual milestones still carry weight — and that San Diego keeps sending players to the show worth watching.