BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Through the first two months of the 2025 Major League Baseball season, five Campbell alumni have been on major league rosters, matching the highest number of former Camel standouts to appear in the big leagues in the same year.
On June 1, the Philadelphia Phillies recalled right-handed pitcher Seth Johnson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and he joined former Camels Cedric Mullins (Baltimore), Zach Neto (Los Angeles Angels) and Ryan Thompson (Arizona) at baseball's highest level. Thomas Harrington made two pitching appearances for the Pittsburgh Pirates in April before returning to Triple-A Indianapolis.
In 2024, Johnson, Mullins, Neto, Thompson and Allan Winans (Atlanta) all played in major league games, marking the first time that five former Camels appeared in MLB in the same year.
Thomas Harrington | Pittsburgh Pirates | AAA Indianapolis Indians
Tabbed as the number three prospect in the Pirates organization, Harrington made his major league debut on April 1. He appeared in two games, including his first career MLB start against the Tampa Bay Rays. Harrington compiled a 0-1 won-lost record with a 10.13 ERA and seven strikeouts in 8.0 innings before returning to the minors.
At Triple-A Indianapolis, he has posted a 2-6 mark with a 6.55 ERA and 40 Ks in 44.0 innings over 10 appearances (nine starts).
Now in his third professional season, Harrington has made 58 pitching appearances (56 starts) and posted a 16-15 record, 3.62 ERA and 301 whiffs in 288.2 frames.
Drafted in the first round (36th overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2022, Harrington received a $2 million signing bonus. He was named the Big South freshman of the year in 2021 and the Big South pitcher of the year in 2022. In his final year at CU, the All-American led the nation with 12 wins (12-2) with a 2.53 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. He struck out a program-record 111 batters while walking just 18.
Seth Johnson | Philadelphia Phillies
Johnson was called up to the parent club on June 1, but did not appear in Philadelphia's first two games in a 3-game set at Toronto.
Recently converted to a reliever as pitching primarily as a starter in his 6-year pro career, Johnson's four-seam fastball touched 99 miles per hour in 16 games (4 starts) this year at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He posted a 2-2 record, 4.91 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 33 innings before his recall.
Named the No. 12 prospect in the Phillies system, Johnson has made 85 career minor league appearances (66 starts), posted an 11-9 record, 3.09 ERA and fanned 317 batters in 276.2 innings. He made his major league debut on Sept. 8, 2024.
The 40th overall selection in the 2019 draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, Johnson was acquired by the Phillies in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles on June 30, 2024. The Rays swapped him to the Orioles on Aug. 1, 2022.
In one season at Campbell (2019) after transferring from Louisburg JC, Johnson made 14 appearances, including 11 starts, while posting a 3-3 record with 85 strikeouts across 66.1 innings.
Cedric Mullins | Baltimore Orioles
Now in his eighth major league season, Cedric Mullins led the Baltimore Orioles in home runs (10) and RBI (31) before being placed on the 10-day injured list on May 30. Over his first 50 games of the 2025 season, he scored 25 runs, doubled nine times and stole eight bases while posting a .232 batting average.
Over his MLB career, Mullins is batting .251 with 96 homers, 309 RBI, 133 steals and a .992 fielding percentage in 743 games.
He was Baltimore's 15th-round pick in the 2015 draft and made his major league debut on Aug. 10, 2018. Mullins was the starting center fielder for the American League in the 2021 All-Star Game and won a Silver Slugger Award after becoming the first Orioles player to hit at least 30 home runs (30) and steal 30 bases (37) in the same season since the franchise moved from St. Louis to Baltimore in 1954.
In his only season at Campbell after transferring from Louisburg JC, Mullins batted a team-leading .340 with 59 runs scored and an astounding 34 extra base hits in 2015. He tallied 23 doubles with seven triples and four home runs, tacking on 23 stolen bases. Mullins was named Second Team Atlantic All-Region by the American Baseball Coaches Association and Second Team All-Big South.
Zach Neto | Los Angeles Angels
After opening the year on the injured list following offseason shoulder surgery, the Angels' top pick in the 2022 draft resumed his job as the team's everyday shortstop. Through his first 43 games, Neto is batting .270 with 11 doubles, 10 homers, 23 RBI and 34 runs scored plus eight stolen bases. He is slugging .517 and owns a .825 OPS through games of June 4.
Neto and the Angels made Fenway Park history on Monday, June 2 when the Halos became the first visiting team ever to hit three home runs in the first inning at the ballpark, which opened in 1912. Neto led off the game with a homer, while Mike Trout followed with a three-run blast and Jo Adell added a solo shot in a six-run inning.
After only 48 minor league games, he was called up to the Angels and made his MLB debut on Apr. 15, 2023. The 13th overall pick in 2022, Neto has played in played in 282 career major league games and slashed .246/.313/.437 with 142 runs scored, 62 doubles, 42 doubles, 134 RBI and 43 stolen bases. In 2024, he became the first infielder in Angels franchise history (which dates to 1961) to hit 20 or more home runs (23) and steal 20 or more bases in one year.
Neto won back-to-back Big South player of the year honors in 2021 and 2022 and was the tournament MVP in '23. The highest draft pick in program history and was a unanimous 2022 All-American choice. The Miami native slashed .403/.500/.751 in 100 career games at Campbell, where he set the school's all-time batting average record among hitters with 300 ABs, second all-time in OBP and slugging.
Ryan Thompson | Arizona Diamondbacks
Now in his third season as a relief pitcher with the Diamondbacks, Thompson has appeared in 25 games this year with a 1-1 record, 5.79 ERA, one save, and 22 strikeouts in 23.1 innings. Originally selected by Houston in the 23rd round of the 2014 MLB draft, he has pitched in two World Series – in 2020 for the Tampa Bay Rays and 2023 for Arizona.
In six major league seasons since making his MLB debut on July 24, 2020 with the Rays, Thompson has made 231 pitching appearances with a 16-15 record, eight saves, a 3.71 ERA and 194 Ks in 223.1 innings.
In two seasons at Campbell, Thompson led the Camels to back-to-back Big South title games and the program's first league championship in 24 years in 2014. The 2013 Big South pitcher of the year after leading the Camels to a 49-10 record and the conference regular season title, he was named tournament MVP one year later.
Minor Leagues
Spencer Packard | AAA | Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle Mariners)
A non-roster invitee to MLB spring training with the Mariners, Packard is batting .274 with 10 doubles, four home runs and 26 RBI through his first 50 games this season at Triple-A Tacoma. He has scored 21 times with a .396 on-base percentage while slugging .405.
A ninth-round choice of the Seattle Mariners in the 2021 draft, Packard reached AAA for the first time in the '24 season. In 365 minor league games over five seasons, the 2021 All-American owns a .284/.390/.434 slash with 77 doubles, 40 homers and 225 RBI.
As a senior in 2021, Packard ranked fourth in the nation and first in the Big South Conference with 67 RBI on his way to earning second-team All-America honors. He helped lead Campbell to NCAA Regional finals in 2019 and 2021.
Allan Winans | AAA | Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees)
Winans is off to an outstanding start during his first season with the Bronx Bombers' Triple-A team. Claimed off waivers by the Yankees from the Atlanta Braves on Jan. 23, Winans owns a 4-0 record with a miniscule 0.27 ERA in eight outings (six starts) for the RailRiders. He has struck out 39 batters in 33.1 innings.
He made eight MLB starts with the Braves over the 2023 and 2024 seasons and compiled a 1-4 record, 7.20 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 40 frames.
Now in his seventh season in organized ball, Winans' has made 136 minor league pitching appearances (51 starts) and owns a 24-21 record, 2.75 ERA and 417 Ks in 447.2 innings plus 15 saves.
Originally a 17th round selection of the New York Mets in the 2018 draft, the Braves claimed him off waivers on Dec. 8, 2021. Winans made his MLB debut on July 22, 2023 with the Braves.
The Big South pitcher of the year in 2018, Winans posted a 6-4 record with a 2.73 ERA and 96 strikeouts in just 82 innings. He turned in 10 quality starts, and his 10.49 Ks per 9 innings that season was a program record at the time.
Ty Cummings | AA | Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays)
Cummings has divided his 2025 season between Double-A Montgomery and the Triple-A Durham Bulls since the Rays acquired him last October in a trade with Seattle. Named the Southern League pitcher of the week on April 20, Cummings has posted a 3-1 record with a 3.05 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 38.1 frames in 13 games (4 starts) combined between AA and AAA ball. Now in his second pro season, Cummings has compiled a 7-6 won-lost mark, 3.89 ERA and 162 Ks over 155.0 innings over 38 appearances (29 starts).
Chosen in the seventh round of the 2023 draft by the Seattle Mariners, the right-handed hurler was Campbell's most-used bullpen arm over his three seasons (2021-23), making 74 total appearances, good for the sixth-most total appearances in program history. He logged 135 total strikeouts in 154.1 innings of work with a career 4.37 ERA while earning Big South all-conference honors twice.
Cade Kuehler | High-A | Rome Emperors (Atlanta Braves)
Kuehler opened the year on the 60-day injured list after offseason surgery on his pitching arm. He made his professional debut in 2024 and made 12 starts with the (Single-A) Augusta GreenJackets and (High-A) Rome Emperors. He posted a 3-6 record with a 3.74 ERA with 48 strikeouts over 53 innings before going on the injured list July 19, 2024.
Chosen by Atlanta in the 2nd round (70th overall) of the 2023 draft, Kuehler was an All-Big South first-team pitcher in 2023, going 8-1 with a team-best 2.71 ERA. He compiled 243 career strikeouts, the third-most in program history and the only pitcher in the program's top 10 to reach that mark in just three seasons.
Cole Peschl | High-A | Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins)
Peschl opened his first professional season at Single-A Fort Myers before being promoted to High-A Cedar Rapids on May 21. He owns a 3-1 record with a 1.52 ERA and one save while fanning 53 hitters over 41.1 innings in nine appearances (5 starts). Chosen in the 15th round of the '24 draft by the Minnesota Twins, the right-hander led the Camels with 83 strikeouts over 69 innings and made 16 starts with a 3-3 record and 5.48 ERA in his only season at CU..
Aaron Rund | High-A | Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers)
Now in his second professional season, Rund sported a 1-1 record with three saves and a 4.19 ERA over his first 17 relief appearances in 2025. He struck out 16 batters over 19.1 innings through games of June 4. He sports a 5-3 record, 3.30 ERA, 11 saves in and 72 strikeouts in 76.1 career professional innings. He signed a non-drafted minor league free agent contract with the Brewers on Dec. 19, 2023. In three seasons at Campbell (2021-23), Rund went 12-3 with a 4.90 ERA and 156 strikeouts over 150 2/3 innings and helped the Camels to three NCAA regional appearances.
Bryce Arnold | A | Dunedin Blue Jays (Toronto Blue Jays)
Now in his third minor league season, Arnold is batting .261 with seven homers, 30 runs scored and 26 RBI over his first 40 games at Single-A Dunedin. He has played in 168 career minor league games (including three at the Triple-A level) since signing with the Blue Jays organization as a non-drafted free agent in 2023. Arnold was named All-American in for the Camels in 2023 after leading the Big South Conference with 19 doubles. He played in three-straight regionals for Campbell (2021-23).
Ernie Day | A | Palm Beach Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals)
Signed by the Cardinals organization to a minor league free agent contract on Feb. 18, Day has made seven relief appearances and posted a 0-1 record and a 5.40 ERA with seven strikeouts in 6.2 innings at Single-A Palm Beach in the Florida State League. Now in his third pro season, he has made 35 career appearances with a 3-3 record and 10.98 ERA and 33 Ks in 30.1 innings. He was a 14th round choice in the 2023 draft by the Seattle Mariners, Day made 14 appearances in his only season (2023) with the Camels after transferring from Iowa Western.
Grant Knipp | Rookie | ACL Mariners (Seattle Mariners)
Knipp opened 2025 on the full season injured list after undergoing surgery. He was selected as a two-way player in the sixth round of the 2024 draft by the Seattle Mariners. Despite playing in only 29 games due to injury, Knipp was named first-team All-CAA in 2024 after batting .402/.547/1.029 with 18 home runs and 46 RBI. On the mound, he had a 1.59 ERA and two saves in six relief appearances. After signing with the Mariners on July 23, Knipp did not play in any games during the 2024 minor league season. A 6-foot-2 catcher, Knipp was named first-team all-conference and the 2023 Big South tournament MVP.
Derek Vartanian | Rookie | FCL Braves (Atlanta Braves)
Vartanian signed a minor league free agent contract July 17, 2024, with the Atlanta Braves, but has yet to make his professional debut. He opened the 2025 campaign on the 60-day injured list. In his only season at Campbell (2024) after transferring from Gaston College, Vartanian posted a 1-2 record with a 7.36 ERA and 15 strikeouts over 11 innings in three games before sitting out the rest of the year due to injury.
