NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Four former Yale baseball players are in pro ball as the 2021 Minor League Baseball season begins Tuesday. 
 
Catcher Ryan Lavarnway '09 is one step away from the majors, as he is with the Cleveland Indians' Triple-A Columbus affiliate. Lavarnway is seeking to play in his 10th MLB season, having played five games for the Miami Marlins last year.
 
Three Bulldogs who were key parts of the team's Ivy League championships in 2017 and 2018 -- also helping the team win a pair of games in the 2017 NCAA Tournament -- are at the Single-A level. Shortstop Simon Whiteman '19 is at Eugene, the San Francisco Giants' High-A affiliate. First baseman Griffin Dey '19 and left-handed pitcher Kumar Nambiar '19 are at the Low-A level. Dey is with Lakeland in the Detroit Tigers organization and Nambiar is with Stockton in the Oakland A's organization.
 
Yale head coach John Stuper, who was part of the St. Louis Cardinals' 1982 World Series championship team, appreciates seeing this group ascend in pro baseball.

"They represented our program extremely well while they were Bulldogs," said Stuper. "They are just continuing to do that that today. All great people. Was a privilege to get the opportunity to coach them." 
 
Here is a look at Yale's Minor Leaguers:
 
1B Griffin Dey '19
Lakeland Flying Tigers
Detroit Tigers Low-A

Selected in 23rd round of 2019 MLB Draft by Detroit Tigers … Went 2-for-8 in two games in GCL 2019 … Finished his career second on Yale's career home run list with 29, trailing only Ryan Lavarnway '09 (33) … 126 career RBIs rank fifth on Yale's all-time list ... Second team ABCA/Rawlings Northeast All-Region selection 2018 and 2019 … Honorable mention All-Ivy League 2018 and 2019 ... Second in Ivy League in on-base percentage (.482), third in slugging percentage (.651) and fifth in batting average (.362) 2019 ... Tied for second in league in homeruns (11), was third in walks (35), tied for third in RBIs (44) 2019 … Helped Bulldogs earn Ivy League titles in 2017 and 2018 ... Helped 2017 Yale team earn a pair of wins in NCAA Tournament, setting school record for wins (34) … Political science major … Was in Grace Hopper College … Native of Pound Ridge, N.Y.

LHP Kumar Nambiar '19
Stockton Ports
Oakland A's Low-A

Pitched in 16 games in his first pro season, 2019, including 15 in Arizona League and one in California League; totaled 49 strikeouts in 39 innings … Selected in 34th round of 2019 MLB Draft by Oakland A's … Earned first team All-Ivy League honors 2019 .... Ended his senior season with complete-game shutouts on road in final two starts ... Opponents hit only .250 against him -- eighth-best opposing batting average in Ivy League 2019 ... Eighth in Ivy League in strikeouts with 57; had a 3.90 ERA and three wins in 10 starts 2019 … Named first team All-NECBL and finished third-best in league with 1.85 ERA summer 2018 ... Tied for second on team in wins with five his junior year at Yale … Helped Bulldogs earn Ivy League titles in 2017 and 2018 ... Helped 2017 Yale team earn a pair of wins in NCAA Tournament, setting school record for wins (34) … Economics major … Was in Morse College … Native of Larchmont, N.Y.
 
C Ryan Lavarnway '09 
Columbus Clippers
Cleveland Indians Triple-A
 
Opened 2021 season at Cleveland's Alternate Site … Played for Miami Marlins in 2020, appearing in five games and collecting four hits in 11 at-bats … 2020 season marked his ninth in Major League Baseball … Has played a total of 156 games at MLB level, hitting nine homeruns in 419 at-bats ... Has played for Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Cincinnati, Miami, Oakland and Pittsburgh … Made his MLB debut for Boston in 2011 … Sixth-round pick by Red Sox in 2008 MLB Draft … One of four players in Yale history to be selected in top six rounds of MLB Draft … Named to Team Israel's traveling roster in advance of 2021 Tokyo Olympics ... Was starting catcher for Team Israel at 2017 World Baseball Classic, helping Israel beat No. 3 South Korea and No. 4 Taiwan ... Was named Pool A MVP and finished 2017 WBC with eight hits in 18 at-bats … Earned multiple All-America selections at Yale … Was semifinalist for Johnny Bench Award and Golden Spikes Award 2008 ... Led Ivy League in home runs (13), RBIs (42), walks (29), slugging percentage (.824) and on-base percentage (.541), setting the Ivy League career home run record (33) 2008 … Led NCAA in batting average (.467) and slugging percentage (.873) 2007 … Set Ivy League record with 25 game hitting streak 2007 … Philosophy major … Native of Woodland Hills, Calif.
 
IF Simon Whiteman '19
Eugene Emeralds
San Francisco Giants High-A

Named fastest baserunner in San Francisco Giants system by Baseball America and MiLB.com heading into 2021 season … Earned invitation to Giants' Instructional League in fall of 2020 … Hit .270 with .417 on-base percentage in 20 games for Florence in 2020, helping Freedom win regular season league title ... Won fastest baserunner title at skills competition Florence put on as part of a 2020 fan appreciation event … Was selected Florence's best defensive player in 2020 ... Played 69 games with Giants' Single-A and Short Season Single-A affiliates in 2019, hitting .274 with .386 on-base percentage …  Selected by Giants in ninth round of 2019 Major League Baseball Draft, becoming first Yale player selected in top nine rounds since Ryan Lavarnway '09 in 2008 (sixth round) … Earned Yale's Mallory Award as top male student-athlete in Class of 2019 ... Second on Yale's career hits list with 213 ... 71 career steals placed him third on Yale's career steals list ... 135 career runs were four away from Yale career record … Cornerstone of a Yale defense that led NCAA in fielding twice, tying NCAA record with a .985 team fielding percentage in 2018 ... Helped Bulldogs earn Ivy League titles in 2017 and 2018 ... Helped 2017 Yale team earn pair of wins in NCAA Tournament, setting school record for wins (34) … First team Academic All-America 2018 and 2019 … Elected Yale's 2019 captain by his teammates … Led Ivy League in stolen bases (34, without being caught), was second in the league in doubles (17) and third in the league in runs (43) 2019 ... .337 batting average was second on team 2019 ... Committed only seven errors, posting a .966 fielding percentage, 2019 … Earned Yale's DeLaney Kiphuth Student-Athlete Distinction Award in 2019 as senior male student-athlete with highest cumulative grade-point average … Rhodes Scholarship candidate, endorsed by Yale ... Majored in chemical engineering and had 3.97 cumulative grade point average ... Was in Trumbull College … Native of Trumbull, Conn.