Doug Kingsmore Stadium just sent another Tiger to the Show, and this one bleeds orange. On Thursday, the Cleveland Guardians made it official: Cooper Ingle is headed to the big leagues.
The former Tiger star and 2023 fourth-round pick will pull on a big league jersey right away in a massive series against the Mariners. For the Asheville native and every Clemson fan who watched him grow up in orange and purple, this is a moment to savor.
Ingle didn’t just earn his call-up, he forced Cleveland’s hand with the kind of performance that makes Tiger Nation stand up and roar. In 51 games at Triple-A Columbus, the lefty torched International League pitching, hitting .284 with 12 bombs, 41 RBIs, and a jaw-dropping .967 OPS.
His three-homer outburst earlier this month was classic Cooper—pure Tiger grit and swagger—and it left Cleveland with no choice but to give him the call.
Cleveland may have drafted Ingle as a catcher, but they quickly learned what every Tiger fan already knew: you do whatever it takes to get his bat in the lineup. This summer, the Guardians moved him all over the outfield, determined to speed up his path to the Show.
President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti made it clear that Ingle’s versatility is a game-changer, and that comes as no shock to anyone who watched him do it all in orange and purple.
“As we've seen at the Major League level, the more positions guys can play capably, the more chances they have to impact us up here," Antonetti shared regarding Ingle's transition. "We just don't know where those opportunities are going to come, so we try to have guys play a number of positions in Triple-A to prepare for that.”
Every Clemson fan knows Cooper Ingle’s plate discipline is the stuff of legend. Under Erik Bakich, Ingle became the definition of a tough out, hitting .329 with a .425 OBP and just 62 strikeouts in 483 at-bats. He was the engine of the Tigers’ unforgettable 2023 ACC Tournament title, the guy you trusted with the game on the line.
After torching every level of the minors with a .282 average in 281 games, our guy is ready to show the baseball world exactly what it means to be a Clemson Tiger.
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