Former Lexington County Blowfish, Charlie Barnes, made his Major League debut July 17 for the Minnesota Twins. Barnes earned the start, allowing one run over 4 2/3 innings in the Twins 1-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers.
The South Carolina native was drafted in the 4th round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals out of Clemson University. Over four seasons at the minor league level, Barnes accumulated a career 3.72 ERA across 355 2/3 innings pitched before earning the promotion to the Twins on Saturday. After giving up a home run to the first batter of the game, the left-hander settled in nicely to allow only four total hits and one run.
Barnes played for the Blowfish during the 2015 season, putting up a solid season with 37 strikeouts and a 2.92 ERA across 37 innings pitched. His debut marks the 148th all-time former CPL player to make their major league debut and the ninth of the 2021 MLB season. This debut also pushes the Blowfish’s major league alumni total to eight.