MLB Top 10 Notre Dame baseball players according to ChatGPT
So Notre Dame will not make the College World Series for a second straight season. In fact, it didn’t make the NCAA Tournament at all. So what are Irish fans left to do? Look into the past, of course.
Not long ago, we took the liberty of asking ChatGPT, the AI information bot that supposedly is threatening to put all of us writers out of work, its opinion on Notre Dame athletic history. Specifically, we asked it to rank what it believed were the top 10 Notre Dame football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball players. Now, we’re bringing it back to seek its opinion about Irish baseball players.
Keep in mind that ChatGPT gives this disclaimer:
“As an AI, I don’t have access to real-time information or the ability to provide subjective opinions. However, I can tell you about some notable baseball players who have had successful careers at the University of Notre Dame. Keep in mind that this list is not exhaustive and does not rank them in any particular order.”
There’s also this:
“Please note that this is not an exhaustive or ranked list, and there have been many other talented baseball players who have represented the University of Notre Dame.”
So with all of that said, let’s see who ChatGPT came up with. Please note that some of these have been edited to remove inaccurate or outdated information:
Pat Connaughton
“While Connaughton is better known for his basketball career at Notre Dame, he also played baseball for the Fighting Irish. After college, he was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles but focused primarily on basketball and currently plays in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks.”
Trey Mancini
“Mancini currently plays in the MLB for the Chicago Cubs and has been an impactful player.”
Ryan Topham
“He was a notable shortstop at Notre Dame and later played professionally in the minor leagues.”
Jeff Manship
“He was a reliable pitcher for Notre Dame and went on to play in MLB for the Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, and Cleveland Indians.”
AJ Pollock
“Pollock was a standout outfielder for the Fighting Irish and was selected in the first round of the MLB draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has since become an All-Star outfielder and has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox and Seattle Mariners.”
Craig Counsell
“Although he didn’t have an extensive baseball career at Notre Dame, Counsell is worth mentioning as a successful MLB player. He played for several teams, including the Florida Marlins and Milwaukee Brewers, and won multiple World Series championships.”
Eric Jagielo
“He was a highly regarded third baseman at Notre Dame and was selected in the first round of the MLB draft by the New York Yankees. Jagielo played in the minor leagues and reached the Triple-A level.”
Jeff Samardzija
“While he is more well-known for his football career at Notre Dame, Samardzija also excelled in baseball as a pitcher. He later transitioned to professional baseball and pitched for several MLB teams.”
Aaron Heilman
“He was a dominant pitcher for the Fighting Irish and went on to have a successful career in MLB with multiple teams, including the New York Mets.”
Frank Carpin
“He was a standout pitcher at Notre Dame and later played in the major leagues for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros.”
If you know much of anything about Notre Dame baseball you certainly know a couple of names seem to be missing here. Brad Lidge was the closer on the last Philadelphia Phillies team to win a World Series and recorded 225 saves in his big league career.
More notably missing however is one of the all-time greats to ever pick up a glove or swing a bat. Carl Yastremski, anyone? I know he only played one season with the Irish before being signed by the Boston Red Sox but how can anyone listed above come even close to topping him?
