Former Troy Trojan standout called up by New York Mets

Published: Aug. 10, 2016 at 8:12 PM CDT|Updated: Aug. 10, 2016 at 10:05 PM CDT
Email This Link
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn

NEW YORK CITY, NY (WSFA) - Former Troy Trojan standout Thomas Javier Rivera, T.J. for short, has made it to the show after the New York Mets called him up on Tuesday to the 25-man active roster, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Rivera was a star at Troy during the 2010 and 2011 seasons, posting a career .299 batting average over 121 games. In 478 at bats, Rivera recorded 143 hits, which included 31 doubles, two triples, and nine home runs. He also knocked in 88 RBI and walked a total of 46 times.

The second baseman finished his career at Troy with a fielding percentage of .975.

Even though Rivera was undrafted out of Troy, he has been tearing up the minor leagues by posting a .323 batting average over the past six seasons. That is the best of any active player in the minor leagues.

This season Rivera has been playing for the Las Vegas 51s, the Triple-A affiliate of the Mets, and is hitting .349 with 11 homers and 80 RBI. He has primarily played third base but has played in other positions such as first base, second base and left field.

According to the MetsBlog, Rivera was named the Pacific Coast League's Player of the Week earlier this week after posting a stat line of .517 (15-for-29) with a .576 on-base percentage and a .931 slugging percentage.

Copyright 2016 WSFA 12 News. All rights reserved.