Former Faulkner University pitcher Alex Carrillo became the 10th player from an Alabama high school or college to make his Major League debut during the 2025 season when he took the mound for the New York Mets on Tuesday night.

That’s the most players with Alabama baseball roots to make their debuts in the American or National leagues in the same season since Jackie Robinson re-integrated the Major Leagues in 1947.

Carrillo’s journey to the big league might be the most improbable of the 10, even though he’s the second player with Alabama baseball roots to debut with the Mets in the past two weeks after coming out of unaffiliated baseball.

“Pretty cool story there, too,” New York manager Carlos Mendoza said of Carrillo. “A guy that was in independent ball last year. I remember getting a call from someone that I know from Venezuela in winter ball telling me about this guy. …

“It was like, ‘Hey, man, there’s a kid here that he’s throwing 100 (mph). He’s got about six, seven appearances, and around the league there’s a lot of talk, so you might want to give it a chance.’ I got on the phone right away. …

“We got him in the organization, and look at him. He’s in the big leagues now. It’s up to 100. Good slider, changeup. We’re going to give him a good look here.”

Carrillo did not leave Faulkner with a triple-digit fastball. More like in the 80s, Carrillo told MLB.com. He credited his work at The Art of Pitching training facility in Upland, California, and dedication to better diet and conditioning for the added zip.

Carrillo joined the St. Cloud Rox of the independent Northwoods League when he left Faulkner in 2019. After five games for St. Cloud, Carrillo got a chance with the Texas Rangers’ Arizona Rookie League team. He made three scoreless relief appearances, but after the coronavirus pandemic cancelled the 2020 minor-league season, the Rangers did not keep Carrillo for 2021.

Carrillo pitched for the New York Boulders in the independent Frontier League, posting a 7.11 ERA in 14 games. He had an 8.31 earned-run average to show for 43 appearances across the 2022 and 2023 seasons for Tigres de Quintana Roo of the Mexican League. While he struck out 69 in 52 innings in the Mexican League, Carrillo also walked 40, and he was released in spring training in 2024.

Carrillo told MLB.com he was ready to give up on baseball at that point, but his wife convinced him to keep playing. His work began to show rewards for the Washington WildThings of the independent Frontier League in 2024, when he threw his first 100-mph pitch and struck out 49 in 35.1 innings, with 17 walks.

Carrillo went to the Venezuelan Winter League, where he got the Mets’ attention in 17 relief appearances.

Carrillo started 2025 with the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies. Promoted to the Syracuse Mets after striking out 30 in 19.1 innings in Double-A, Carrillo worked 5.2 hitless innings for New York’s Triple-A affiliate before getting the call to the big leagues.

“We knew that he had special stuff,” Faulkner coach Patrick McCarthy said in a release from the school. “We knew what he could be. He has proven himself in every league where he has played. Continually growing and working harder.

“It is one of the most rewarding moments of my career to see his success and tenacity. I’ve always dreamed of watching one of my guys on the big stage, and here we are. What others might not know about Alex is that he is a devoted husband, father, son, and he follows Christ. This is a blessing for him, his family and for the entire Faulkner community.”

In two seasons at Faulkner, Carrillo posted an 8-3 record with a 3.79 ERA and two saves in 37 games, including nine starts. In 99.2 innings, he struck out 101 while yielding 96 hits and 35 walks. He earned All-Southern States Athletic Conference recognition in 2018.

The Eagles topped the SSAC regular-season standings and went to the NAIA World Series in both of Carrillo’s seasons with the Montgomery college.

Carrillo made his MLB debut with the Mets trailing the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 on Tuesday night. He came on in the bottom of the sixth with two out and runners on first and third. He threw one pitch – a 98.5-mph fastball – and catcher Luis Torrens picked Baltimore’s Ramon Laureano off third base to end the inning.

Carrillo came back out for the seventh and recorded his first MLB strikeout. He caught Jordan Westburg looking at a 98.9-mph fastball for the third strike. But that came after Jackson Holliday had hit Carrillo’s slowest fastball of the outing – 97.1 mph – for a solo home run for the only hit against the rookie in his four-out outing.

The Mets rallied for a 7-6 victory in the interleague game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore.

In 2016, nine players from Alabama high schools and colleges made their MLB debuts. That had been the most since the end of the segregated big leagues until this season. The other players with Alabama baseball roots who have broken into the Majors in 2025 include:

• Outfield Drew Avans from Thompson High School in Alabaster with the Athletics
• First baseman Blaine Crim from St. Paul’s Episcopal in Mobile with the Texas Rangers
• Pitcher Cole Henry from Florence High School with the Washington Nationals
• Pitcher Chase Lee from McAdory High School in McCalla and Alabama with the Detroit Tigers
• Pitcher Jonathan Pintaro from Montevallo High School with the New York Mets
• Outfielder Chandler Simpson from UAB with the Tampa Bay Rays
• Pitcher Dylan Smith from Alabama with the Detroit Tigers
• Pitcher Grant Taylor from Florence High School with the Chicago White Sox
• Outfielder Tyler Tolbert from Hewitt-Trussville High School and UAB with the Kansas City Royals

Carrillo is the fourth former Faulkner player to reach the Major Leagues. All have been pitchers, starting with Shane Reynolds in 1992, followed by Steve Sparks in 2000 and Austin Adams in 2014.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.