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South Carolina

Former South Carolina baseball All-American traded to new MLB franchise

by: Kevin Miller06/18/25kevinbmiller52
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Brady Allen and Wes Clarke (Photo by Chris Gillespie)

South Carolina baseball alum Wes Clarke has been one of the top power bats in all of Minor League Baseball the last few years. Now, he will bring his big right-handed bat to a new franchise. Late on Tuesday night, the Milwaukee Brewers traded Clarke to the Houston Astros. Beisbolfr.com’s Francys Romero first reported the news.

Clarke had been in Triple-A with the Nashville Sounds for about a year. After clubbing 18 home runs in just 87 games in 2024, though, Clarke has struggled this spring. The first base/designated hitter/occasional catcher has hit just .216 this season with six home runs. He is walking more than ever, helping prop up his on-base percentage, but Clarke’s average and slugging percentage have suffered. He will look to get back on track with the Astros organization.

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Because he was not on the Brewers’ 40-man roster, Clarke will not be on the Astros’ 40-man roster, either. That means he (likely) will begin his time with his new club in the Minors. He has never been called up to the Major League level, but he has enough power to earn his way up if things go well for him.

The Astros’ current starting first baseman is fellow Gamecock great Christian Walker. Walker, a three-time defending Gold Glover at the position with 105 home runs since 2022, is 34 and signed a three-year, $60 million contract with Houston this offseason. Barring a major organizational shift, Walker is entrenched at first. All-Star designated hitter Yordan Alvarez also should return from injury soon. Those lineup stalwarts create a bit of a logjam ahead of Clarke with the Astros.

During his South Carolina baseball career, Clarke was a two-time All-American. He first earned the honor in the Covid-shortened 2020 campaign but backed it up with a big 2021 season. That year, he smacked 23 long balls, tying him with Ethan Petry (2021), Nick Ebert (2009), Justin Smoak (2008), and Joe Datin (1985) for the second-most in a single season in team history. Clarke is top 10 in USC history in slugging percentage and is the most recent Gamecock to go yard three times in one game.

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