How Are UCLA’s Jake Bird, Michael Toglia Performing in July?

There aren't many bright spots you can find during this Colorado Rockies season. But UCLA alumni Jake Bird and Michael Toglia are the source of a glimmer of light.

Toglia is finding his swing again after being recalled to the parent club in June. He is currently riding a seven-game hit streak and is batting .333 with five hits, a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored in July so far.

Bird has been up and down as of late, but is having a career year in Colorado. In just two appearances against the Houston Astros in July, 1.1 innings pitches to be exact, Bird has a 6.75 ERA, which is far from how good he's been all season.

Bird's season numbers are at a 2.79 ERA with 58 strikeouts and a 1.28 WHIP in 38 appearances and 48.1 innings pitched, which is the second-highest amount of innings in his four-year career. Toglia is now batting .209 on the season with 10 home runs and 30 RBIs for a .663 OPS in 72 games.

Toglia, however, is batting .250 with four homers and 10 RBIs since being called back up on June 16.

Bird was a standout ace for the Bruins in his three seasons at UCLA, none better than his senior year in 2018 where he boasted a Pac-12-leading 2.17 ERA, finishing the year with a 7-4 record. His performance on and off the mound earned him an Academic All-American Third Team selection, the first Bruin since 1988 to earn those honors, and an All-Pac-12 selection.

Bird was drafted by the Rockies with the 156th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB Draft. This is Bird's fourth season in Colorado and is easily his best. He never had below a 4.33 ERA season in his first three years and is currently on pace to have one of the best reliever seasons in the National League.

Toglia played in 178 games over three seasons in Westwood. He finished his Bruins career slashing .307/.410/.573 for 36 home runs, 156 RBIs, 51 doubles, six triples, 111 walks and 134 runs scored over 644 at-bats.

In his junior year in 2019, he was named an All-American honorable mention by Perfect Game and was selected to the Pac-12 All-Conference team.

He started in and played in all 59 of UCLA's games in 2018, his sophomore year, and was given an All-Pac-12 selection and earned All-Regional Team honors at the NCAA Minneapolis Regional.

Toglia was selected 23rd overall in the first round of the 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Rockies and was UCLA's first position player to be taken in the first round since Chase Utley in 2000.