Get Ready to Scrap with Mahoning Valley

In baseball you have the big dogs, the major league team, and those working at becoming big dogs, the minor league teams and one of those teams always seems to get lost in the fight. Trust me, the short season single-A Mahoning Valley Scrappers are nothing to underestimate, and they’re about to show you why.

The Scrappers 2015 squad wasn’t exactly the most terrifying group of pups, finishing the season in 6th place with a 31-44 record, a record that is similar to the last few seasons. Record aside, Eastwood field is the place where players begin their professional careers and are there to find their footing and make the mistakes that are necessary to grow. So if you go to Scrappers games just to see a win and nothing more, you’re at the wrong place.

Everyone wants to win, that’s a given, but between the white lines of that tiny ballpark creates the stepping stones for names you will soon know, like Francisco Mejia now in Lake County, Mark Mathias now in Lynchburg, and Bradley Zimmer now in Akron in addition to ones you already love like Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor. Short stint, or long stint, many of the Cleveland Indians best and brightest have stepped foot in that dirt, and that is what you go there to see. The beginning of it all.

This season there are some new faces and some returning ones, one of the new being Indians second draft pick from 2015 RHP Triston McKenzie. Coming to Ohio from the Arizona League, McKenzie posted an impressive 0.75 ERA in 12 innings pitched, a 1.58 WHIP and 17 strikeouts while only walking three. He is relatively tiny, for lack of a better word, 6’5” 165 lbs, and the hope is that he will begin to fill out sooner rather than later, but size aside, the 18-year old’s mid-90’s fastball and deception will astound anyone who sees him on the mound. If you’re interested, he’s set to start for the Scrappers on Saturday (June 18th).

Another new name on the roster this season is the switch-hitting short stop Luke Wakamatsu, son of former Marlins manager and current Royals bench coach Don Wakamatsu. He was drafted last season in the 20th round, and started his 2015 season in Arizona. Due to his upbringing, Wakamatsu has a view of the game unlike anyone else, and brings that to the field with him along with his maturing bat and above-average glove. Last season he batted a .267 in 27 games, with a total of eight extra base hits (five doubles, three triples) and 11 walks. Between second and short, his arm strength is impressive and could become even more so as be fills out his 6’3” 185lbs frame. If you want to see him in Mahoning Valley I would hurry down to Eastwood Field, because it would not surprise me if he is promoted to the Lake County Captains quickly.

Both players are in Baseball America’s top prospects list for the Indians, McKenzie ranked number eight and Wakamatsu 27 respectively. Some other new names to watch out for this season continue to hail from the Arizona Rookie League, like catcher Juan Gomes, younger brother to Indians starting catcher Yan Gomes and top prospect southpaw Juan Hillman, just to name a few.

Some players set to return from last season are the switch PITCHING Ryan Perez, who after a rough first year in the pros should come out of the gate with confidence and a better command of the strike zone. It would not surprise me if he continued to use his left arm over his right, though I expect he could switch arms more this season than he did a year ago. Either way, he is a unicorn in the baseball world, and if anything, get a look at his six-fingered glove if you can! There is also the speedy short stop Alexis Pantoja, who came into Mahoning Valley late into the season last year and the return of the impressive leftfielder Jodd Carter.

Whether you love the minor leagues or have yet to realize that you do, Mahoning Valley is the place to stake your claim over who you get to follow from the very start. New names will pop up out of nowhere and they will become your new favorite, and those players who’s swing or glove you fell for will just as quickly leave the Scrappers nest and move on to bigger baseball things. They are the young pups of the Indians organization, where the first building blocks are grounded, and who knows, maybe the names you see on Opening day Friday will be the same names you wear between your shoulders on another Opening day to come.

Expected Roster

SP Juan Hillman
SP Luis Jimenez
SP Triston McKenzie
SP Micah Miniard
RP Argenis Angulo
RP Ping-Hsueh Chen
RP Ryan Colegate
RP Leandro Linares
RP Henry Martinez
RP Ryan Perez
RP Devon Stewart
C Jack Goihl
C Juan Gomes
C Gian Paul Gonzalez
1B Emmanuel Tapia
2B Alexis Pantoja
SS Luke Wakamatsu
3B Erlin Cerda
3B Grofi Cruz
Util Ordomar Valdez
OF Jodd Carter
OF Todd Isaacs
CF Gabriel Mejia