Triple-A Columbus Clippers (7-8, 2.0 games behind the Toledo Mudhens in the IL West)
By Mike Melaragno
Mike Clevinger and Chris Narveson are off to very good starts for the Columbus Clippers on the young season and helping the Clippers get off to a 7-8 start.
Before Narveson’s loss on Friday night, he two combined for an 0.83 ERA (32.2 innings, 19 hits, 5 runs, 3 earned runs, 8 walks and 30 strikeouts) through their first five games.
Narveson did have a bad outing on Friday when he gave up six earned-runs in only 3.2 innings of work.
In three starts, Clevinger (2-0, 0.47 ERA) has allowed only one earned run in 19 innings. In his latest outing on Sunday, he allowed three hits, one walk and struck out eight in six innings.
Names that may be more familiar with Indians fans, starters Ryan Merritt, Adam Plutko and Shawn Morimando, have consequently struggled. The three pitchers combined have a 7.52 ERA (32.1 innings, 45 hits, 27 runs, 20 walks and 24 strikeouts.
Morimando, 24, is 0-3 with a 9.20 ERA. Plutko is 0-2 with an 11.91 ERA. Merritt is 2-1 with a 3.63 ERA.
Giovanny Urshela walked twice again on Friday and now has walked 10 times this season, including one intentional. Urshela drew just 15 walks all of last season. The Indians brass must love what they have seen so far.
After the first 13 days of the season (excluding Friday’s blowout loss), the Clippers were the only team in the International League to have a winning record and a negative run differential (-5). The Clippers are also nearly on the wrong end of the hit margin (even), sitting as the only winning team without more hits than it’s given up. As for homers, the Clippers (+5) are tied for 2nd behind Rochester (+6).
Double-A Akron RubberDucks (6-9)
By Gavin Potter
Despite a roster filled with will-regarded prospects, the RubberDucks have gotten off to a slow start this season, as they sit at 6-9 entering play on Sunday. Still, Akron’s highest regarded player, Francisco Mejia, has more than lived up to the hype surrounding him. After a 2016 season that saw Mejia collect a 50-game hitting streak, the 21-year-old catcher has collected a hit in all 12 games he has played this season at AA. As a result, he’s posted an impressive .976 OPS.
Tyler Krieger, a second basemen ranked as the Indians #11 prospect by Fangraphs.com, has also been on a tear to begin the season. In nine games, he’s slashed .429/.474/.657, while stealing three bases on three attempts.
Another standout for Akron has been Michael Peoples. After winning Cleveland’s Bob Feller award as the systems best pitcher, he’s made strong three starts this season, putting up 3.06 ERA, and has struck up 12 and walked only 4 in 17.2 innings.
Akron will finish their weekend series against Altoona on Sunday, then will face Binghamton for a three games at home, before heading to Bowie next weekend.
Advanced-A Lynchburg Hillcats (8-7, 5-1 last week)
By Caitlin Boron
The Indians high-A farm team; The Lynchburg Hillcats, are off to a good start in 2017, with an 8-7 record. In the last week, the kitties have gone 5-1 with an off day, two postponements and a doubleheader. Before their season even began, it was assumed that this collection of guys would make the high-A team a little less forgotten about (forgotten mostly due to proximity) due to the high amount of talent on their roster this year.
Southpaw starter Thomas Pannone continues to push the bounds. In his three starts this season, Pannone has a mind blowing 0.00 ERA over 16.2 IP. He pitched in game one of the double header on Tuesday against the Carolina Mudcats, giving up a single hit, 2 walks, and struck out six in 5.2 innings of shut out baseball. Following his lead, Triston McKenzie pitched game two, getting the 7-1 win. McKenzie seemed to be coming down to earth after rocking every mound he set foot on in 2016, but don’t take that as a dig to the phenom, as even an off day by his standards is a solid start for most.
In other news, RHP Paul Hendrix was promoted this week from extended spring training, and INF Mark Mathias, who injured his shoulder in early spring, looks to be on track for an early return sometime in May.
Low-A Lake County Captains (8-7, – 1.5 GB, 4th in Midwest League East – 4-2 last week)
By Justin Lada
It’s been an all or nothing April for the club at the corner of 91 and Vine to start the season. They started 3-0, lost lost three straight and five of six. Then they went 5-0 over a six day stretch, including a 17-5 win over talented Lansing (Toronto) team.
Catcher Logan Ice‘s name is the only thing cold about him. He had seven hits in the last week including a pair of two hit games. His catching tandem partner Li-Jen Chu has four two-hit games in the last 10 games and has eight walks and 11 strikeouts so far this year. OF Jose Medina had three homers and five RBI in the 17-5 win.
Former 1st round pick Brady Aiken may get the name recognition on this pitching staff, but Shane Bieber and Aaron Civale deserve the headlines so far. Bieber’s 4/20 start only saw him strikeout two in six innings of one run ball – a far cry from his 11 K’s in six innings of his previous start, but he now has 20 strikeouts and hasn’t issued a free pass in 16 2/3 innings so far this year. Civale has 21 strikeouts compared to two walks in 16 1/3 innings this year. He fanned five in six innings of a win in his last start.
3B Miguel Eladio was added to the roster this week and got acclimated quickly. The 20 year old has three hits and two RBI in two games.
The Captains are completing seven game all-Michigan road-trip and return home two host West Michigan (Detroit) starting April 27.
Extended Spring Training
By Joseph Coblitz
This is the weirdest of all minor leagues with flexible rules, a ten man line-up and a mixture of players from Major League to DSL and they just got started up about a week ago. Since these games aren’t recorded officially and there are no box scores, the only information about them is that from my own eyes.
Of interest to the upper minor leagues and even Major Leagues, Dylan Baker, Grant Hockin and Perci Garner all pitched against the Reds on 4/18 (Baker pitched another inning on Friday). It was a big day for both offenses, however as the final score was 15-8 and no pitcher had a day worth remembering. A few hitters did stick out, however, as Nolan Jones hit his first professional home run (in addition to a double and single) and Samad Taylor went 3 for 5 with 3 runs scored, and an RBI. As for one name to know that you may not already, I saw Ronny Dominguez play for the first time ever and he hit a double in his first at bat and made a few outs in center field, although they all were a bit of an adventure.
In, “what is he still doing here?” Junior Soto hit a home run on Friday, but it’s confusing why he is still in Arizona. He’s played two seasons in the AZL and missed some time last year with a leg injury, but should have been promoted to Mahoning Valley last year. He’s likely to begin the 2017 short season in low A this year, but probably should be a level higher. An even more extreme example is Simeon Lucas who has played exclusively (except one game in MV) in Goodyear since being drafted in 2014. After three Summers of AZL, two Springs of Extended Spring and two Falls of Instructional League, there can’t be anyone who wants to leave the desert more than Lucas.
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