This Is Next Year: Tribe Prospect Power Surge

Triple-A Columbus Clippers
by Mike Melaragno

Double-A Akron RubberDucks
by Gavin Potter

Rain continued to throw off Akron last week, as they had a game postponed for the third consecutive week. Combined with a scheduled off day of Thursday, the RubberDucks only played 5 games in the past seven days, going 2-3, and bringing their record to 17-20 on the year.

Mike Papi is in the middle of what could be a breakout. The 24-year-old has never lived up to the pedigree that led to him being drafted 38th overall in 2014. However, he’s been tearing up AA to the tune of a .297/.404/.458 slash line so far this season in 35 games, including  two home runs last week. The home runs are a part of a recent power spike that is encouraging for his development into a potential MLB player: after hitting 10 home runs in his first 209 minor league games, he’s hit 35 in the last 270.
After Thomas Pannone pitched 35.2 straight scoreless innings , the southpaw was roughed up on Saturday, giving up 5 earned runs in 5.1 innings of work. While the runs allowed were bad news, Pannone still generated 5 strikeouts, and only walked two.

Akron will finish their weekend series at Hartford on Sunday, then will travel to Altoona for a four game set, before returning home next weekend to face Bowie.

High-A Lynchburg Hillcats (22-18, -4.0 GB, 2nd Carolina Northern League – 5-3 this week)
by Caitlin Boron

For the first time since early April, the Hillcats finally got in a full week of games without a day off or postponement due to rain. After their fourth double-header, the Hillcats are 5-3 this week and currently sit in second behind the Salem Red Sox.

Shortstop Willi Castro came up big this week for the Hillcats, using his ability to put the ball where he wants into full effect. Castro is slashing a .432/.476/.595 with nine RBI on 16 hits through his last ten games. In Wednesday’s 9-5 win over Winston-Salem, he went 3-3, scoring Yonathan Mendoza and Jodd Carter on a 2-RBI double in the eighth. Castro also hit a walk-off single to end the 15-inning game against the Nationals on Saturday night.

Another player having a big week, catcher Sicnarf Loopstok, who homered in two back-to-back wins for the Hillcats. His 3-run bomb in Thursday’s 9-5 win solidified the outcome very early in the game. Sicnarf then did it again on Friday, hitting a 2-run shot put the Hillcats on the board first, ending in an 11-7 victory.

In the coming week, the Hillcats play their fifth double-header of the season, before facing the Wilmington Blue Rocks and first place Red Sox.

Low-A Lake County Captains (16-25, -12.5 GB, 7th Midwest League East – 3-3 this week)
by Justin Lada

Brady Aiken notched his first win of the season by throwing five innings allowing two runs on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Aaron Civale also turned in another great performance in a 3-2 loss to Great Lakes to start the week. He struck out seven in six innings allowing two runs. Civale is second in the Midwest League with a 14.4% swinging strike rate. The normally reliable lefty reliever, Ben Krauth, allowed a run in two innings while still struck out four but took the loss.

The offense had a huge day in the last game of a series against Great Lakes, winning 10-7 in 10 innings. Alexis Pantoja had three hits and so did Mitch Longo allowing with two RBI each. Since being activated off the DL last week, Longo is hitting .333 with a .776 in 21 at bats. Connor Capel had the biggest game of the 10-7 win with two homers despite struggling overall for the year.

Despite Krauth’s hard luck loss in the pen Monday, the bullpen had another terrific week. Piggyback starter Tanner Tully picked up another win with four scoreless innings, Henry Martinez pitched three scoreless innings striking out five, Ryder Ryan pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts and Dalbert Siri pitched two scoreless innings with five strikeouts.

Emmanuel Tapia hit his eighth homer this week and is tied for second in the Midwest League but is also 0-for his last eight with six strikeouts.

The Captains wrap up a home stand Sunday and head to Lansing (Toronto) and Bowling Green (Ky.) (Tampa Bay) for an eight game road trip and don’t return home until May 30.

Extended Spring Training Indians
by Joe Coblitz

This week in Extended Spring Training, the story is all Grant Hockin. Originally a second round pick in 2014, Hockin hasn’t pitched professionally since that Summer, but it making a heroic comeback right now at the age of 21. I’ve seen him make four starts so far this year, each better than the last and on Monday he had his best. Against Texas he threw three perfect innings without even an error to mar his appearance. While he didn’t strike out any, he has now allowed just two hits in his last 9.2 innings (that I’ve seen in person) without allowing a single earned run. While he still needs to get his innings up, at least his talent level appears to be in line with his age and he could potentially either skip or move very quickly through A ball on his way to rejoin the class of 2014, most of whom are spread between Lynchburg and Akron.

Also working his way back is Gavin Collins, who missed the first month of the season. He worked behind the plate on Monday, was the DH the Friday before and played third on Friday the 19th. The 2016 13th rounder played all of 2016 in Mahoning Valley as a third baseman, but he was drafted as a catcher and it appears the Indians could be moving him back that direction. In further positional moves, Kevin Bradley (picked up from the independent circuit last year) has mostly played second base so far, but recently has been used in left field and first base.

One final note, Junior Soto hit another home run last Friday. This can be taken that he either really likes it here or really doesn’t like it here.