Lynchburg fans should recognize plenty of the players donning the Hillcats uniform to open the 2016 campaign. Lynchburg’s Opening Day roster includes nine of the Indians’ top 30 prospects as well as 14 players who appeared for the Hillcats last season.
Headlining the group is first baseman Bobby Bradley (No. 5 Indians prospect by Baseball America/No. 4 by MLBpipeline.com). Bradley appeared in two games for the Hillcats at the end of the season after leading the Midwest League with 27 home runs. Bradley also led the circuit with a .529 slugging percentage and 92 RBIs despite missing three weeks with an oblique injury. Baseball America has tabbed Bradley as the “Best Power Hitter” in the Indians farm system.
Joining Bradley as a top-five Indians prospect is left-handed pitcher Justus Sheffield (No. 4 by Baseball America/No. 5 by MLBpipeline.com). Drafted out of Tullahoma (Tenn.) High School with the 31st overall pick in 2014, Sheffield comes to Lynchburg with a 12-5 professional record and 167 strikeouts in only 148 innings. Baseball America ranks the 19-year-old’s slider as the best among all Indians prospects.
Yu-Cheng Chang (No. 16/No. 13) was widely regarded as one of the top amateur free agents out of Asia when he signed with the Indians in 2013. He impressed many when he hit .346 with 19 extra-base hits in 42 games in his debut season in the Arizona League in 2014. The 20-year-old shortstop followed that up with 29 extra-base hits in the Midwest League while driving in 52 runs in 105 games with Lake County last year.
Along with Chang, another elite middle infielder will open the year in Lynchburg. Last year’s third-round pick Mark Mathias (No. 13/No. 17) will make the leap from short-season Mahoning Valley to the Advanced-A Carolina League. The second baseman hit .386 as a sophomore at Cal Poly to claim the Big West Conference batting title in 2014. Baseball America has already ranked him as the “Best Pure Hitter” in the entire Indians system and declared him the “Closest to the Majors” out of all of Cleveland’s 2015 draft selections.
Lynchburg’s other five top prospects all played for the Hillcats last season, including three who spent the entire 2015 campaign with the squad. Voted the most popular player by the fans last year, Mike Papi (No. 19/No.18) returns to Lynchburg to begin 2016. The former Virginia Cavalier led all Indians minor leaguers with 80 walks last year and added a team-high 16-game hitting streak for the Hillcats from June 26 to July 13.
Two starting pitchers and two outfielders round out the top prospects opening the year in Lynchburg. Left-handed pitcher Luis Lugo (No. 25/No. 26) went 8-10 for the Hillcats with a 4.15 ERA. The 22-year-old Venezuelan has struck out 404 hitters in 395 innings during his three years as a professional. Mitch Brown (No. 30 by Baseball America) also returns to the mound for the Hillcats after starting 25 games last year. Cleveland chose the right-hander out of high school in the second round of the 2012 draft, and Baseball America named him as having the “Best Curveball” among Indians farmhands entering 2015.
Greg Allen (No. 28/No. 23) and Dorssys Paulino (No. 29/No. 29) will once again cover the outfield at City Stadium. Named the “Best Defensive Outfielder” in the Cleveland minors by Baseball America, Allen ranked second in the Midwest League with 43 stolen bases for Lake County before his late-season promotion last year. Paulino became a Hillcat in July a season ago and proceeded to claim Carolina League Player of the Week honors in only his second week with the team. He finished the year with a .305 average, 20 extra-base hits and 30 RBIs in 43 games with Lynchburg.
Other familiar names on the Opening Day roster are right-handed relievers Robbie Aviles and Trevor Frank, left-handed reliever David Speer, three infielders and two catchers. Returning infielders Paul Hendrix, Claudio Bautista and Ivan Castilloare on the initial roster for the Hillcats, although Hendrix will begin the season on the Disabled List. Additionally, both backstops,Sicnarf Loopstok and Daniel Salters, spent part of 2015 in Lynchburg.
Named a Midwest League All-Star last June after leading that circuit in batting average, doubles and RBIs at the midway point,Bautista came to Lynchburg shortly thereafter and posted 10 doubles while scoring 24 runs for the ‘Cats. Castillo garnered Carolina League Player of the Week recognition in the last week of July and led the league with 12 triples for the year.
In addition to the top prospects, new faces in Hillcats uniforms this year include pitchers Sean Brady, Justin Garcia, Cameron Hill, Julian Merryweather, Jordan Milbrath, Anderson Polanco and Cole Sulser. Also making their Advanced-A debuts will be outfielders Taylor Murphy and Anthony Santander.
Lynchburg’s 2016 season begins at home in just two days on Thursday, April 7. The Hillcats square off against the Winston-Salem Dash at 6:30 p.m. Bleacher and reserved seats for Opening Day are available for only $5 on www.lynchburg-hillcats.com. Season tickets, mini-plans and other single-game tickets can also be purchased on the website or by visiting the Front Office at City Stadium Monday–Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. All 140 Hillcats games this season will be broadcast on ESPN Radio 93.3 FM and 1320 AM in addition to an online stream at www.lynchburg-hillcats.com.
Share
Contributors
