Cleveland Sports Forum

FRIDAY:
lake County:
Singles hitting Nate Furman [no homers in his first long seasons] hit his 4th homer of this year for Lake County yest He's hitting 302 and OPS 802. Kaytus 7th double 308 avg 966 OPS. Lipscomb singles 372 to still lead the league and OPS 959

Lynchburg
only 3 hits, 2 by IF Knapczyk he's at 287 OPS 836. Lots of offense down on the Class A clubs

Didnt' get around to completing my Friday game report; it was plant-shopping day. I'll take a few minutes before today's planting day.

Saturday: 4-0 shutout win for the 25-13 Rubberducks.
Rodney Boone 4 innings hits, no walks 5 strikeouts. ERA 2.59. Good stats but dismissed as a slow tossing lefty.
Lenny Torres 2 1 hit no walk innings, 4 strikeouts. Former end of first round draft pick went 2 innings for the first time since last August. ERA is zero
Leftwich 2 1 walk 2 K innings. No runs in his last 10 innings. No hits in that stretch either. Apparently he's being groomed as a reliever

Struggling Columbus lefty Will Dion with a good day: 6 6 2 2 1 6 ERA 7.36
Anthony Gose 1 1/3 1 hit no walks 1 k. ERA 2.00 25 K in 18 IP. 10 walks

Tena 3 singles. Brito RBI single. Rodriguez 2 walks. Noel 2 singles and a walk. 211 avg 738 OPS. Scheemann single and walk

11 runs not enough for Lake County; 15 for Lansing.

2nd rounder Parker Messick with an "off day" 2 2/3 innings 3 walks 2 homers 8 more hits. 9 runs

New power hitter Nate Furman with his 5th homer, plus 2 singles
Alex Mooney 3 singles and 2 steals [up to12 for the season]
Keyfus single and double and walk
C Ingle double #9 and walk.
Jose Devers 2 singles
Season Debut by Isaac Greene from the Mets in the Lindor deal, single, double and triple. OPS 2300.

Top pitching prospect Alex Clemmey regresses after 2 good starts; 5 walks and 1 hit lead to 4 runs, 3 earned, in 2 1/3. He struck out 4. He picked off 2 runners so all was not lost

SS Genao 3 sngles, htting 323
CF Chourio 2 walks
Nicely named OF Tommy Hawke 3 singles and his 10th steal

today's starters:

big bodied Wilkinson
nonprospect Spivey'
breakout star Davenport
big league rotation depth Parsons

ONLY Lake County with a win on Sunday.

Player notes:

Columbus Tena homer and single, up to 273. Brito double. Noel 2 singles. Mikolajchak 1 scoreless inning, one walk
Akron: Aaron Davenport stays sharp, 5 scoreless 6 strikeouts 1 walk 3 hits. ERA down to 1.66. Catcher Kody Huff 2 hits [acquired for Quantrill]
Lynchburg: Velazquez 2 walks; Genao double and single; Chourio nothing. Wilkinson 5-3-1-1-0-8 1.12 ERA 71K in 40 1/3 innings

lake County: down 9-5 early; 9-7 entering ninth, tied the score; and added 4 in the 10th. 14 singles and one homer: by Lipscomb
Furman 4 singles and 2 walks: 333/ 879 OPS and a steal
Mooney 3 singles and 3 walks 336/942
Ingle 3 singles 293/809
Lipscomb homer, single, two walks, two steals [12] 378 [leads the league by 30+] 1004 OPS
Kayfus 2 walks 299/941
5 shutout innings from the bullpen: Jay Driver 2, Magnus Ellert 2, Zach Jacobs 1

I was away when this story was published

The Lake County Captains Announce Relocation to Massive Downtown Cleveland Lakefront Stadium
April 1, 2024

[photo available at https://www.milb.com/lake-county/news/t ... nt-stadium]

Cleveland, OH - April 1, 2024 - The Captains Organization is thrilled to announce its forthcoming relocation to a pristine slightly used lakefront property in downtown Cleveland. The move represents an exciting new chapter for the organization as it prepares to take up residence in a stunning venue that boasts panoramic views of Lake Erie and the majestic Cleveland city skyline.

The soon-to-be-vacant stadium, though gently used, remains in impeccable condition, offering a seating capacity exceeding 67,000 seats, ample parking facilities, and unparalleled views of both the lake front and the Cleveland city skyline.

The distinctive layout of the foul poles introduces a compact left field, featuring a short porch of 572 ft. To hit home runs to right, the ball needs to surpass a distance of 1,278 feet. This configuration, coupled with the trend of increased hitting, is likely to make it a more pitcher-friendly ballpark.

Furthermore, we are delighted to unveil an innovative partnership with Spirit Halloween, which will leverage our new state-of-the-art facilities during the off-season and save us on the increased costs of rent. Through this collaboration, fans can enjoy an exclusive 20% discount on all Halloween purchases by utilizing the promo code "GOCAPTAINS" at checkout. This exciting venture not only enhances our engagement with fans but also underscores our dedication to fostering a strong Halloween spirit.

The Captains Organization looks forward to welcoming fans to our new home and ushering in a new era of excellence in downtown Cleveland. The transition is expected to begin as soon as the current tenant, who shall remain nameless for legal reasons, moves out all their s#%*.

For more information, please contact the Tooth Fairy.

More up to date story from the Captains webpage

Captain of the Week (5/14-5/19): Guy Lipscomb
The Lake County outfielder hit .476 with his first two career High-A home runs against Lansing this past week.

EASTLAKE, OH – After each series this season, the Lake County Captains will spotlight a Captain of the Week, presented by Official League, showcasing a player and their strong performance over the previous week. For the week of May 14 through 19, Lake County is recognizing OF Guy Lipscomb as its fifth 2024 Captain of the Week.

The 23-year-old had an impressive series at the plate against the Lansing Lugnuts. He hit .476 with four RBI, while leading the team with seven runs and four stolen bases, and drawing the team’s only intentional walk so far this season. Lipscomb also tied for the Captains lead with his first two career High-A home runs and a sacrifice fly.

Additionally, he ranked second on the team in hits (10) and total bases (16), while compiling a .500 on-base percentage, a .762 slugging percentage, and a 1.262 OPS, and striking out just two times in 24 plate appearances.

So far this year, Lipscomb leads High-A and ranks second in all of Minor and Major League Baseball with a .378 batting average, and ranks second in both High-A and the Midwest League with a .482 on-base percentage. He also ranks top-10 in the Midwest League in OPS (1.004, fourth), slugging percentage (.522, 10th), and stolen bases (12, tied for 10th).

Lipscomb has recorded 34 hits, 20 runs, five doubles, one triple, 15 RBI, 18 walks, and just 12 strikeouts in 110 plate appearances so far this season. He is currently on a six-game hitting streak, and his current 15-game on-base streak is tied for the third-longest active streak in the Midwest League.

So far this month, the outfielder leads High-A with a .456 batting average, and his .536 on-base percentage ranks second in both High-A and the Midwest League.

Lipscomb was drafted by the Cleveland Guardians in the fifth round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Belmont. He had a productive two seasons with the Bruins, hitting .354 with 118 hits, 80 runs, 16 doubles, three triples, four home runs, 48 RBI, 40 walks, 56 stolen bases, a .432 on-base percentage, and a .456 slugging percentage in 92 games.

He made history in 2022, as his .406 batting average and 42 stolen bases made him the first Division I player to hit at least .400 with at least 40 stolen bases in a season since 2011. This performance led to him being named the 2022 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year.

Lipscomb was assigned to Lake County’s 2024 Opening Day roster after playing 75 games for the Single-A Lynchburg Hillcats last season. He led the Cleveland player development system with 48 stolen bases, while hitting .263 with 69 hits, 47 runs, 12 doubles, three triples, one home run, and 45 RBI with Lynchburg last year.

Lipscomb will look to continue his recent success this week, as the Captains will host a six-game series against the West Michigan Whitecaps. The series is set to begin on Tuesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake. The series will be broadcast on both the Bally Live app and MiLB.TV, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on both X and Instagram

Guardians Prospective
@CleGuardPro
·
2h
From source:

Cleveland #Guardians are promoting 24-year-old OF prospect Johnathan Rodriguez from Triple-A Columbus.

I'm interested in how they replace JRod in Columbus. None of the OFs in Akron are doing especially well. And they are young, Halpin 21, Planez 22.
I'd consider [but doubt they will] bringing 23 year old Guy Lipscomb up from Lake County, he's hitting 373 leading the league by a mile and has even hit a couple homers lately.

good week for Cleveland prospects on the BA Hot List:

7. Angel Genao, SS, Guardians
Team: Low-A Lynchburg (Carolina)
Age: 20

Why He’s Here: .550/.550/.900 (11-for-20), 6 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, 0 BB, 2 SO

The Scoop: In 2022, Genao was one of the best prospects in the Arizona Complex League. A year later, his performance at Low-A was limited and muted thanks to knee surgery. This season, the 20-year-old is in the midst of a rebound and has impressed evaluators all season and in spring training. He’s added some thump to his game, lending scouts to believe Genao will be a middle-diamond player with a budding combination of power and speed. His average (.328), slugging percentage (.540) and OPS (.909) are all second in the Carolina League. He also has five home runs this season, already one better than the total he produced in 73 games with Lynchburg last season. (JN)

13. Nate Furman, 2B, Guardians

Team: High-A Lake County (Midwest)

Age: 22

Why He’s Here: .538/.571/.769 (14-for-26), 6 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBIs, 2 BB, 1 SO, 2-for-3 SB

The Scoop: The diminutive Furman is a hit-tool driven infielder with plus plate skills. Furman last week had the hit tool on full display as he collected 14 hits against Lansing while striking out just once. He had four multi-hit games in the series, including a pair of four hit games. Furman filled up the stat sheet throughout the week, as he flashed some home run power, going deep on Friday and Saturday, and speed on the bases. Furman is a well-rounded infielder with a limited profile but a shot to carve out a major league career.

and then there's one we let get away:

8. Deyvison De Los Santos, 1B, D-Backs
Team: Double-A Amarillo (Texas)
Age: 20

Why He’s Here: .450/.542/.900 (9-for-20), 5 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 11 RBIs, 3 BB, 6 SO, 0-for-0 SB

The Scoop: The Guardians took a chance on De Los Santos in last winter’s Rule 5 draft and it didn’t work out, as he was returned to the D-Backs. While De Los Santos might not have been able to stick in the major leagues, his power upside has been on full display this season in Amarillo. De Los Santos laid waste to Texas League competition for yet another week as he passed Joey Loperfido for the MiLB home run lead. De Los Santos has produced “Bondsian” numbers all season hitting .372/.426/.696 over the first 38 games. This week, De Los Santos did his best hitting across three games between Thursday and Friday going 7-for-9 with a home run and seven RBIs. De Los Santos possesses double-plus raw power, but his early season production is overcoming some ugly whiff and chase rates. It will be worth watching to see if this continues.

Tuesday in the Minors:

Columbus rallied with 3 in the 9th for an 8-7 win
Schneeman led the way with his 15th double; his 9th homer; and two singles. There should be room for him on the 40 man roster with Laureano DFA'd
Brito's 11th double and a single; Noel double and single;
McCaughan, recently picked up from [Tampa?] with a solid 6 innings, 1 run on 3 hits; Hickman, Gose and Strezerlski all allwoed runs in relief

Akron fell 2-1 Ryan Webb allowed the 2 runs in 6 innings, 3 strikeouts
Walers a walk and a hit ERA 1.47.
Thornton 3 up, 3 down all on strikeouts
No one in the lineup hitting better than 245. Lampe with his first HR and a single.
Should be getting some help from the crowd of 300+ hitters in lake County

Lake County offensively productive in an 11-7 loss
Big bat was CJ Kayfus 1B-LF, with 2 singles, double and triple Hitting 320 OPS 991
Ingle C 2 singles and 2 walks 306 839
Lipscomb 2 singles 379 994
Mooney 0-5 324 909
Furman single and walk 331 871
Fox single and double 181 590
Zapata, the guy who successfully blew any lead offered to him in spring training, is just as effective in Class A: 3 1/3 8 4 3 1 2 ERA 7.79
Alaska Abney 2 shutout innings.

Lynchburg won 6-4.
Velazquez who has been quiet notched a pair of singles and 3 rbi
Esteban Gonzalez single walk and 2 steals [20 for the season]
Chourio and Genao each with a single
Yorman Gomez 6 solid innings 1 run on 3 hits 1 walk 5 strikeouts