BA Notes:

CLE AA Bradley, Bobby 1B 4 0 1 0 .111 2B (2)
CLE AA Castro, Willi SS 4 0 0 0 .140
CLE AA Krieger, Tyler 2B 4 0 1 0 .108 CS (1)
CLE HiA Capel, Conner LF 5 1 2 0 .313
CLE LoA Benson, Will RF 3 0 0 0 .216 BB (8)
CLE LoA Clement, Ernie SS 3 0 1 3 .319
CLE LoA Gonzalez, Oscar LF 4 1 1 0 .318
No pitchers. Arguably Tully and Karinchak could be in the Tribe Top 30, but didn't make it.

Indians Prospective @indiansPro

Curve 2 RubberDucks 1 (10 Innings)
Peoples 7(IP) 3H 1R 1ER 3BB 6SO
Tom 1-3 RBI
Paulino 1-3 R
Loopstok 2-3

Nationals 5 Hillcats 4
Tully 6(IP) 6H 2R 2ER 0BB 5SO
Chu 3-4 R HR 2RBI
Longo 1-4 2B RBI BB
Tapia 1-4 RBI

Captains 4 Lugnuts 3
Karinchak 2.1(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 5SO (W)
Nelson 3(IP) 2H 0R 0ER 0BB 0SO (SV)
Clement 1-3 3RBI
Laureano 0-3 R RBI BB

Akron RubberDucks RHP Michael Peoples over his last two starts:
- 12(IP) 4H 1R 1ER 4BB 8SO 0.75 ERA

Lynchburg Hillcats OF Conner Capel is currently riding a 5 game hit streak:
10-21 5R 2(2B) 1HR 1RBI 1BB 3SB .476 AVG

Lynchburg Hillcats LHP Tanner Tully over his last 2 starts:
- 13(IP) 10H 3R 2ER 0BB 12SO 1.39 ERA

Lake County #Captains RHP James Karinchak over his last 3 outings:
- 6(IP) 5H 0R 0ER 1BB 13SO 0.00 ERA 19.50 (SO/9)

Indians minor league starters for Friday:
Columbus - RHP Stephen Fife
Akron - LHP Sean Brady
Lynchburg - RHP Justin Garza
Lake County - LHP Kirk McCarty

Let's see if Garza can keep his hot streak going. 10 scoreless innings so far this spring. 4 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts.

He had a very good career with Cal State Fullerton but ended with an injury and fell to 8th round in the 2015 draft.

In his three seasons with the Titans, Garza appeared in 41 games, making 40 starts. He posted a 21-7 record with a 2.64 career ERA. He had 208 strikeouts in 252 and 2/3 innings pitched. His 2.64 ERA ranks 10th all-time in the Titans record book while his 1.60 walks per nine innings average ranked sixth all-time. Garza exploded onto the scene as a freshman with the Titans, earning seven All-American nods in his first year at Fullerton. He set a freshman record with a 12-0 record, becoming one of just four Titans pitchers to finish a year with at least 12 wins without a loss. His 12 wins tied for the freshman record along with teammate Thomas Eshelman in 2013. AS A JUNIOR (2015)
Suffered a slight tear in his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) on May 9 against UC Santa Barbara and came out of the game in the fourth inning after feeling discomfort in his arm.

Indians have made a business of investing in potential future returns on injured college stars. They've moved slowly with Garza.
He pitched 12 innings in Arizona in 2016
96 innings with Lake County in 2017, posting his most innings and his best K/IP in August.
He comes into this season age 24

He was rated 155 in the draft prospect list by MLB.com which would approximate early 6th round

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Teams evaluating Garza will have to weigh three years of starting for a very good Cal State Fullerton program and a successful turn with Team USA last summer against his smaller frame, concern about shoulder issues and a torn UCL that required Tommy John surgery.

When healthy, there's plenty to like about the right-hander beyond his resume. He has pretty good stuff across the board, starting with a fastball that will sit in the 91-92 range and will flash 93-94 mph. He's shown the ability to reach back for 95-96 in the past, but not consistently. His slider has improved and could be at least a Major League average breaking ball and he has a very good feel for his changeup.

Questions about his durability, with his narrow shoulders and slight build, had some foreseeing a career in the bullpen, where his stuff might play up a tick. The elbow surgery might only intensify that projection. A team taking him, however, could rehab him and send him out as a starter to see what happens.

Is Beiber Josh Tomlin?

Featured story at MILB.com

Tribe's Hentges growing into himself

No. 17 Indians prospect thriving thanks to Tommy John lessons

Aam Hentges is still growing as a pitcher.

That's true of just about everyone who takes a Minor League mound, of course, but Hentges is a special case. The left-hander was a part-time pitcher, most-of-the-time first baseman during his junior year at Mounds View High School in Arden Hills, Minnesota, before scouts and college coaches told him his 6-foot-6 frame would best fit on the mound.


Results came quickly his senior season as Hentges was named the 2014 Gatorade Minnesota Player of the Year, posting a 1.06 ERA with 46 strikeouts and 12 hits allowed in 26 1/3 innings, and was the first player drafted from the state that June, going to the Indians in the fourth round before his 18th birthday.

"It's been awesome," Hentges said of his full-time move to pitching. "I love learning and studying the game. It's a very fun sport, obviously, and a very fun position to play. I've learned to be able to critique myself. Once you think you've learned it all, it'll smack you right in the face. But I can see the improvements I've made because I'm trying to constantly learn, as I think everyone does."

He's still a bit raw, but after being forced to take a year off due to 2016 Tommy John surgery, the Indians' No. 17 prospect is showing signs of becoming a well-rounded southpaw in his first healthy season in three years.

Through his first three starts with Class A Advanced Lynchburg, Hentges -- who has two plus pitches in his fastball and curve along with a developing changeup -- owns a 0.56 ERA and 0.94 WHIP with 19 strikeouts and three walks over 16 innings. His latest gem was one of the best of his young career -- 10 strikeouts over six scoreless innings at home against Frederick. It's still early, but no qualified Carolina League pitcher has a lower FIP than Hentges' 1.65. (And that's in a league with Dylan Cease and Dane Dunning, each of whom have been solid.)

Hentges can draw a fairly straight line from his elbow surgery almost two years ago to his success today.

"It's a long process," Hentges said of his rehab. "With Tommy John, you have to accept you won't be out there for at least a year. That's a big step mentally no matter what. But it also means you can get better physically and in better shape because you have no limitations other than your arm. It sparked a new work ethic. I understand the grind more. I was still young, only 19 when the surgery happened. I didn't really know what I was trying to do or achieve. Now with effort and consistency, I get it a lot more.

"Like today, I'm on a bus for six hours, but I can't just shrug that off and not work for the day. I still have to go through my work, follow my routine. Rehab helped shape that."

Hentges earned solid marks for the way he lost weight going into his Draft year, dropping from 248 to 220. He's back up to 245 now, but there's more muscle. Without the ability to work on his arm during rehab, Hentges focused on his lower half and core with the help of trainers. By the time he returned, his velocity returned as well -- with even a few extra mph at times. Now, Hentges typically throws in the lower 90s but is capable of touching 95.

The results Hentges is seeing in 2018 didn't come right away, however. He put up a 4.85 ERA with a 1.46 WHIP and .296 average-against in his first six rehab starts in the complex-level Arizona League -- throwing no more than three innings in this outings -- before seeing much more promising results after a small bump to Class A Short Season Mahoning Valley (2.04 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, .088 average in five starts).

Hentges says now that he didn't care about the results in 2017. The only thing he was checking was the health of his surgically repaired elbow.

"There was a point last year where they were building me up slowly," he said. "It didn't take until the fourth game before I could even throw three innings in a game. But at a certain point, I understood the elbow was healthy. The surgery was successful. I didn't need to worry about that. I could take everything I had learned in my rehab and put it to use on the mound and beyond that in my life, too."

That meant the offseason could finally be devoted to honing his craft, and because of that work, Hentges is seeing perhaps his greatest growth in control. Even before the surgery in 2016, the tall southpaw walked 29 batters in 60 1/3 innings with Class A Lake County for a 10.2 percent walk rate. Last season was about the same with an 11.8 percent walk rate. And though it was encouraging to see things hadn't gotten out of whack after a major procedure, his control was knocked in his scouting report as MLB.com gave it a 45 on the 20-80 scouting scale.

But after an offseason harnessing his craft, Hentges has seen a big jump when it comes to finding his spots in the early going. He's cut his walk rate in more than half, down to 4.8 percent through his three starts with the Hillcats. It's too early to say he's become a control freak, but consider this -- he's yet to walk more than two in an outing, and his April 11 gem marked the first time he didn't issue a free pass in a start of six innings or more since Aug. 9, 2015. It all traces back to a lack of worry about his elbow.

"One thing I've tried to focus on above all else has been control and command of the fastball, and I think that has improved a lot," he said. "Again, it's not perfect. It probably will never be perfect, but it's at least trending that way. ... It just comes down to repetition. Last year after rehab, it was just about getting out there and throwing. The stuff and location just wasn't a big deal for me. The offseason, I could actually focus on tightening things up, and that all starts with the fastball."

Only 21 in what would be his senior spring had he honored his commitment to Arkansas, Hentges is still learning about what he can be as a pitcher. He's still learning his craft. He's still learning his body, his delivery, his pitches. But Cleveland has liked enough of what they've seen to push that education to Class A Advanced, rather than returning him to Class A, where he had a 6.12 ERA before the operation. The aggressive move is already paying dividends.

"They had confidence that they could challenge me," Hentges said. "They've understood I've matured in my rehab, and that I was ready for something like this. That just speaks to the confidence I have in myself that they can see and the confidence they have in me too."

Bieber has a better fastball than Tomlin. If I remember correctly last time I read it was topping out at 92-93. Tomlin is what, 88?

on a good day

Statistically a comparison of Tomlin in the minors to Bieber in the minors:

Josh 671 IP 578 K 68 HR [1 in less than every 10 innings] 157 walks
Shane 217 IP 206 K 8 HR 12 walks

I can't find the "air outs/ground outs" splits for Tomlin. I think he's pretty heavy on the fly balls which partly explains all the homeruns, Bieber has a small advantage in ground outs at 1.21 for every air out. High K, High GO pitchers are in the most favorable quadrant in some analyses I've seen; and as we notice when we watch them pitch!

Matt Present @matt_present (Hillcats radio PBP guy)
5 hours ago
STAT OF THE DAY: @LynHillcats starter Tanner Tully retired 12 straight yesterday against the P-Nats, and has not allowed a walk in his last 58 batters faced
@indiansPro @carolina_league @MiLB

And Garza followed Tully with another shutout performance in earned runs: 5 2/3 0 1 0 2 9. He's now up to 15 2/3 shutout innings with 19 strikeouts and a WHIP of 0.51. These Lynchburg pitchers are a pleasant surprise.

MiLB.com @MiLB 23 hours ago
Still new to pitching, #Indians lefty Sam Hentges is using lessons learned during his recovery from elbow surgery to thrive with Lynchburg. Toolshed:

https://atmlb.com/2K0Ncpj

Toolshed: Tribe's Hentges growing into himself

No. 17 Indians prospect thriving thanks to Tommy John lessons

Sam Hentges has struck out 30.7 percent of the batters he's faced through three starts in 2018. (Lindsay Carico/Lynchburg Hillcats)

By Sam Dykstra / MiLB.com | April 20, 2018 10:30 AM ET

Sam Hentges is still growing as a pitcher.

That's true of just about everyone who takes a Minor League mound, of course, but Hentges is a special case. The left-hander was a part-time pitcher, most-of-the-time first baseman during his junior year at Mounds View High School in Arden Hills, Minnesota, before scouts and college coaches told him his 6-foot-6 frame would best fit on the mound.

Results came quickly his senior season as Hentges was named the 2014 Gatorade Minnesota Player of the Year, posting a 1.06 ERA with 46 strikeouts and 12 hits allowed in 26 1/3 innings, and was the first player drafted from the state that June, going to the Indians in the fourth round before his 18th birthday.

"It's been awesome," Hentges said of his full-time move to pitching. "I love learning and studying the game. It's a very fun sport, obviously, and a very fun position to play. I've learned to be able to critique myself. Once you think you've learned it all, it'll smack you right in the face. But I can see the improvements I've made because I'm trying to constantly learn, as I think everyone does."

He's still a bit raw, but after being forced to take a year off due to 2016 Tommy John surgery, the Indians' No. 17 prospect is showing signs of becoming a well-rounded southpaw in his first healthy season in three years.

Through his first three starts with Class A Advanced Lynchburg, Hentges -- who has two plus pitches in his fastball and curve along with a developing changeup -- owns a 0.56 ERA and 0.94 WHIP with 19 strikeouts and three walks over 16 innings. His latest gem was one of the best of his young career -- 10 strikeouts over six scoreless innings at home against Frederick. It's still early, but no qualified Carolina League pitcher has a lower FIP than Hentges' 1.65. (And that's in a league with Dylan Cease and Dane Dunning, each of whom have been solid.)

Hentges can draw a fairly straight line from his elbow surgery almost two years ago to his success today.

"It's a long process," Hentges said of his rehab. "With Tommy John, you have to accept you won't be out there for at least a year. That's a big step mentally no matter what. But it also means you can get better physically and in better shape because you have no limitations other than your arm. It sparked a new work ethic. I understand the grind more. I was still young, only 19 when the surgery happened. I didn't really know what I was trying to do or achieve. Now with effort and consistency, I get it a lot more.

"Like today, I'm on a bus for six hours, but I can't just shrug that off and not work for the day. I still have to go through my work, follow my routine. Rehab helped shape that."

Hentges earned solid marks for the way he lost weight going into his Draft year, dropping from 248 to 220. He's back up to 245 now, but there's more muscle. Without the ability to work on his arm during rehab, Hentges focused on his lower half and core with the help of trainers. By the time he returned, his velocity returned as well -- with even a few extra mph at times. Now, Hentges typically throws in the lower 90s but is capable of touching 95.

The results Hentges is seeing in 2018 didn't come right away, however. He put up a 4.85 ERA with a 1.46 WHIP and .296 average-against in his first six rehab starts in the complex-level Arizona League -- throwing no more than three innings in this outings -- before seeing much more promising results after a small bump to Class A Short Season Mahoning Valley (2.04 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, .088 average in five starts).

Hentges says now that he didn't care about the results in 2017. The only thing he was checking was the health of his surgically repaired elbow.

"There was a point last year where they were building me up slowly," he said. "It didn't take until the fourth game before I could even throw three innings in a game. But at a certain point, I understood the elbow was healthy. The surgery was successful. I didn't need to worry about that. I could take everything I had learned in my rehab and put it to use on the mound and beyond that in my life, too."

That meant the offseason could finally be devoted to honing his craft, and because of that work, Hentges is seeing perhaps his greatest growth in control. Even before the surgery in 2016, the tall southpaw walked 29 batters in 60 1/3 innings with Class A Lake County for a 10.2 percent walk rate. Last season was about the same with an 11.8 percent walk rate. And though it was encouraging to see things hadn't gotten out of whack after a major procedure, his control was knocked in his scouting report as MLB.com gave it a 45 on the 20-80 scouting scale.

But after an offseason harnessing his craft, Hentges has seen a big jump when it comes to finding his spots in the early going. He's cut his walk rate in more than half, down to 4.8 percent through his three starts with the Hillcats. It's too early to say he's become a control freak, but consider this -- he's yet to walk more than two in an outing, and his April 11 gem marked the first time he didn't issue a free pass in a start of six innings or more since Aug. 9, 2015. It all traces back to a lack of worry about his elbow.

"One thing I've tried to focus on above all else has been control and command of the fastball, and I think that has improved a lot," he said. "Again, it's not perfect. It probably will never be perfect, but it's at least trending that way. ... It just comes down to repetition. Last year after rehab, it was just about getting out there and throwing. The stuff and location just wasn't a big deal for me. The offseason, I could actually focus on tightening things up, and that all starts with the fastball."

Only 21 in what would be his senior spring had he honored his commitment to Arkansas, Hentges is still learning about what he can be as a pitcher. He's still learning his craft. He's still learning his body, his delivery, his pitches. But Cleveland has liked enough of what they've seen to push that education to Class A Advanced, rather than returning him to Class A, where he had a 6.12 ERA before the operation. The aggressive move is already paying dividends.

"They had confidence that they could challenge me," Hentges said. "They've understood I've matured in my rehab, and that I was ready for something like this. That just speaks to the confidence I have in myself that they can see and the confidence they have in me too."

That was some good stuff on Hentges in article above. When he returned from TJ surgery his velocity returned, maybe even a few ticks higher. Then some people are never the same again. Has a plus curveball and fastball, that tops out at 95. A young man to keep an eye on.

.

Indians Prospective @indiansPro

Red Wings 13 Clippers 5
Haase 3-4 R HR 3RBI
Rodriguez 1-1 R HR RBI
Diaz 2-5 2R 2(2B)
Allen 1-3 R 2BB

Baysox 5 Rubberducks 3
Brady 5(IP) 4H 2R 2ER 4BB 6SO
Loopstok 1-3 R HR 2RBI BB
Castro 2-3 R 2BB
Krieger 2-5 R 2B

Hillcats 5 Nationals 3
Garza 5(IP) 0H 1R 0ER 2BB 7SO
Tapia 2-4 R 2(2B) RBI
Chu 1-3 2B RBI BB
Capel 1-3 RBI

Hot Rods 7 #Captains 2
McCarty 5.2(IP) 6H 3R 3ER 2BB 5SO
Rivera 2-3 2B RBI BB
Jones 1-5 R HR RBI
Benson 1-2 2BB SB

Lynchburg Hillcats RHP Justin Garza with another terrific outing tonight throwing 5.2 no-hit innings. Garza has yet to allow a Earned Run after his first 3 starts.
- 15.2(IP) 4H 1R 0ER 4BB 19SO

Lynchburg Hillcats starters RHP Justin Garza, LHP Sam Hentges & LHP Tanner Tully have been outstanding over each of their first 3 starts:
- 49.2(IP) 31H 9R 5ER 9BB 55SO 0.91 ERA

Indians minor league starters for Saturday:
Columbus - LHP Adam Wilk
Akron - RHP Shao-Ching Chiang
Lynchburg - RHP Jake Paulson
Lake County - Grant Hockin

From Saturday night ...

Indians Prospective @indiansPro

Clippers 4 Red Wings 3 (10 Innings)
Wilk 7(IP) 6H 1R 1ER 2BB 3SO
Ramirez 1.2(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 5SO
Chang 4-4 3(2B) RBI
Mejia 3-5 R 2B RBI
Barnes 2-4 2B RBI

Baysox 4 RUbberDucks 3 (12 innings)
Angulo 2(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 2BB 2SO
Bradley 1-4 R HR RBI BB
Marabell 1-3 2R 2B 2BB
Mathias 2-4 2B RBI BB SB

Hillcats 8 Nationals 2
Paulson 7(IP) 3H 2R 1ER 1BB 5SO
Miniard 2(IP) 2H 0R 0ER 1BB 4SO
Carter 2-5 R HR 3RBI
Capel 2-5 R 2(2B) 2RBI

Hot Rods 4 #Captains 3
Hockin 6(IP) 7H 4R 2ER 1BB 3SO
Tati 3(IP) 2H 0R 0ER 0BB 3SO
Rodriguez 1-5 R HR 2RBI
Vicente 1-4 R HR RBI

Lake County transactions
RHP Nick Gallagher assigned to Captains from Extended Spring training
RHP Jean Carlos Mejia placed on the 7-day DL

.

Adam McInturff @2080adam (former scout for Orioles, currently a writer for Baseball Prospectus)
Akron RHP Shao-Ching Chang: clean, easy, repeatable delivery that fields position well; commands FB 88-93 (91) to both sides w/ light tail; short, cut-type SL 81-83 for strikes, go-to off-speed. Needs more of a third pitch to profile higher than longman/swingman type.

Adam McInturff @2080adam
Cleveland RHR Argenis Argulo pitches his way out of a jam in his 2nd IP, game goes on to the 12th. Reached back for a heavy 93-96, leaned on FB often, mixed a few 77-81 slurvy breakers w/ inconsistent shape. Spray control w/ minimal in-zone command. Risk to arm-str MR profile.