The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Prospects take part in development program
The Indians of today are in California, playing the Los Angeles Angels and preparing for what they hope is a long run in the playoffs.
On Sept. 19, in Cleveland, promising pitcher Triston McKenzie and 30 other potential Indians of tomorrow were at Progressive Field, participating in the team’s Fall Development Program.
The annual event, overseen by the player development staff, brings in selected minor-league players after their seasons have ended for four days of onfield drills and off-field meetings on physical and personal development, nutrition and other topics related to careers in professional baseball.
“I feel like I learn something every day no matter where I am. Been here with these other players, all the managers, coordinators and coaches can really accelerate your learning curve,” McKenzie said Indians pitching prospect Triston McKenzie speaks to reporters at Progressive Field on Sept. 19.
during an interview in the visitors clubhouse.
A 20-year-old righthander from Florida, McKenzie was selected by the Indians with the 42nd overall pick in the first round of the 2015 draft out of high school.
Assigned to the advanced Single-A Lynchburg
(Va.) Hillcats, the 6-foot-5, 160-pound McKenzie had a breakthrough season in 2017. In 25 starts covering 143 innings, he was 12-6 with a 3.46 ERA. He led all minor-league pitchers with 186 strikeouts. He is rated as the top pitching prospect in the Indians’ minorleague system.
This past season, McKenzie was a Carolina League All-Star and pitched for the U.S. team in the Futures Game during All-Star weekend.
McKenzie said he enjoyed the contacts he had last weekend with some of the Indians players and veteran manager Terry Francona.
“(Francona) is a great guy. The standards he lives by and incorporates as manager are the foundations for a winning culture in this organization,” McKenzie said.
Outfielder Will Benson is another No. 1 draft choice in this edition of the Fall Development Program.
Taken by the Indians with the 14th overall pick in the 2016 draft out of Westminster High School in the Atlanta area, the 19-yearold Benson spent the 2017 season with the short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley Scrappers.
He batted .236 with team-high totals of 10 home runs and 36 RBI.
Interactions between program participants and current Indians players over the weekend left a powerful impression on Benson.
“The guys on the Indians are setting phenomenal examples for us,” Benson said..”We look up to them.”
Benson said he “couldn’t imagine” what it took for the Indians to sustain their American League-record of 22 straight victories.
Another of the program’s participants, pitcher Shane Bieber, turned heads this season as he rose through the ranks from Lake County to Lynchburg and, finally, Double-A Akron.
The 22-year-old righthander from California was the Indians’ fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft out of UC-Santa Barbara. He was a combined 10-5 with a 2.86 ERA in 28 starts
“I was confident going into the season, but I’d be lying if I said I expected things to go the way they did,” Bieber said. “I learned a lot about myself as a player, teammate and as a person.”
With their 2017 teams in parentheses, the other pitchers in the 2017 Fall Development Program are: Brady Aiken (Lake County), Shao-Ching Chiang (Lynchburg, Akron), Aaron Civale (Lake County, Lynchburg), Matt Esparza (Lynchburg, Akron), Sam Hentges (Arizona, Mahoning Valley), Juan Hillman (Lake County), Cameron Hill (Akron, Columbus). Julian Merryweather (Akron, Columbus), Micah Miniard (Lake County), Sean Brady (Lake County, Lynchburg), Zach Plesac (Lake County), Luis Oviedo (Arizona), Rob Kaminsky (Akron) and Justin Garza (Lake County).
In addition to Benson, the position players are Bobby Bradley (Akron), Conner Capel (Lake County), Willi Castro (Lynchburg), YuCheng Chiang (Akron), Gavin Collins (Lake County, Lynchburg), Oscar Gonzalez (Mahoning Valley), Sam Haggerty (Lynchburg), Logan Ice (Lake County), Nolan Jones (Mahoning Valley), Tyler Krieger (Akron), Sicnarf Loopstock (Lynchburg), Mark Mathias (Akron), Ka’Ai Tom (Lynchburg) and Luke Wakamatsu (Lake County).