Cleveland Indians Minor League Review: Best of the first half of 2017

Best Lynchburg Position Player: Sicnarf Loopstok

Key 1st Half Stats:  .260 AVG, .356 OBP, .480 SLG, .835 OPS, 12 HR, 17 2B, 41 RBI

Honorable Mention
Sam Haggerty: .257 AVG, .349 OBP, .788 OPS, 2 HR, 18 2B, 11 3B, 27 SB

Sicnarf Loopstok takes the top position player honor at Advanced-A Lynchburg for the first half of 2017. Not only did he post the top OPS at the level, he did so while playing four different positions for the Hillcats: catcher, left field, first base and third base. He showed solid power as well, hitting 12 home runs along with 31 extra-base hits.

Infielder Sam Haggerty had a very good first half as well. He fell just one extra-base hit short of Loopstok, thanks in large part to his 11 triples. He showed off his speed on the bases as well, swiping 27 bases. While primarily a second baseman, Haggerty has seen some time in left field and at shortstop for the Hillcats.

Best Hillcats Pitcher: Triston McKenzie

Key 1st Half Stats: 16 starts, 2.91 ERA, 1.03 WHIP,  .186 BAA, 3.40 FIP, 11.5 K/9

Honorable Mention

Shane Bieber: 12 starts, 3.16 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, .271 BAA, 2.68 FIP, 0.5 BB/9

In another extremely tight race between two outstanding players, Triston McKenzie narrowly takes the honor here for top pitcher at Lynchburg in the first half of the season. McKenzie has been the Tribe’s top pitching prospect virtually all year and despite being just 19, posted a sub-3.00 earned run average along with a sub-.200 batting average against.

He also has struck out nearly one-third of the hitters he faced in the Carolina League (32.4 percent in the first half). His outstanding first half was rewarded with a trip to the Major League Baseball Futures Game this summer in Miami, where he was joined fellow top prospect Francisco Mejia.

For as great as McKenzie was in the first half, fellow right-hander Shane Bieber was arguably better. He posted a much lower FIP at 2.68 thanks to a minuscule walk rate of just 1.3 percent. He also posted an absolutely insane 17.8 strikeout-walk ratio in the first half for the Hillcats.

If he hadn’t started the year at Lake County he very well would have taken the top honor but he made four fewer starts than McKenzie and also has been much more hittable with a batting average against nearly 100 points higher.

However, despite not winning this honor, Bieber was rewarded for his efforts with a promotion to Double-A Akron earlier this month, his second promotion this year.