Cleveland Indians minor league report for the month of July

Cleveland Indians minor league report, July: Lynchburg Hillcats, Low-A

The Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats are the only team in the Tribe’s farm system to not have a player bat over .300. The only player that was close was Yainer Diaz at .295 and he was moved at the trade deadline as part of the deal to get Myles Straw.

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Where Lynchburg’s roster did do well was on the mound. There were a few different pitchers that put together strong months and one of the best came from No. 11 prospect Lenny Torres. A first round pick by the Tribe in the 2018 MLB Draft, Torres will turn just 21 in October. After needing Tommy John surgery in May of 2019, the strong showing is a great sign for the young pitcher.

Starting five games in July, Torres posted an ERA of 2.86 paired with a WHIP of 1.18. He allowed just seven runs over the course of the entire month and gave up just 12 hits over 22 innings. Where the concern is for him is walks. He was able to strikeout 23 batters, but walking a team-high 14 isn’t the best.

If Torres can get his walks under control, there’s good chance he could progress through the minors relatively quickly. The top prospects list has him as a 2023 arrival to the big leagues, so there’s time for that to show improvement.