Friday, February 17, 2017

Record 57 Former Indy Players In Major League Camps

What a jump!

A record 57 players who have been in one or more Independent Baseball leagues are among those in--or heading to--major league spring training camps.

IndyBaseballChatter.com, which has been tracking Indy players for years, has identified 40 pitchers and 17 position players who are on 40-man rosters (27) or are non-roster invitees (30), a jump from the previous count of 52 two years ago.  Fifty players were in a similar group last year.

Forty-five players, another record, played in major league games last season.

Those ticketed for major league camps this year, including the major league and Independent affiliations, with non-roster players designated with an "n" before their name and players who started their professional career in an Indy league shown with an "*".  The underscoring of a name indicates players added since the last report of those headed to spring training:

Pitchers (40)--Tim Adleman, Cincinnati (New Jersey, Can-Am League, and El Paso and Lincoln, American Association.); nAndrew Albers, Atlanta (Lancaster, Atlantic League, and Quebec, Can-Am); nCarlos Alvarado, San Francisco (Lancaster and Newark, Atlantic; San Angelo, United League); nAndrew Barbosa, Detroit (Long Island, Atlantic); Buddy Boshers, Minnesota (Somerset, Atlantic); nCraig Breslow, Minnesota (New Jersey, Northeast League); Hunter Cervenka, Miami (Sugar Land, Atlantic); nSteve Delabar, Cleveland (Florence, Frontier League, and Brockton, Can-Am); nJon Edwards, San Diego (Alpine, Pecos League, and San Angelo, North American League); nDerek Eitel, Washington (Wichita, American Association); nCharles (Carlos) Fisher, San Diego (Somerset, Atlantic); Luis Garcia, Philadelphia (Newark, Can-Am); nJarrett Grube, Toronto (Southern Maryland, Atlantic); Junior Guerra, Milwaukee (Wichita, American Association); Ariel Hernandez, Cincinnati (Frontier Greys, Frontier); Rich Hill, Los Angeles-NL (Long Island, Atlantic); *James Hoyt, Houston (Wichita, American Association, and Edinburg, Yuma, North American); Scott Kazmir, Los Angeles-NL (Sugar Land, Atlantic); nLogan Kensing, Detroit (Bridgeport, Atlantic); Brandon Kintzler, Minnesota (St. Paul, American Association, and Winnipeg, Northern League); Vidal Nuno, Los Angeles-NL (Washington, Frontier); nMicah Owings, Seattle (York, Atlantic);  *James Paxton, Seattle (Grand Prairie, American Association); nMatt Reynolds, San Francisco (Lancaster, Atlantic);  *Tanner Roark, Washington (Southern Illinois, Frontier); Chaz Roe, Atlanta (Laredo, American Association); nDrew Rucinski, Minnesota (Rockford, Frontier); nDan Runzler, Pittsburgh (Sugar Land, Atlantic); *Tanner Scheppers, Texas (St. Paul, American Association); *Max Scherzer, Washington (Fort Worth, American Association);  Bo Schultz, Toronto (Grand Prairie, American Assocation); *Robby Scott, Boston (Yuma, North American); n Chris Smith, Oakland (Sugar Land, Atlantic and Wichita, American Assocation); *Chris Smith, Toronto (Lake Erie, Traverse City and Washington, Frontier, and White Sands, Pecos); Josh Smoker, New York-NL (Rockford, Frontier); nCaleb Thielbar, Miami (St. Paul, American Association); nMarcus Walden, Boston (Lancaster, Atlantic); nTom Wilhelmson, Arizona (Tucson, Golden League); nAaron Wilkerson, Milwaukee (Grand Prairie; Florence, Frontier; Fort Worth, United);  Brad Ziegler, Miami (Schaumburg, Northern).

Catchers (5)--Rafael Lopez, Cincinnati (Bridgeport, Atlantic); nYermin Mercedes, Baltimore (Douglas and White Sands, Pecos); Rene Rivera, New York-NL (Camden, Atlantic); nEddy Rodriguez, Minnesota (Sioux Falls and El Paso, American Assocation); nJan Vazquez, Colorado (Long Island).

Infielders (5)--nRobert Andino, Baltimore (Somerset); n*Chris Colabello, Cleveland (Worcester and Nashua, Can-Am); Stephen Drew, Washington (Camden);  nBrandon Snyder, Washington (Southern Maryland, Atlantic); Ildemaro Vargas, Arizona (Bridgeport, Atlantic).

Outfielders (7)--nStephen Cardullo, Colorado (Rockland, Can-Am); nChris Marrero, San Francisco (Somerset); Jose Martinez, St. Louis (Rockford, Frontier); n*Daniel Nava, Philadelphia (Chico, Golden); nWily Mo Pena, Cleveland (Bridgeport); David Peralta, Arizona (Amarillo and Wichita, American Association, and Rio Grande Valley, North American); nLogan Schafer, Baltimore (Lancaster, Atlantic). 


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Wednesday, February 01, 2017

48 Indy Vets Due At Major League Camps

While a half dozen teams have not made their full non-roster contingents known for spring training, IndyBaseballChatter.com has identified 48 players with Independent Baseball experience who will be in major league camps this month.

The list is top-heavy with pitchers, as usual, with three-quarters of those expected being moundsmen.  A number of leagues are represented with the Atlantic League and American Association continuing to be the most productive.

Twenty-seven of the players are on 40-man major league rosters with the other 21 being non-roster invitees.  A few more players are likely to be added.

The entire 48-man list of onetime Independent players with their current major league and previous Independent affiliations:

          Pitchers (36)--Tim Adleman, Cincinnati (New Jersey, Can-Am League, and El Paso and Lincoln, American Association.); nAndrew Albers, Atlanta (Lancaster, Atlantic League, and Quebec, Can-Am); nAndrew Barbosa, Detroit (Long Island, Atlantic); Buddy Boshers, Minnesota (Somerset, Atlantic); Hunter Cervenka, Miami (Sugar Land, Atlantic); nSteve Delabar, Cleveland (Florence, Frontier League, and Brockton, Can-Am); nJon Edwards, San Diego (Alpine, Pecos League, and San Angelo, North American League); nDerek Eitel, Washington (Wichita, American Association); Luis Garcia, Philadelphia (Newark, Can-Am); nJarrett Grube, Toronto (Southern Maryland, Atlantic); Junior Guerra, Milwaukee (Wichita, American Association); Ariel Hernandez, Cincinnati (Frontier Greys, Frontier); Rich Hill, Los Angeles-NL (Long Island, Atlantic); *James Hoyt, Houston (Wichita, American Association, and Edinburg, Yuma, North American); Scott Kazmir, Los Angeles-NL (Sugar Land, Atlantic); nLogan Kensing, Detroit (Bridgeport, Atlantic); Brandon Kintzler, Minnesota (St. Paul, American Association, and Winnipeg, Northern League); Vidal Nuno, Los Angeles-NL (Washington, Frontier); nMicah Owings, Seattle (York, Atlantic);  *James Paxton, Seattle (Grand Prairie, American Association); nMatt Reynolds, San Francisco (Lancaster, Atlantic);  *Tanner Roark, Washington (Southern Illinois, Frontier); Chaz Roe, Atlanta (Laredo, American Association); nDrew Rucinski, Minnesota (Rockford, Frontier); nDan Runzler, Pittsburgh (Sugar Land, Atlantic); *Tanner Scheppers, Texas (St. Paul, American Association); *Max Scherzer, Washington (Fort Worth, American Association);  Bo Schultz, Toronto (Grand Prairie, American Assocation); *Robby Scott, Boston (Yuma, North American); n Chris Smith, Oakland (Sugar Land, Atlantic and Wichita, American Assocation); *Chris Smith, Toronto (Lake Erie, Traverse City and Washington, Frontier, and White Sands, Pecos); Josh Smoker, New York-NL (Rockford, Frontier); nCaleb Thielbar, Miami (St. Paul, American Association); nMarcus Walden, Boston (Lancaster, Atlantic); nAaron Wilkerson, Milwaukee (Grand Prairie; Florence, Frontier; Fort Worth, United League;  Brad Ziegler, Miami (Schaumburg, Northern).

            Catchers (3)-- Rafael Lopez, Cincinnati (Bridgeport, Atlantic); Rene Rivera, New York-NL (Camden, Atlantic); nEddy Rodriguez, Minnesota (Sioux Falls and El Paso, American Assocation).

            Infielders (4)—n*Chris Colabello, Cleveland (Worcester and Nashua, Can-Am); Stephen Drew, Washington (Camden);  nBrandon Snyder, Washington (Southern Maryland, Atlantic); Ildemaro Vargas, Arizona (Bridgeport, Atlantic).

            Outfielders (5) – nStephen Cardullo, Colorado (Rockland, Can-Am); Jose Martinez, St. Louis (Rockford, Frontier); n*Daniel Nava, Philadelphia (Chico, Golden); David Peralta, Arizona (Amarillo and Wichita, American Association, and Rio Grande Valley, North American); nLogan Schafer, Baltimore (Lancaster, Atlantic).

            *First professional game was in an Independent League; nNon-roster invitee


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