Two players with a single game of major league experience are among the 16 onetime Independent Baseball graduates who have opened the regular season with big-league jobs, the annual review by IndyBaseballChatter.com has revealed. Another four are on the injured list.
First baseman John Nogowski, who
played at Sioux City in the American Association in 2017, hit a robust .333
(11-for-33) with a .477 on-base percentage this spring to land a bench job with
St. Louis. Yermin Mercedes is one of the
trio of catchers on the Chicago White Sox 26-man active list after he hit .277
(13-for-51) in spring training. Mercedes
spent all of 2014 in the Pecos (Douglas and White Sands) and United (San
Angelo) Leagues for a renewed start on his pro career after three seasons in
the Dominican Summer League under the Washington Nationals banner.
Nogowski went 1-for-4 in his only
game with the Cardinals last season while Mercedes got a single at bat (0-for-1)
in his initial major league contest.
Thirteen of the 16 major leaguers
are pitchers, and the American Association dominates with 10 players out of its
circuit, eight more than from any other league.
Pitchers (13)--Ross Detwiler, Miami
(York, Atlantic League); *Randy Dobnak, Minnesota (Utica, United
Shore League); Junior Guerra, Los
Angeles-AL (Wichita, American Association); Rich Hill, Tampa Bay (Long Island, Atlantic); Brandon
Kintzler, Philadelphia (St. Paul, American Association, and Winnipeg, when in
the Northern League); *Chris Martin, Atlanta (Grand Prairie, American
Association); Tyler Matzek, Atlanta (Texas, American Association); *James
Paxton, Seattle (Grand Prairie); *Tanner Roark, Toronto (Southern
Illinois, Frontier League); Chaz Roe,
Tampa Bay (Laredo, American Association);
*Max Scherzer, Washington (Fort Worth, American Association); Caleb Thielbar, Minnesota (St. Paul); *Eric Yardley, Milwaukee (Trinidad and Taos,
Pecos League).
Position Players (3)--C Yermin
Mercedes, Chicago-AL (Douglas and White Sands, Pecos, and San Angelo, United
League); 1B John Nogowski, St. Louis
(Sioux City, American Association); OF David
Peralta, Arizona (Amarillo and Wichita, American Association, and Rio Grande
Valley, North American League).
Injured List (4)--RHP*Nick Anderson, Tampa Bay (Rockford and Frontier Greys, Frontier); RHP John Brebbia, San Francisco (Sioux Falls and Laredo, American Association); OF Jose Martinez, New York-NL (Rockford, Frontier); RHP Justin Topa, Milwaukee (Rockland, Can-Am League).
*Started career in an Independent
league