2020 Envisioning: The Lugnuts' Next Infield
In Part I - check it out here - we examined which of the Blue Jays' current Top 30 prospects might play in Lansing in 2020, the 25th season of Lugnuts baseball.Let's get more specific.Let's talk catchers and infielders.*
In Part I - check it out here - we examined which of the Blue Jays' current Top 30 prospects might play in Lansing in 2020, the 25th season of Lugnuts baseball.
Let's get more specific.
Let's talk catchers and infielders.
*
The Nuts' 2019 catchers comprised Alejandro Kirk, who likely begins 2020 in Double-A New Hampshire; Gabriel Moreno and Ryan Gold, who likely move up to A-Advanced Dunedin; 2017 second-rounder Hagen Danner, who hit 12 homers in 80 games; and Jesus Lopez, who played in three games at the very end of the year. With that in mind...
- It would be unsurprising to see Danner, age 21 next year, back for a second go-round in Lansing, whether at catcher or at first base (a position he began to play increasingly as the year went on). The more surprising event: If Danner, a two-way pitching/hitting threat in high school, converted back to pitching.
- Lopez was acquired via trade with Oakland in March 2019 for Kendrys Morales with the intention of moving him to catcher. He's a wild card, having played in the Midwest League in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, the first three of those years with Beloit. Could he play in the Midwest League for a fifth straight season? Has _anyone _played in the Midwest League for five straight seasons? (The highlight of Lopez playing with the Lugnuts was the forming of an all-Nicaraguan battery with Randy Pondler, clearly special to both of them.)
The two Blue Jays selected two pertinent catchers in the 2019 draft:
The top catching pick was Philip Clarke, nicknamed "The Hitman," taken in the ninth round from national champion Vanderbilt (sorry, Michigan!) and signed for $500,000. He opened red hot with Vancouver, was named a Northwest League All-Star, and then finished the year hitting .257 with 21 walks and 22 strikeouts in 37 games. If he's a Lugnut next year - which feels probable but isn't 100% certain, since 2018 fifth-rounder Chris Bec jumped from 2018 Vancouver to 2019 Dunedin - he's hitting in the middle of the order.
The last catching pick taken by Toronto in June was 38th-rounder Ryan Sloniger, a Penn State product from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Sloniger came out of high school as the No. 28 catcher in the country and the second-ranked catcher in the Keystone State (read this profile of him for more). He inked with the Blue Jays as a senior sign, opened his pro career with Bluefield, moved to Vancouver six days later, came back to Bluefield in July and crushed it: nine homers, a .327 batting average and a 1.031 OPS in 30 games. He finished the year with Vancouver, which would seem to suggest he comes to Lansing next year.
Coincidentally, both Clarke and Sloniger bat from the left side.
The primary catcher in Vancouver was
Bluefield's two other catchers were
*
The potential 2020 Lugnuts infield feels
crowded. If healthy, SS
But what about, in no particular order...
*
Tough decisions will have to be made, which is a good thing: Competition, you would hope, brings out the most in these players, leading the Lugnuts to have the best of all possible infields starting next year, with depth ready when promotions come.
Here's a big statement, but defensible considering the potential presences of Groshans, Hiraldo, Jimenez, Clarke, Morris, Morris, Horwitz, and onward: The infield is going to provide the backbone of the 2020 Lansing Lugnuts offense.
*
Up next...
The Lugnuts are home! June 24-29 vs. Dayton
LANSING, Mich. – The Lansing Lugnuts (1-2, 37-32), High-A affiliate of the Athletics, open a six-game series with the Dayton Dragons (1-2, 22-46), High-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, from Tuesday, June 24, through Sunday, June 29, at Jackson® Field™. Gates open to the public one hour before first pitch
Nuts romp behind Quad Cities' quintet of errors
DAVENPORT, IA – Jake Garland went seven innings, Davis Diaz slugged his first professional home run, and the Lansing Lugnuts (1-2, 37-32) took advantage of five errors to roll the Quad Cities River Bandits (2-1, 41-28), 10-3, on Sunday afternoon at Modern Woodmen Park. The Lugnuts piled up 16 base
Avant excels, but Bandits best Lugs in 10
DAVENPORT, IA – Corey Avant set a professional high with seven strong innings, but the Quad Cities River Bandits (2-0, 41-27) scored three runs in the bottom of the 10th inning to rally past the Lansing Lugnuts (0-2, 36-32), 4-3, on Saturday night at Modern Woodmen Park. Avant, drafted in
Green homers, Lugs drop 2nd half opener
DAVENPORT, IA – Rodney Green, Jr. ended a homerless drought with a towering roundtripper toward the Mississippi River, but the Quad Cities River Bandits (1-0, 40-27) quieted the Lansing Lugnuts (0-1, 36-31) otherwise, 8-2, on Friday night at Modern Woodmen Park. The game marked the official start to the 66-game
Nuts close out first half, beat Bandits in 10
DAVENPORT, IA – Native Iowan Grant Judkins turned in a quality start before his Lansing Lugnuts (36-30) turned in a quality finish, outlasting the Quad Cities River Bandits (39-27), 5-4, in 10 innings to close out the first half of the Midwest League season on Thursday night at Modern Woodmen
Bandidos use doubles to double up Lugs
DAVENPORT, IA – Playing as their Copa identity, los Bandidos del Río de las Ciudades Cuádruples, the Quad Cities River Bandits (39-26) used a pair of late two-run doubles to top the Lansing Lugnuts (35-30), 8-4, on Wednesday night at Modern Woodmen Park. The win kept Quad Cities alive for
Dickey, Garland play spoiler in 3-0 win
DAVENPORT, IA – Jared Dickey drove in a pair of crucial runs against his former team, Jake Garland tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a combined four-hit shutout, and the Lansing Lugnuts (35-29) silenced the Quad Cities River Bandits (38-26), 3-0, on Tuesday night at Modern Woodmen Park. The result
MDARD Teams Up with Lansing Lugnuts, VFW National Home to Plant Native Garden at Jackson® Field™
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), Lansing Lugnuts, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Home (VFWNH), in collaboration with the Eaton Conservation District, proudly celebrates the successful installation of a native garden at Jackson® Field™. Veterans participating in the Veteran Regenerative Agriculture Demonstration,
Whitecaps blast Lugnuts, 13-1
LANSING, Mich. – Luke Gold smashed a grand slam to cap an eight-run ninth inning, and the West Michigan Whitecaps (43-20) completed a dominant six-day stretch with a 13-1 victory over the Lansing Lugnuts (34-29) in front of a Father’s Day crowd of 7,379 on Sunday afternoon at Jackson® Field™.
Imperial Whitecaps march past Lugnuts, 3-2
LANSING, Mich. – In front of 7,896 on Star Wars Night, the West Michigan Whitecaps (42-20) quelled the Lansing Lugnuts (34-28), 3-2, on Saturday evening at Jackson® Field™. The Whitecaps clinched a series victory, winning their fourth of five games played in the six-game set. Lansing starter Nathan Dettmer scattered
'Caps score 13 in 3rd on Friday the 13th, clinch division title
LANSING, Mich. – In three hours and 13 minutes, the West Michigan Whitecaps (41-20) used a 13-run third inning to rout the Lansing Lugnuts (34-27), 20-6, on Friday the 13th at Jackson® Field™. The Whitecaps clinched the first half East Division title with the win. All nine Whitecaps collected at
McGonigle, 'Caps top Nuts, 7-1
LANSING, Mich. – Ben Malgeri homered for the second straight day, Kevin McGonigle went 4-for-4 with two doubles and a homer, and the West Michigan Whitecaps (40-20) coasted past the Lansing Lugnuts (34-26), 7-1, on Thursday night at Jackson® Field™. The Whitecaps’ magic number to clinch the East Division shrank
Lugs wallow in 4-3 wild walk-off over Whitecaps
LANSING, Mich. – CJ Rodriguez rushed home on a Jared Dickey RBI fielder’s choice in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Lansing Lugnuts (34-25) walked off the West Michigan Whitecaps (39-20), 4-3, on Wednesday night at Jackson® Field™. The Lugnuts pulled within five games of the Whitecaps for
West Michigan tops Lansing, 6-2, closes in on playoffs
LANSING, Mich. – In a Copa de la Diversión game, las Calaveras de West Michigan (39-19) scored four runs in the seventh inning and defeated the Lansing Locos (33-25), 6-2, on Tuesday night at Jackson® Field™. With the win, West Michigan opened its East Division lead to six games with
Lugs demolish Dragons as Whitecaps series looms
DAYTON, OH – Supported by a season-high 19-hit barrage, Nathan Dettmer fired six innings of one-hit ball, and the Lansing Lugnuts (33-24) steamrolled the Dayton Dragons (18-39), 12-6, on Sunday afternoon at Day Air Ballpark. The Nuts won five of six games in the series, including the last three games.
Judkins, Schofield-Sam serve up series win
DAYTON, OH – Grant Judkins delivered seven commanding innings, T.J. Schofield-Sam cracked three extra-base hits, and the Lansing Lugnuts (32-24) clinched a road series victory with a 3-1 win over the Dayton Dragons (18-38) on Saturday night at Day Air Ballpark. The Lugnuts have won four of five games in
Echavarria sooths Dragons, 5-1
DAYTON, OH – Steven Echavarria added the latest chapter in a breakthrough season, hurling five scoreless innings to drive the Lansing Lugnuts (31-24) past the Dayton Dragons (18-37), 5-1, on a rainy Friday night at Day Air Ballpark. The Lugnuts have won three of the first four games of the
Dragons walk off Nuts in 10, 3-2
DAYTON, OH – On a rainy Thursday night, the Dayton Dragons (18-36) snapped a 10-game home losing streak, walking off the Lansing Lugnuts (30-24) 3-2 in 10 innings at Day Air Ballpark. The Lugnuts had tied the game in the eighth on a two-out bases-loaded walk drawn by center fielder
Nuts' five-run 9th stuns Dayton, 6-3
DAYTON, OH – With two outs in the ninth inning, the Lansing Lugnuts (30-23) rallied for five runs to shock the Dayton Dragons (17-36), 6-3, on Wednesday night at Day Air Ballpark. The Lugnuts have won four straight games, including two straight in Dayton thanks to comebacks against the Dragons’
Green rallies Lugs in Dayton opener
DAYTON, OH – Rodney Green, Jr. lashed a three-run go-ahead double in the seventh inning, and the Lansing Lugnuts (29-23) edged the Dayton Dragons (17-35), 5-4, on Tuesday evening at Day Air Ballpark. The Lugnuts have won three consecutive games, allowing only seven combined runs over that span. A two-run
Catching Transaction: Conn promoted, Diaz arrives
The Lansing Lugnuts (28-23) announced the following roster changes, in conjunction with the Athletics: - Catcher Cole Conn is promoted to Midland (Double-A – Texas League) - Infielder/catcher Davis Diaz is received from Stockton (Single-A – California League) The updated Lansing roster now has 28 active players and three players
Lugs handle error-prone Carp, 4-1
LANSING, Mich. – Grant Judkins pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, and the Lansing Lugnuts (28-23) earned a series split with a 4-1 victory over the Beloit Sky Carp (27-24) on Sunday afternoon at Jackson® Field™. The Nuts had lost three straight games against Beloit from Wednesday through Friday, but won
Schofield-Sam slams Sky Carp, 8-2
LANSING, Mich. – The Lansing Lugnuts loaded the bases in the first inning, fourth inning, fifth inning and sixth inning, yet were unable to push a run across. In the seventh inning? A different story. The Midwest League’s leading hitter, T.J. Schofield-Sam, swatted a g0-ahead grand slam off the right
White slugs seventh homer in 11-3 loss
LANSING, Mich. – Tommy White homered for the fourth time in his last six games, but the Beloit Sky Carp (27-22) rolled to a 11-3 victory over the Lansing Lugnuts (26-23) on Friday night at Jackson® Field™. The game was delayed 27 minutes at the start due to rain and
Carp survive Lugs' late push, 10-9
LANSING, Mich. – The Beloit Sky Carp (26-22) built a 10-2 lead and then held on for dear life to edge the Lansing Lugnuts (26-22), 10-9, on Thursday night at Jackson® Field™. Lansing first baseman T.J. Schofield-Sam went 4-for-5 with three runs scored, increasing his league-leading average to .359, and