Haggerty makes MLB debut, becomes 180th Hillcat to make majors

Lynchburg, Va. -  Former Lynchburg Hillcats infielder and outfielder Sam Haggerty  made his Major League debut for the New York Mets on Wednesday, September 4, against the Washington Nationals. He entered the game as a pinch runner in the ninth inning. The Mets beat the Nats, 8-4, at Nationals Park.

The Phoenix, Ariz. native was drafted by the Indians in the 24th Round of the 2015 MLB Draft after playing his college ball at the University of New Mexico. The switch-hitter was traded to the Mets as part of a package deal with right-hander Walker Lockett that sent catcher Kevin Plawecki to the Tribe on January 6, 2019.
Haggerty appeared in 112 games in a Hillcats uniform during the 2017 season. He saw action in 96 games at second base, 11 games at shortstop and five in the outfield. The 25-year-old batted .253 with three homers, 53 RBI and 27 doubles. He led the team with 67 walks and swiped 49 bases, the most in the Carolina League that year. Haggerty was both a Mid-Season and Year-End All-Star for the Hillcats.
This season, Haggerty started the year in Double-A Binghamton in the Mets organization. With the Rumble Ponies, he hit .259 with two home runs and 13 RBI across 68 games, earning a Mid-Season All-Star honor in the Eastern League. Despite missing six weeks with a hamstring injury, Haggerty finished second on the team with 19 stolen bases and third on the club with 40 walks. On August 19, he was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse, where he batted .310 over 12 contests. Six of his 13 hits went for extra-bases in Syracuse prior to his major league call-up on September 1.
Throughout his career, Haggerty has played every position with the exception of catcher and first base.
Haggerty is the 180th Hillcats player to make his Major League debut since 1995. He becomes the seventh former Hillcats player to make their MLB debut this season, joining Willi Casto, Aaron Civale, Bobby Bradley , Yu Chang , Zach Plesac and Ryne Harper .  
The Hillcats are back in action in April 2020, and 2020 Season Ticket plans are on sale now. Lynchburg will host the Carolina League All-Star Game at City Stadium on Tuesday, June 23. It will be the first time Lynchburg has hosted the event since 1995.  

For tickets or more information, visit lynchburg-hillcats.com, call 434-528-1144, or visit the City Stadium box office.
The Lynchburg Hillcats are the Advanced-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The Hillcats are eight-time Carolina League Champions, having most recently won the Mills Cup Championship in 2017. The Hillcats play their home games at City Stadium, which has been home to Minor League Baseball in Lynchburg since 1963. Visit the Hillcats online at Lynchburg-hillcats.com, and follow the Hillcats on Twitter (@LynHillcats), Instagram (@LynHillcats) and Facebook (Lynchburg Hillcats). For more information about the Lynchburg Hillcats, please contact Max Gun at [email protected].