Position Preview: Position Players

INDIANAPOLIS – With Opening Day less than a week away, the 2026 Indianapolis Indians position player group is solidifying. As final roster decisions are taking place, several Young Bucs will etch themselves into the lineup.

Infielders

1B Nick Cimillo: Cimillo, 26, aims for his Triple-A debut with Indy after spending all of 2025 with Double-A Altoona, hitting .239 (96-for-401) with 26 doubles, four triples, 20 home runs, 71 RBI and a .793 OPS. He was one of the Eastern League’s best power hitters last season, finishing tied for second in home runs and extra-base hits (50) and fourth in RBI and total bases (190). Cimillo was selected by Pittsburgh in the 16th round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft from Rutgers (N.J.) University.

Konnor Griffin: Griffin, 19, enters the season as the No. 1 overall prospect in baseball according to both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America after rising through the minors in 2025. The shortstop began the season with Single-A Bradenton and made his professional debut on April 4, hitting .338 (70-for-207) with 10 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 36 RBI, 49 runs, 26 stolen bases and a .932 OPS across 50 games and leading the Florida State League in batting average, total bases (111) and runs in his time with the club. Griffin was promoted to High-A Greensboro in June and played in in 51 games for the Grasshoppers, hitting .325 (63-for-194) with 11 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 36 RBI, 48 runs, 33 stolen bases and a .942 OPS with the team, leading the South Atlantic League in average, hits, runs, stolen bases, OPS and total bases (99) in his time with Greensboro. He made his way to Double-A Altoona in late August, tearing up the competition down the stretch as he posted a .337 average (28-for-83) with two doubles, five home runs, 22 RBI, 20 runs and a .960 OPS across 21 games. He was named the Young Bucs Honus Wagner Player of the Year and Bill Mazeroski Defender of the Year following the campaign. The young phenom was selected by Pittsburgh as the ninth overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft out of Jackson (Miss.) Prep High School.

Termarr Johnson: Johnson, 21, enters the season as Pittsburgh’s No. 7 prospect according to both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. Primarily a second baseman, the left-handed-hitting infielder played in 119 games with Double-A Altoona in 2025 and hit .272 (118-for-434) with 15 doubles, three triples, nine home runs, 35 RBI, 59 walks, 67 runs, 20 stolen bases and a .745 OPS, ranking among Eastern League leaders in runs (6th), on-base percentage (6th, .363), hits (T-6th), batting average (8th) and walks (T-8th). Johnson has previously ranked as a Top 100 prospect for both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America and was selected by Pittsburgh as the fourth overall pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of Mays (Atlanta) High School.

C/1B Endy Rodríguez: Rodríguez, 25, aims for a resurgence in 2026 after missing most of the previous two seasons due to injury. The switch hitter began the season with Pittsburgh and was placed on the 10-day injured list on April 15 with a right hand laceration before appearing in eight games with Indianapolis on a rehab assignment. Rodríguez returned to Pittsburgh for three games in June but missed the remainder of the season after landing on the injured list with right elbow inflammation. Across 374 career minor league games, he has hit .292 (406-for-1389) with 102 doubles, 16 triples, 53 home runs and .884 OPS. Rodríguez was originally signed by New York (NL) as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2018, and was traded to Pittsburgh as part of a three-team trade with New York (NL) and San Diego on Jan. 19, 2021.

C Shawn Ross: Ross, 26, could be set for a return to Indianapolis after splitting the 2025 campaign between Double-A Altoona and the Circle City. In 33 games with Indy, Ross hit .183 (20-for-109) with four doubles and three home runs. The Puerto Rico native was signed by Pittsburgh as a non-drafted free agent on Dec. 1, 2022.

UTIL Enmanuel Valdez: Valdez, 27, began the 2025 season with Pittsburgh and appeared in 31 games, hitting .209 (19-for-91) with four doubles, two triples and two home runs prior to being placed on the 10-day injured list on May 9 with left shoulder inflammation. He was subsequently transferred to the 60-day IL and his season concluded after undergoing left shoulder surgery. Across 156 major league games between Boston and Pittsburgh, Valdez hit .230 (99-for-431) with 24 doubles, two triples and 14 home runs. The Dominican Republic native was traded to Pittsburgh from Boston on Dec. 15, 2024, and was originally signed by Houston as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2015.

UTIL Davis Wendzel: Wendzel, 28, was signed by Pittsburgh as a minor league free agent on Dec. 15, 2025, after spending majority of last season with Triple-A Louisville in Cincinnati’s system. He appeared in 94 games with the Bats, hitting .251 (77-for-307) with 17 doubles, 13 home runs and a .779 OPS. The veteran infielder made his major league debut in 2024 with Texas and was originally selected by the club in the first round (41st overall) of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft from Baylor (Texas) University.

Outfielders

UTIL Tyler Callihan: Callihan, 25, is a utility player that recently joined Pittsburgh after being traded from Cincinnati in exchange for Kyle Nicolas on March 4, 2026. Callihan began the 2025 season with Triple-A Louisville and hit .303 (27-for-89) with four doubles, two triples, four home runs and a .938 OPS across 24 games. He made his major league debut with the Reds on April 30 (1) vs. St. Louis and appeared in four games with the team before fracturing his left forearm colliding with the wall on May 5 at Atlanta to end his season. Callihan was selected by Cincinnati in the third round (85th overall) of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Providence (Fla.) High School.

Dominic Fletcher: Fletcher, 28, signed with Pittsburgh as a minor league free agent on Dec. 12, 2025, after splitting last season between Triple-A Charlotte and Chicago (AL). Fletcher spent most of the season with Charlotte, hitting .260 (105-for-404) with 19 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs, 68 RBI and a .770 OPS across 105 games. He made a brief stint with the White Sox to conclude the season, hitting .219 (7-for-32) in 12 Sept. games. Fletcher has family ties to the majors as the brother of pitcher and former infielder David Fletcher. He was originally selected by Arizona in the first round (75th overall) of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Cypress (Calif.) High School.

Jhostynxon Garcia: Garcia, 23, enters the season as Pittsburgh’s No. 5 prospect (Baseball America) and No. 6 (MLB Pipeline) following his trade from Boston on Dec. 4, 2025. Nicknamed "The Password” due to the unique spelling and pronunciation of his name, the powerful outfielder hit .271 (86-for-317) with 12 doubles, three triples, 18 home runs and an .832 OPS across 81 games with Triple-A Worcester last season. He made his major league debut with Boston on Aug. 22, 2025, at New York (AL) and played in five games with the club last season.

Mitch Jebb: Jebb, 23, spent the full 2025 season with Double-A Altoona and appeared in 122 games, hitting .265 (118-for-445) with 11 doubles, six triples, 34 RBI, 59 walks, 33 stolen bases, a .350 on-base percentage and .667 OPS. Known as a premier baserunner, he has compiled 87 stolen bases across 269 career games and has stolen 30-plus in each of the last two seasons. Jebb was drafted by Pittsburgh in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of Michigan State (East Lansing) University.

Ronny Simon: Simon, 25, returns to Indianapolis following a strong 2025 campaign with the club after being claimed on waivers by Pittsburgh from Miami on June 2, 2025. Simon began last season with Triple-A Jacksonville and made his major league debut with Miami on April 21 vs. Cincinnati before being designated for assignment by the club on May 19 following 19 games with the Marlins. He appeared in 54 games with Indianapolis, hitting .284 (60-for-211) with nine doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 30 RBI, a team-leading 24 stolen bases and an .817 OPS. Simon set a Victory Field single-season record with four leadoff home runs on the season and became the second player in the Victory Field era (also: Brian Bixler, 2009) to hit leadoff home runs in back-to-back games. The Dominican Republic native was originally signed by Chicago (NL) as a non-drafted free agent on June 23, 2018.

Esmerlyn Valdez: Valdez, 22, enters the season as Pittsburgh’s No. 11 prospect according to both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline after being named the organization’s Young Bucs Willie Stargell Slugger of the Year and South Atlantic League Most Valuable Player in 2025. In 72 games with High-A Greensboro, he hit .303 (84-for-277) with a .977 OPS and ranked among league leaders in slugging (1st, .592), home runs (2nd, 20), extra-base hits (2nd, 39), total bases (4th, 164), and RBI (10th, 57). The Dominican Republic native was signed by Pittsburgh as a non-drafted free agent on Jan. 15, 2021.

The Indians open the 2026 season at Victory Field on Friday, March 27 vs. the St. Paul Saints, the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. Full season, half season and mini plans are on sale, and group and premium reservations may also be made. For more on the Indians, visit IndyIndians.com or contact the Victory Field Box Office at (317) 269-3545 or [email protected].