Getting to Know Lynchburg’s Jodd Carter

At the age of 17, Jodd Carter joined the rookie level Arizona Indians for his first taste of professional baseball. Selected in the 24th round of the 2014 first year player draft, Carter was following in the footsteps of other recent Hawaiians who have entered professional baseball. This includes friends he grew up playing ball with in the Hilo area, most notably Kolten Wong of the St. Louis Cardinals, Kean Wong (Kolten’s younger brother), and Kodi Medeiros (who is currently pitching for the Carolina Mudcats, also in the High-A Carolina League).

Now 20 years old, Carter reflected back on his start in professional baseball.

“It was a big step for me,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting all the international players when I first got there [to Arizona], but they all welcomed me.” Read More

Hillcats’ Carter Claims Carolina League’s Player of the Week

It has been a season of streaks at the plate for Lynchburg outfielder Jodd Carter. His most recent one, now a season-high nine games and counting, helped earned him the recognition of the Carolina League on Monday when he was named the league’s Player of the Week.

Carter becomes the second position player to earn a Player of the Week nod this season for the Hillcats, joining teammate and All-Star Sam Haggerty. Lynchburg pitchers Triston McKenzie and Shane Bieber have also brought home the hardware on the pitching side of the award this season. Read More

Argenis Angulo – Building Consistency

The top reliever on this season’s High-A Lynchburg Hillcats has been Argenis Angulo. The 6’3” closer hails from Araure, Venezuela. He made his way to the Cleveland system through Ranger College, a junior college in Texas. A 19th round selection in the 2014 First Year Player Draft, this season marks the first one begun in full season ball. Of his previous three seasons, he spent two in the Arizona League, and his third started in short-season ball at rookie level Mahoning Valley.

For as long as he can remember, Angulo has been playing baseball.

“My dad always liked baseball. He introduced me to it when I was two years old. He started tossing balls to me. I started playing Little League when I was about four years old.” Read More

Lynchburg’s McKenzie Named Carolina League’s Pitcher of the Week Again

Triston McKenzie is still technically a teenager, but his list of professional accomplishments is growing at a rapid pace.

After pitching briefly in the ninth inning of the SIriusXM All-Star Futures Game in Miami, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, McKenzie was named the Carolina League’s Pitcher of the Week on Monday.

It marks the second time this season that McKenzie has received the honor, following his award on May 14. Read More

Future is Now as McKenzie, Mejia Appear in All-Star Futures Game

The future was now on Sunday, even if most people missed it.

Major League Baseball has done an effective job of hiding the All-Star Futures Game, a collection of some of the best and brightest upcoming stars on the minor league stage. With a great opportunity to get the names of these young budding prospects out on a national level, the game was stashed away in the middle of the day Sunday while the big boys in the Majors wrapped up the first half of the 2017 playing schedule. Read More

Willi Castro – Following in His Father’s Footsteps

Willi Castro is no longer the youngest player on his team for the first time in his career. That honor goes to Triston McKenzie. Castro, now 20 years old, earned a preseason prospect ranking of 15 in the Cleveland Indians farm system, according to Baseball America. He started the season slow, hitting just .250 in April. Since then, he has turned up his performance and been a key hitter in the Hillcats lineup.

From the Dominican Republic, he has lived in Florida and Puerto Rico. The Indians signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2013 when he was only 16 years old. After two seasons playing in the Arizona League, first as a second baseman and then as a shortstop, he finally moved up to affiliated ball in 2015. Read More

Shane Bieber – Pitching Like a Pro

Shane Bieber, a 6’3” right-hander, was a fourth round selection of the Cleveland Indians in 2016. Moving quickly up the organizational ladder, he is now an anchor for the High-A Lynchburg Hillcats rotation. This season marks his fourth full year as a pitcher, making his accomplishments more impressive.

“I didn’t really become a pitcher until my freshman year in college,” said Bieber. “I wasn’t always great at it, I was something of a late bloomer.” Read More

Big Start from Bieber Earns Him Carolina League’s Pitcher of the Week Honor

The third time was a charm in a different way for Lynchburg starting pitcher Shane Bieber this week. After making a third straight start and earning a third consecutive victory over the Frederick Keys on Thursday, June 22, the Hillcats right-hander took home the Carolina League’s Pitcher of the Week honors on Monday.

Making his ninth start for the Hillcats and his 14th overall this season, the 22-year-old dominated the Keys for a third outing in a row. Read More

Hillcats at the Carolina League All-Star Classic

The 2017 season will be the first time since 1998 that the Carolina League hosts its own cavalcade of stars. The last time the Carolina League held an All-Star game featuring the Northern Division stars versus the Southern Division stars, High-A Lynchburg pitcher Triston McKenzie was not even a year old and was still living in Brooklyn, New York. The relocation of two franchises from the California League to the Carolina League during the previous off-season followed the end of the cross-country California-Carolina League All-Star contest.

McKenzie is one of three Hillcats pitchers, the other two being starter Shao-Ching Chiang and reliever Argenis Angulo, who will make the trip to Salem. Read More

Six Hillcats Set to Play in Carolina League All-Star Game

The Lynchburg Hillcats are once again well represented in the Carolina League’s All-Star Game, set to pit the North and South Divisions against one another on Tuesday, June 20.

With the first half winding down, the Hillcats are still in the race for the first half crown and some of the players to put them in that position were recognized with selections to the North squad for the exhibition event next week. Three pitchers and two position players were picked to fill out the roster initially, with one more late addition giving Lynchburg six total representatives. Read More

Pitching and Teamwork Define the Lynchburg Hillcats’ First Half

The strength of the 2017 High-A Lynchburg Hillcats is pitching. Right-hander Triston McKenzie, Cleveland’s third ranked prospect according to Baseball America, heads up a staff that leads the competition of the ten-team Carolina League. This overall pitching performance puts the Hillcats only two games behind Central Virginia rival Salem, with four games remaining before the All-Star break, heading into play on Thursday.

“Our starting pitching has been our strength,” said manager Tony Mansolino. “We have some guys here that have had some success in the past and continue to get better.” Read More

Andrew Calica Building on Past Success

Andrew Calica grew up in southern California and baseball has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember. The 6’1”, 190 lb. center fielder was selected by Cleveland in round 11 of the 2016 draft out of the University of California- Santa Barbara. This was the second time the Indians had drafted Calica, after previously selecting him the 17th round in 2012.

Rather than signing out of high school, Calica chose to attend college. Getting a redshirt his freshman year due to injury, he stayed four years at UCSB and many draft watchers considered him a solid pick, perhaps one of the strongest seniors in the 2016 draft.

“My parents always put education first,” said Calica about choosing college over an early start to a professional baseball career. “I know how important that was so I wanted to make sure that was a priority for me and UCSB was a great school, a good educational system, and a good atmosphere.” Read More