Gameday Magazine August

Prospects to watch

2018

Outfielder Mitch Longo batted .361 with four home runs and 25 RBI in 55 games for the Captains before injuries robbed him of a full 2017 campaign. Longo was activated from the disabled list on August 31 when he made his debut with the Hillcats, and played in 5 games while going 9-for-16 at the plate. Cleveland’s 14th round pick in 2016 has been an everyday player so far this season for Lynchburg. Longo has batted a .284, while clubbing four home runs to go along with 23 RBI throughout the first three months of the year. He also leads the team with 20 multi-hit games. Third baseman Nolan Jones finished the 2017 season on a tear. The 19-year-old hit .371 with three home runs and 18 RBI in August for the Short-Season Mahoning Valley Scrappers. In 62 games, he batted .317 overall with four homers and 33 RBI. Jones, a 2nd round pick by the Tribe in 2016, is ranked by MLB.com as the Indians No. 5 prospect. Although he has just two minor league seasons under his belt, it’s possible that Jones could find himself in a Hillcats uniform at some point in 2018. Right-hander Eli Morgan was promoted to Lynchburg in mid-May, and has impressed in his first month and a half in a Hillcats uniform. Morgan was drafted by Cleveland in the 8th Round of the 2017 draft out of the University of Gonzaga. Prior to his promotion, Morgan began the 2018 campaign in Lake County, where he went 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA through eight starts. Through his first seven starts with the Hillcats, the Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. native has gone 4-2 with a 2.45 ERA. He is ranked by Baseball America as the Cleveland Indians 28th-best prospect. The publication also ranked him as having the “best changeup” of any pitcher throughout the Indians farm system. Shortstop Ernie Clement is ranked as the No. 24 prospect in Cleveland’s system.After playing his college ball up the road at the University of Virginia, Clement made his return to The Commonwealth on June 23, making his Adv.-A debut for Lynchburg. He is 41-for-121 overall (.338 avg), and reached base safely in his first 20 games, from 6/24-7/14. The on-base streak for Clement was the second longest for a Hillcat this season, trailing only Mitch Longo who reached in 26 consecutive to begin the year. Clement went 5-for-5 in the win against Frederick July 2, marking the first time a Hillcats player has picked up five hits in a game this season. Clement did not strike out in his first 41 at-bats. The short stop has hit safely in 24 of his first 31 games, and has tallied 12 multi-hit games. He began August on the DL with an injury. A variety of Indians prospects who made some noise throughout Cleveland’s other affiliates last season figure to be in the Hillcats plans in 2018.