Hillcats Beyond Baseball 2021 (4)

Cats in the Pros

The pipeline continues! Ten former Hillcats players have made it to the Majors in the 2020 and early 2021 season.

Past Hillcats’ hurlers Triston McKenzie and Sam Hentges join the likes of Shane Bieber (LYN ‘17) and Zach Plesac (LYN ‘18) as consistent contributors on the mound for the Cleveland Indians.

McKenzie played for the Hillcats in 2017 and still holds records in Lynchburg for strikeouts (186) and batting average against (.203).

The 23-year-old brought the heat yet again in his Indians debut on August 22, 2020. The righty struck out ten batters and earned the victory in a 6-1 win over the Detroit Tigers.

In 2021 McKenzie entered Cleveland’s starting rotation and has already fanned 23 on the young season.

Put video of McKenzie Here!

Henteges was a dynamic pitcher for the Hillcats in 2018, tossing 118.1 innings and with a 3.24 ERA. The southpaw grabbed his first Major League W with the Indians, pitching a scoreless frame against the Yankees in just his second appearance of 2021 .

Sam Hentges pitching for the Hillcats in 2018