Gameday Magazine May

Prospects to watch Outfielder Conner Capel is ranked by Baseball America as Cleveland’s No. 15 prospect, and has already played a key role in Lynchburg this season. He led the club with a .325 batting average in April. The left-handed hitter also was tops on the team in hits (27) RBI (13) doubles (7) OBP (.394), and stolen bases (9). Capel had an 11-game hitting streak from 4/14-4/27. Capel was set to follow in the footsteps of his father, former big leaguer, Mike Capel, by playing college ball at Texas before the Tribe drafted him in the fifth round in 2016. The Katy, Texas native excelled last season for Lake County in the Midwest League, placing third in the league in Cont.

home runs (22) and fifth in slugging percentage (.482). Left-hander Sam Hentges has been one of the anchors of the Hillcats rotation so far this season. He earned the Opening Day start, the first of his career, and went 2-0 with a 2.13 ERA through five April starts. He had a dominant 10 strikeout performance on April 17 against the Frederick Keys. Hentges was mostly a first baseman in high school, but converted to pitching full time after being drafted by the Indians in the fourth round in 2014. He was one of the youngest players in the 2014 draft class, and will pitch the majority of the 2018 season at age 21. Hentges is ranked as the Indians No. 18 prospect by Baseball America. Catcher Logan Ice made Lynchburg’s Opening Day roster in 2018. Known for his defensive ability as a good blocker, solid receiver and ability to handle a pitching staff, Ice was drafted by the Indians after a breakout 2016 season at Oregon State. Cleveland drafted him in the 2nd round in 2016. Through April, when Ice has been catching, Hillcats pitchers have just a 2.96 ERA, which is the best of any other catcher on the team. The switch-hitter is ranked by Baseball America as the Indians No. 19 overall prospect. Third baseman and catcher Gavin Collins is another Top-30 prospect that has started the season in Lynchburg, being pegged by Baseball America as the No. 27 overall prospect in Cleveland’s system. Collins played his college ball at Mississippi State, and helped lead the Bulldogs to a SEC title and was drafted by the Indians in the 13th round in 2016. He became the first Mississippi State player to earn SEC- all freshman honors. Collins has mostly played third base throughout the first month of the season, but has started two games at catcher.