57 Former Fort Wayne Players in Major Leagues in 2019

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — A total of 57 former Fort Wayne players appeared in the Major Leagues in 2019. That’s the highest ever number of TinCaps and Wizards alumni in the big leagues in a single season. (The previous high was 54 in 2015. That tally decreased to 40 in 2016, but has since risen with 44 in ’17 and 50 last year.)

Fort Wayne’s 57 former players in the majors suited up for 20 of Major League Baseball’s 30 teams. That said, of those 57, 29 were with the TinCaps’ parent club, the San Diego Padres.

Padres 20-year-old rookie shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. headlined the list of players from the “260” in “The Show.” Tatis posted a .317 batting average with a .969 OPS. Though injuries limited him to 84 games, he hit 22 home runs and stole 16 bases (numbers for a rookie shortstop that were only put up once before, by Nomar Garciaparra with the Red Sox in 1997).

Tatis was the youngest position player in the National League this year. It was just two years ago that he starred for the TinCaps at Parkview Field in 2017. Then 18 years old, he set a Fort Wayne franchise record with 21 home runs in 117 games before being promoted to Double-A. Due to his offensive production, along with spectacular defense and astonishing base-running, Tatis has already emerged as one of the most exciting players in the sport.

But Tatis wasn’t the only former TinCap to make his big-league debut in 2019. In fact, 16 recent ’Caps saw their first MLB action, including 15 with the Padres.

The one rookie to debut with another organization was Northeast Indiana’s own Josh VanMeter. The Ossian native, who graduated from nearby Norwell High School in 2013 and then played for the ’Caps in ’14 and ’15, broke in with the Cincinnati Reds. VanMeter proved to be versatile for Cincinnati, appearing in a total of 95 games and playing five different positions in the field (left field, second base, first base, third base, and right field). He finished the season with a .327 on-base percentage (four points higher than the MLB average), 13 doubles, a triple, and eight homers.

Since the Fort Wayne franchise began in 1993, there have been 188 players in all who’ve ascended to the majors. That list is primed to grow in 2019 as five of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects have suited up for the TinCaps, including Padres left-handed pitching prospect MacKenzie Gore, who finished the season with Double-A Amarillo and was named MLB Pipeline’s Pitcher of the Year.

Performances of Note Among Former Fort Wayne Players in the Majors in 2019

· Fernando Tatis Jr. ranked 2nd among MLB rookies in OPS (.969), AVG (.317), SLG (.590), and triples (6), 3rd in OBP (.379) and stolen bases (16), and 5th in home runs (22)

· Max Fried ranked 5th in the NL in xFIP (3.32)

· Hunter Renfroe led the Padres with 33 home runs and ranked 2nd in MLB in outfield assists (13) and defensive runs saved (22)

· Chris Paddack ranked 1st among MLB rookies in average against (.204) and WHIP (0.98), and 2nd in ERA (3.33) and strikeouts (153)

· Trea Turner ranked 2nd in the National League in stolen bases (35) and 8th in doubles (37)

· Turner and Jake Bauers were 2 of 6 players in MLB to hit for the cycle

· Miles Mikolas ranked 8th in the NL in games started (32)

· Zach Eflin was 1 of only 3 NL pitchers to throw multiple complete games

o Mikolas and Eflin were 2 of only 10 pitchers in the NL to throw a shutout

· Dinelson Lamet struck out 14 batters on Sept. 18 @ Milwaukee – 8th most strikeouts for a pitcher in an MLB game this year (1st Padre with a 14+ K-game since Jake Peavy, 2007)

· Oliver Perez was the 2nd most senior pitcher in the AL at 38 years old at season’s end

· Joakim Soria ranked 7th in the American League in games pitched (71)

· Franmil Reyes ranked 11th in MLB in average exit velocity (93.8 mph) and 15th in home runs (37)

· Andres Muñoz ranked 3rd in MLB in average fastball speed (99.9 mph)

· Mallex Smith led Major League Baseball in stolen bases (46) and ranked 5th in triples (9)

· Adrian Morejon and Muñoz were the 2 youngest pitchers in the NL at 20 years old

· Phil Maton ranked 4th in MLB in average fastball spin rate (2,648 rpm)

· Austin Hedges ranked 2nd in defensive runs saved (22) and led the majors in converting non-swing pitches into called strikes (54.1%)

· Tayron Guerrero ranked 7th in MLB in average fastball speed (99.0 mph)

· Nick Margevicius was the 1st 2018 TinCap to debut in the big leagues

Former Fort Wayne TinCaps and Wizards in the Majors in 2019

1. C Austin Allen* (2016), San Diego Padres

2. LHP Logan Allen* (2016-17), San Diego Padres / Cleveland Indians

3. RHP Pedro Avila* (2017), San Diego Padres

4. RHP Michel Baez* (2017), San Diego Padres

5. RHP Anthony Bass (2009), Seattle Mariners

6. INF/OF Jake Bauers (2014), Cleveland Indians

7. RHP David Bednar* (2016-17), San Diego Padres

8. RHP Ronald Bolaños* (2017), San Diego Padres

9. RHP Brad Brach (2009), Chicago Cubs / New York Mets

10. LHP José Castillo (2015-16), Tampa Bay Rays

11. OF Franchy Cordero (2014-15), San Diego Padres

12. RHP Enyel De Los Santos (2016), Philadelphia Phillies

13. RHP Zach Eflin (2013), Philadelphia Phillies

14. INF Ty France* (2016), San Diego Padres

15. INF David Freese (2006), Los Angeles Dodgers

16. LHP Max Fried (2013-14), Atlanta Braves

17. C Rocky Gale (2011), Los Angeles Dodgers

18. RHP Trevor Gott (2013), San Francisco Giants

19. RHP Tayron Guerrero (2013-14), Miami Marlins

20. INF Jedd Gyorko (2010), St. Louis Cardinals / Los Angeles Dodgers

21. C Austin Hedges (2012), San Diego Padres

22. C Nick Hundley (2005-06), Oakland A’s

23. OF Travis Jankowski (2012), San Diego Padres

24. RHP Brandon Kintzler (2005), Chicago Cubs

25. RHP Corey Kluber (2008), Cleveland Indians

26. RHP Dinelson Lamet (2015), San Diego Padres

27. LHP Eric Lauer (2016), San Diego Padres

28. LHP Wade LeBlanc (2006), Seattle Mariners

29. RHP Walker Lockett (2014-16), New York Mets

30. LHP Joey Lucchesi (2016), San Diego Padres

31. LHP Nick Margevicius* (2018), San Diego Padres

32. RHP Phil Maton (2016), San Diego Padres

33. RHP Miles Mikolas (2010), St. Louis Cardinals

34. LHP Adrian Morejon* (2017), San Diego Padres

35. RHP Andres Muñoz* (2017), San Diego Padres

36. RHP Chris Paddack* (2016), San Diego Padres

37. LHP Oliver Perez (2001), Cleveland Indians

38. INF Jace Peterson (2012), Baltimore Orioles

39. OF Dustin Peterson (2014), Detroit Tigers

40. RHP Cal Quantrill* (2016), San Diego Padres

41. OF Hunter Renfroe (2013), San Diego Padres

42. OF Franmil Reyes (2014-15), San Diego Padres / Cleveland Indians

43. RHP Gerardo Reyes* (2016), San Diego Padres

44. RHP Joe Ross (2012-13), Washington Nationals

45. RHP José Ruiz (2015), Chicago White Sox

46. OF Mallex Smith (2013-14), Seattle Mariners

47. INF/OF Eric Sogard (2007), Toronto Blue Jays / Tampa Bay Rays

48. RHP Joakim Soria (2006), Oakland A’s

49. INF Cory Spangenberg (2011), Milwaukee Brewers

50. INF Fernando Tatis Jr.* (2017), San Diego Padres

51. INF Trea Turner (2014), Washington Nationals

52. INF Luis Urías (2015), San Diego Padres

53. INF/OF Josh VanMeter* (2014-15), Cincinnati Reds

54. LHP Brad Wieck (2015), San Diego Padres / Chicago Cubs

55. RHP Trey Wingenter (2016), San Diego Padres

56. RHP Matt Wisler (2012), San Diego Padres / Seattle Mariners

57. RHP Eric Yardley* (2014), San Diego Padres

*MLB Debut in 2019

Note: Fort Wayne was nicknamed the Wizards from 1993-2008 and transitioned to the TinCaps in 2009.