From Lansing to eventually the bigs: A look at an all-time team of former Lugnuts
Lansing and Cooley Law School Stadium has been a summer home for numerous baseball players over the last 24 years as they’ve navigated their journey through the minors to the majors.
Nearly 800 players have donned the Lansing Lugnuts uniform since the team was formed in 1996. And roughly 20 percent of those – 147 to be exact – have gone on to reach the big leagues.
That includes some big names like highly regarded prospects Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Corey Patterson and then other not so heralded players that have been among those that have eventually made it to the majors.
But who would make up an all-time team of the players who have spent some time in Lansing that have reached The Show?
Here’s a position-by-position look of how a team featuring players that have suited up for the Lugnuts could look.
CATCHER
YAN GOMES: Gomes had a brief stint with the Lugnuts as a 22-year old in 2010 and was in the majors two years later with the Toronto Blue Jays. Most of his eight-year major league career has been spent with the Cleveland Indians, where he was an American League all-star in 2018. Gomes is currently with the Washington Nationals.
Others of note: Robinson Chirinos, Danny Jansen, Matt Treanor
FIRST BASE
ROWDY TELLEZ: The power-hitting first baseman has spent parts of the last two seasons in the majors with the Blue Jays and has slugged 18 home runs and 54 RBI in just 101 career games. Tellez spent parts of 2014 and 2015 with the Lugnuts before making it to the majors for the first time last year with Toronto.
Others of note: Hee-Seop Choi
SECOND BASE
RYAN THERIOT: He spent the 2002 season and part of the 2003 season in Lansing before continuing his climb and reaching the majors with the Chicago Cubs in 2005. Theriot played eight seasons in the majors with most of that time spent with the Cubs. The middle infielder batted .281 with 257 RBI and 121 stolen bases during his major league career. Theriot is part of the Lugnuts Hall of Fame.
Others of note: Ryan Goins
SHORTSTOP
BO BICHETTE: The Midwest League MVP in 2017 despite just spending half a season, the son of former major leaguer Dante Bichette recently was promoted to the big leagues by the Blue Jays. Bo Bichette, who had been widely regarded as one of the top prospects in baseball, became the first player in MLB history to collect 10 extra-base hits in the first nine games of their career.
THIRD BASE
VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR.: Guerrero was also part of the 2017 Lugnuts squad along with Bichette. He also spent half the season in Lansing before hitting his way to the next level. Guerrero reached the majors earlier this year with the Blue Jays and had 13 home runs and 49 RBI entering play Wednesday. The highly touted Guerrero - the son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero - also made plenty of noise in this year's Home Run derby in which he finished as the runner-up.
Others of note: Casey McGehee
OUTFIELD
CARLOS BELTRAN: He played in just 11 games with the Lugnuts as a 19-year old while a prospect in the Kansas City Royals minor league system in 1996. He made his major league debut two years later with the Royals. Beltran, who is part of the Lugnuts Hall of Fame, is the most accomplished of players that have suited up for Lansing. He spent 20 seasons in the majors and totaled 2,725 hits, 565 doubles, 435 home runs, 1,587 RBI and 312 stolen bases. He was a nine-time all-star and won three Gold Gloves during a major league career that included time with the Royals, Houston Astros, New York Mets, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers.
COREY PATTERSON: A No. 3 overall pick in the 1998 MLB draft, the highly regarded Patterson spent the 1999 season with the Lugnuts before working his way to the majors with the Cubs in 2000. He spent 12 seasons in the majors – six with the Cubs – and batted .253 with 118 home runs, 431 RBI and 218 stolen bases. Patterson, who also suited up for the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers while in the majors totaled 1,050 career hits. Patterson is part of the Lugnuts Hall of Fame.
KEVIN PILLAR: The Midwest League MVP in 2012, Pillar reached the majors in 2013 with the Blue Jays. Pillar, who was traded to the San Francisco Giants earlier this year, is in his seventh season in the majors and entered Wednesday with a career .259 average.
Others of note: Jeremy Giambi, Jake Marisnick, Travis Snider
STARTING PITCHERS
MATTHEW BOYD: The southpaw, who pitched briefly for the Lugnuts in 2013, is in the midst of a breakout year with the Detroit Tigers. In his fifth season in the majors, Boyd entered the weekend with a 6-9 mark, but with 201 strikeouts in just 153 innings.
RICH HILL: The left-hander spent part of the 2003 season in Lansing before two years later getting to the majors with the Cubs. Hill, who is currently with the Los Angeles Dodgers, has primarily worked as a starter during his career in the majors. He owns a 65-42 record with an ERA of 3.84 and 993 strikeouts during a career that has also included time with the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics.
AARON SANCHEZ: The right-hander was part of the Lugnuts roster in 2012 before going on to reach the majors two years later with Toronto. This season has been a rough one for Sanchez, who recently was traded to the Houston Astros and was part of a combined no-hitter. The 2016 American League all-star has been a .500 pitcher at the major league level and has a career ERA of 3.92.
NOAH SYNDERGAARD: A hot commodity during this year's MLB trade deadline, Syndergaard has been an impact pitcher in his five seasons in the bigs. The right-hander, who spent time in Lansing in 2011 and 2012, was a National League all-star in 2016. The New York Mets hurler entered the weekend with a career 3.12 ERA.
CARLOS ZAMBRANO: The three-time National League all-star is the most accomplished of former Lugnuts pitchers and is part of the team’s hall of fame. Zambrano, who pitched in Lansing in 1999, debuted in the majors with the Cubs in 2001 and spent 12 seasons in the bigs. He compiled a 132-91 mark with a 3.66 ERA and 1,637 strikeouts during his career, which featured 11 seasons with the Cubs and one with the Miami Marlins.
Others of note: Henderson Alvarez, Anthony DeSclafani, Kendall Graveman, Daniel Norris
BULLPEN
JEREMY AFFELDT: Part of the third Lansing Lugnuts team in 1998, Affeldt reached the majors for the first time in 2002 with the Kansas City Royals. That was the start of a 14-year career Affeldt had pitching out of the bullpen primarily with the Royals and San Francisco Giants. Affeldt made 774 career appearances and had a 3.97 ERA and 720 strikeouts.
CASEY JANSSEN: The right-hander had a brief stint in Lansing in 2005 and found himself in the majors the next year with the Blue Jays. Janssen registered 90 saves and had a 3.63 ERA during his nine-year major league career that was spent mostly with Toronto.
CARLOS MARMOL: After first arriving in Lansing as a catcher in 2002, he returned two years later as a pitcher. That started a journey to being an effective reliever for Marmol, who reached the majors in 2006 with the Chicago Cubs. Marmol had a nine-year run in the majors – mostly with the Cubs – and registered 117 career saves. He was a National League all-star in 2008.
ROBERTO OSUNA: A starting pitcher for the Lugnuts in 2013, Osuna found his way to the majors two years later as a reliever with the Blue Jays. Osuna, who was an American League all-star in 2017, has registered 320 strikeouts, owns a 2.75 ERA and has 214 career saves during his five seasons in the majors. He is currently pitching for the Houston Astros.
MARC RZEPCZYNSKI: The career began as a starter for the left-handed Rzepczynski, who was part of the Lugnuts roster in 2008. He made it to the majors the next year with the Blue Jays and had a 10-year career that included time with the Cardinals, Mariners, Athletic, Padres, Indians and Nationals. He found a niche as a reliever and appeared in 506 games and had a 3.89 ERA and 409 strikeouts.
Others of note: Tim Collins, Chad Durbin
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Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @brian_calloway.